According to the Humane Society of the United States, between six and eight MILLION dogs and cats are turned over to animal shelters every year. Of those millions, half of them will be euthanized. And, 25% of the abandoned animals are purebreds of all breeds, including the increasingly popular breed, the Havanese. Havanese information on the Internet has made the breed more in demand than ever.

Havanese breeders in the United States charge about $1000 per pup, because of the rarity of the breed. But why pay all of that money when there are perfectly loving, healthy and trained Havanese in Havanese rescues all over the country? Havanese rescue volunteers do not get any fame or glory from their hobby to lessen suffering in the world. They do their best to match abandoned Havanese to forever homes. You can also help lessen some of the suffering in the world by choosing to adopt your next dog rather than buy a puppy.

If you are thinking of getting a Havanese or adding another Havanese to your household, you should consider adopting from a Havanese rescue charity rather than buying a puppy from a breeder or a pet store. The dogs are usually already housebroken, are finished with the hyperactive stage of puppy hood and are healthy. Havanese rescue volunteers don't put a dog up for adoption unless they know the dog would make a great pet.

Since the Havanese is a relatively rare breed in America, you need to do your homework to find a Havanese rescue. You can also ask for information from the Havanese Club of America (HCA) or from the AKC (American Kennel Club), which will get you in contact with the HCA. They should be able to tell you all about the dogs they have for adoption and what part of the country your prospective new best friend lives.

The main Havanese rescue charity organization in the United States is called (appropriately enough) Havanese Rescue, Inc. of Phoenix, Arizona. They rescue not only purebred Havanese, but mixes, too. But whatever dog rescue organization you meet, you will be thoroughly quizzed and your home checked to be sure you would be a good, loving owner to a hard-luck Havanese. They want to be sure the hard-luck Havanese won't have to loose yet another home and go back through the shelter system.

If you live on the East Coast, the HVC should be able to get you in touch with those Havanese and Havanese mixes available for adoption from a database of dog shelters. One of the databases they use is Petfinder.com, which you can use as well. You might also want to look under "Maltese" or "Maltese-mixes" in your local animal shelters or on Petfinder.com - they might be misidentified Havanese.