Many people prefer adoption over shopping when it comes to getting their new pets. This is not only the more affordable option but also, the more humane one.
However, when you have an allegedly dangerous breed like the Cane Corso, is it a good idea to adopt, or should you stick to breeders only?
The Cane Corso is a large dog breed that was bred with the intent of being war dogs, but it was later used as a guard dog as well as a family pet. Still, it has a reputation for being one of the most aggressive dog breeds out there.
We’ll give you the 7 best Cane Corso rescues for adoption in the US (according to many reviews and testimonials) and discuss our opinion about adoption.
Let’s get started!
Top 5 Best Cane Corso Rescues For Adoption
When adopting a Cane Corso, you have to find the best Cane Corso rescues for adoption. While there are many good shelters out there, if the staff and volunteers aren’t experienced with this breed, the dog might develop some behavioral issues.
So, where should you look if you want to adopt a Cane Corso? We’ll give you 5 of the best rescue organizations specializing not just in Cane Corsos but many other large dog breeds, such as the Neapolitan Mastiff.
1. Cane Corso Rescue, Inc.
The Cane Corso Rescue (CCR) is one of the largest non-profit rescue organizations that specialize in Cane Corsos in the US. It was founded by a group of people willing to get involved in rescuing, fostering, adoption, transportation, re-homing, and saving Cane Corsos across the US.
While it started in 2005 as part of the Cane Corso Association of America (CCAA), it became independent in 2009 under the name Cane Corso Rescue Inc.
Since its founding, the CCR has helped more than 1,000 Cane Corsos find a new home and get saved from the street. It has both male and female dogs of all ages, including puppies, adults, and seniors.
To apply for adoption, first, you have to go to their site, canecorsorescue.org, and fill out the application form. After this, you’ll go through an evaluation process that will determine whether you’re a suitable owner for such a dog breed.
Not just that, but your home and family members will be evaluated as well. This also means that you have to be a homeowner and not a renter. Also, the team at CCR will check out all of your personal references, just in case.
2. Red Rock Canyon Cane Corso
Red Rock Canyon Cane Corso is a Cane Corso breeder from Las Vegas, Nevada, that also helps find foster homes and new families for abandoned Cane Corsos.
As a breeder, they are a part of the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) Breeder of Merit program, and they have been in the business since 2003.
All aspiring adopters have to fill out the adoption application form on their website, and there are some requirements you have to meet.
Overall, they’ll decide whether you’re eligible to adopt based on the number of hours you spend outside your home, the age of your household members, your experience as a dog owner, and other pets you might have in your house. You’ll also be asked to enroll in a basic obedience course that will provide you with some essential dog training.
3. West Coast Cane Corso Rescue
West Coast Cane Corso Rescue is one of the best Cane Corso rescues for adoption that helps Cane Corsos from the western US find new homes. Just like many other Cane Corso rescues we’ll name, it is a part of the CCAA.
This non-profit organization helps find foster homes for large breeds in a wide region across the US, from California to Washington.
They usually communicate with potential fosters and adopters via their social media – mostly their Facebook page that they regularly update with images and stories about the dogs they’re taking care of. At the same time, they’ll write up all the necessary information about every dog they are taking care of, letting you know if there are some details you have to know before you apply.
Of course, not everyone can adopt from them, and there is a lengthy list of requirements fosters have to meet. This is so they can make sure all of their dogs go into good hands.
4. East Coast Gentle Giants Rescue, Inc.
East Coast Gentle Giants Rescue, Inc. is another organization that is a member of CCAA. Similar to West Coast Cane Corso Rescue, it covers a wide area across the US. Most dogs that are abandoned in the eastern USA end up in their care.
This Cane Corso rescue takes care of most large dog breeds, such as Italian Mastiffs, Presa Canario, Great Danes, and, of course, Cane Corsos.
They take great care of all the dogs they rescue, and their team of volunteers will help save dogs from all sorts of situations. Many of their Cane Corso rescue dogs come from kill shelters, where they would likely be euthanized.
The application process is somewhat lengthy, but if you’re from the East Coast and looking for a Cane Corso puppy, adult, or senior dog to adopt, this might be the best place to start your search.
5. Must Love Corsos Rescue
Yet another CCAA member, Must Love Corsos Rescue is a community-based non-profit dog rescue organization. It consists of a team of volunteers that have dedicated their lives to saving the abandoned or neglected Cane Corso.
As a non-profit organization, most of their funds come from adoption fees and donations that you can send to their PO box or other accounts. They’ll also hold charitable events that they’ll use to collect money for their cause from time to time.
Just like with many other rescues, if you want to foster or adopt, you have to fill out the application form on their website. However, to make sure you are serious about your intention, they ask you to pay a $20 non-refundable application fee.
