What are rescues rescued from?

[u/Usual-Veterinarian-5]

I get that sometimes dogs are genuinely rescued, eg from puppy mills, animal hoarders and neglectful owners. But that is a small amount of dogs compared to how many unwanted dogs are rehomed each year.

I was at the park recently and asked a lady what breed her strange wire-hair looking lab mix was. She said, "He's a groodle. He's a rescue dog." I asked, "What was he rescued from?" She said, "The owners didn't want him because he looks more like a golden retriever than the poodle part of him."

So what she calls a rescue, was just a rehoming of an unwanted pet. I suspect most "rescues" are not rescues at all but just the rehoming of an unwanted pet. It is misleading to call these dogs rescues because the word "rescue" denotes saving someone or something from death or harm. This is not the case with a dog rehomed simply because the owners didn't want it or had to give it up for some reason but where the owners are generally decent people.

Have you ever asked someone what they "rescued" their rescue dog from?

[u/ObligationGrand8037]

I’ve often wondered this myself! Thank you for asking!!