Adopting A Rescued Dog Can Transform Expat Lives

One question common to many newly settled expat arrivals in France is ‘what do I do in my spare time?’

Moving to a new land is an adventure in itself, especially if a relaxed retirement is the goal, but pottering around the garden, discovering the best places to eat, exploring the locale, walking the dog and other similar activities may still leave time to be filled, especially if there’s no dog to be walked. For those who’ve always been too busy at work to even consider getting a pet, perhaps now’s the time to become a dog owner.

The best way to go about finding your new, best doggy friend is via a local dog rescue centre, of which there are many all across France. Wherever you’re living, the Societe Protectrice des Animaux (SPA) will have one of its 63 rescue centres within reach. On June 2 and 3, all are holding ‘open door’ events aimed at finding loving new owners for their canine charges.

The shelters are now approaching peak capacity and are keen to attract new adoptive families for their dogs and cats, as summer is their peak time for rescuing abandoned dogs. Over the past four months, adoptions have dropped by around 10 per cent, leading to increased numbers of pets in their care. The SPA’s campaign is attempting to show that rescuing an abandoned dog can increase owners’ feelings of happiness and wellbeing, a fact that dog owners everywhere agree is true.

According to SPA president Natacha Harry, living with an animal gives new owners unconditional love which can help ease and even cure physical and psychological human illnesses. Some of her shelters now offer animal therapy sessions for people who’re feeling fragile or stressed, and it’s long been understood that walking your dog is good for your general health. If you don’t feel you can cope with pet owning at present but still have time on your hands, many animal shelters are desperate for part-time volunteers able and willing to help in a variety of ways.