Before you can adopt, the rescue will conduct a background check (including criminal records), so they can be certain their dogs are going to the right hands.
They provide all of their dogs with the medical care they require, including vaccinations, microchipping, heartworm prevention treatment, flea and tick treatment, and ensure that they are spayed and neutered.
Other Places To Look:
If, for any reason, none of these best Cane Corso rescues for adoption are suitable for you, you might feel hopeless. Fortunately, there are a few more places you can look at.
We’ll list some of the most notable ones:
PetFinder: PetFinder is an online database of not just Cane Corsos but many other pets that have been abandoned and put up for adoption. Chances are, some of them are Cane Corsos.
PetCurious: PetCurious is another online database of pets that are up for adoption. They have many purebred Cane Corsos, as well as Cane Corso mixes, listed.
Adopt-a-Pet: This is one of the largest online adoption locations in the US. They have helped find homes for pets that have been helped by over 21,000 rescue groups and organizations.
Local Rescue Organizations and Shelters: The best place to start your search would be to visit some local animal shelters and rescue organizations. No matter if you’re looking to foster or adopt, you might find the dog you’re looking for there.
How To Recognize Reputable Cane Corso Rescues
Photo from: @coastalviewkennels
Many aspiring dog owners would think that looking for the best Cane Corso rescues for adoption is much more straightforward than looking for a reputable breeder. However, not all rescues are the same. Unfortunately, some people will always be looking to scam others, so you need to be very careful and make sure to always do your homework.
Fortunately, there are a few things that can help you differentiate a reputable rescue from a fraudulent one. Here’s what they are:
They Have A Clear Mission
All the best Cane Corso rescues for adoption will keep the dogs in their care until they can find them great foster homes. In the end, this is why they are called rescues. Also, their primary mission should be to find homes for the dogs they have.
If their priorities aren’t in order – or rather, if they focus more on donations or a brand’s name than taking care of their dogs – this is a huge red flag.
Look at their website or social media profiles of the rescue you’re researching. Are they filled with pictures of dogs, or do most posts have nothing to do with helping Cane Corsos? This alone will tell you all you need to know.
They Don’t Care about Online Drama
As mentioned, all best Cane Corso rescues for adoption care only about saving their dogs. They don’t harp on about other rescues, let alone a particular person. Sure, sharing their opinion or defending their rescue organization is okay, but anything more than that is cause for concern.
Reputable rescues know that they cannot please everyone and that some people will always be unhappy with what they do. When an issue arises, they should take care of it with their dogs’ best interest in mind.
They Are Transparent
If you see a rescue save a Cane Corso for that dog to simply disappear a few weeks later without any explanation, this is worrying. Just think about all those soppy stories about a dog that is pulled from a kill shelter or some other dangerous situation, just to never be heard of again.
Not all stories can be documented. However, if you never seem to know what happens with the rescued dogs, chances are there is something fishy going on.
They Have Legitimate Money Requests
Most of the best Cane Corso rescues for adoption are non-profit. This means they live off donations and charity. Money pledges are entirely normal in this community – as long as you know precisely what you’re giving your money towards.
One common practice is for people to pledge money to the rescue to save a certain dog from a kill shelter. Once that dog is pulled, the rescue will contact all of the people who have pledged so they can collect money.
While this is quite standard, a rescue should pull dogs no matter the number of pledges. However, if the organization only saves dogs that they can collect a lot of money for, this is suspicious.
Don’t give money to rescues that are always claiming their offices have flooded or that someone stole all of their bags of food. Again, these instances can happen, but they shouldn’t be the norm.
All reputable rescues will always let you know precisely what it is they need money for. Whether that be medical costs or accommodating the needs of a specific animal, you’ll be informed of that.
A good tip is to check with the IRS to make sure whether the organization is definitely non-profit. You can verify the statuses here.
They Don’t Adopt To Everyone
All reputable rescues will have strict requirements for people looking to adopt. They won’t just hand their dogs over to the first person in line.
It is pretty standard for a rescue to conduct background checks on most aspiring adopters. This can include personal interviews, reference checks, and even home visits! If the dog isn’t spayed or neutered, you’ll be required to do so.
However, if the organization agrees to give you a Cane Corso dog without any requirements, they aren’t responsible.
They Offer Post-Adoption Support
All the best Cane Corso rescues for adoption will have a wide range of people ready to help with successful adoptions and provide support afterward.
This can include a group of volunteers or even dog trainers. They’ll be there to not only help with the adoption process but to give you guidance on dog training and socialization.
They Have A Reasonable Fee
All Cane Corso rescues have a specific fee. They won’t just give their dog away for free. However, this fee should be symbolic and not as high as if you were buying a purebred dog.
Rescues need money to operate, but money shouldn’t be their main goal. If there are too many high fees or the pledges required are too high, this means that money, and not the dogs’ wellbeing, is the organization’s focus.
Should You Adopt A Cane Corso?
Many dog lovers have strong opinions on which one is better, adoption or buying from breeders. Both options have their good and their bad sides, and while everyone is allowed to have an opinion, there are a few facts that need to be understood.
Adopting is always the more moral option. You will, essentially, be helping a dog in need instead of supporting a breeding practice and giving money to a breeder when there are so many dogs on the street.
However, there are a few good sides to buying that you’ll miss out on when you adopt.
First off, you’ll know the medical history of your future Cane Corso’s bloodline. As all large dog breeds, Cane Corsos are prone to some conditions that can shorten their lifespan. This includes hip dysplasia, entropion, cardiomyopathy, and bloat.
When you adopt, you’ll most likely have no insight into the dog’s genetic material. You’ll have no way of knowing whether he is likely to develop some health problems or not.
But, more importantly, when you buy from a reputable breeder, you’ll have some guarantee of what your dog’s personality will be. Not even the best Cane Corso rescues for adoption can give you this.
Sadly, many dogs that come to animal shelters and rescue groups have been abused or neglected. They may have some behavioral issues, and they might not know how to behave in specific situations and certain environments.
When you have a large dog breed, you want to take as few risks as possible – especially if you have little kids or other pets inside your home. While doing a good deed is important, there are some situations that you likely don’t want to happen, and having a large, unpredictable dog is one of them.
No matter the dog breed, dogs from adoption centers might not behave as you expect them to, and they’ll require a lot more work. While this isn’t an issue for most people, it’s still something worth noting.
Are Cane Corso Dangerous?
The Cane Corso is not an inherently aggressive and vicious dog. In fact, the same can be said for most dogs with a bad reputation, such as Pit Bulls or Rottweilers.
However, some dog breeds are more prone to aggressive behavior than others due to their history, and the Cane Corso is one of them.
This large and powerful dog breed has been bred to be a war dog and then a guard dog. All of this means that humans taught them to be wary of strangers and not to trust everyone.
They are very intelligent, which also means they are prone to boredom, and bored dogs can be destructive. They are also rather territorial, and they’ll want to be alpha dogs wherever they go. Because of this, they require confident, experienced owners that know how to put them in their place.
Also, Cane Corsos have a high prey drive. This means their instincts can get the best of them, especially when they’re around smaller pets. This includes gerbils, cats, and even toy dog breeds!
In fact, Cane Corsos likely won’t do well with dogs of any size. They need a lot of socialization, and you’ll need to dedicate a lot of time to teach them how to behave around other dogs. Not to mention the strong same-sex aggression that can happen, even when the dogs have been fixed!
Unfortunately, gangs have been known to use Cane Corsos to fight dogs in the ring, which also brought aggressive behaviors into the breed’s bloodline. At the same time, this further ruined their already bad reputation, which is why this old dog breed has almost gone extinct several times during its history.
However, if they are properly trained and socialized, they can make great family pets. Some might even be rather friendly toward other dogs, even ones they don’t know!
Still, because of all of this, many people prefer to know where their Cane Corso dog came from. A Cane Corso bought from a reputable breeder can sometimes be hard to manage, let alone a dog that has been abused.
This is also a reason why many rescues don’t want to give their dogs to families with little kids. Many children don’t know how to behave around dogs, which can make even a non-aggressive breed such as Poodle or Labrador Retriever lash out! Leaving them alone with a mighty dog like a Cane Corso can be a disaster waiting to happen.
So, Should You Adopt A Cane Corso?
So, should you contact some of the best Cane Corso rescues for adoption and get your new pet from there?
Despite all the unpredictability this might carry, if you don’t have small kids and have experience with large dogs, you should definitely adopt a Cane Corso instead of buying one!
Due to their reputation, many Cane Corsos that have been abandoned will end up euthanized or worse. This is why all the best Cane Corso rescues for adoption are struggling to save as many of these glorious dogs as they can.
Adopted Cane Corsos can be as friendly as dogs bought directly from a breeder. While there are always extreme cases, most dogs can be socialized with the right amount of strictness and love.
Just make sure you know what reputable Cane Corso rescues look like, and don’t let yourself become involved with some fraudulent organization that is only looking for a way to take your money.
All the best Cane Corso rescues for adoption will always have their dog’s wellbeing in mind, while the money will only be a tool to reach their goal. If something doesn’t feel right with the rescue group you’re contacting, follow that feeling.
Despite their terrible reputation, Cane Corsos are loyal and affectionate dogs that just need a strong pack leader to point them in the right direction. They deserve a second chance.
Read Next: Top 8 Dog Rescues In New York: Instead Of Shop, Adopt!