If you’ve ever owned a dog, you know the feeling of having an unconditional best friend. Someone who will always be there for you, care for you, and even eat your leftovers. But what about all the dogs in shelters who don’t have the opportunity to be a best friend?
According to statistics from the ASPCA, approximately 7.6 million pets enter animal shelters nationwide every year. Approximately 3.9 million of those pets are dogs. That’s 3.9 million dogs that do not have the opportunity to be loved by a family.
So, why should you adopt?
An article by The Humane Society of the United States states that 2.7 million dogs and cats are euthanized due to overcrowding in animal shelters. Along with the many other benefits of adopting, you’ll be saving a life.
Shelter dogs are great. Most, if not all of them, are put in shelters due to events they don’t even understand and cannot control, like their owners moving. Contrary to popular belief, these dogs aren’t in shelters because they’re sick or dying, it’s just due to an unfortunate circumstance.
If cost is a concern, adopting is cheaper than buying from a pet store or a breeder. The price of adopting includes the cost of spaying or neutering, the first vaccinations your dog needs, and even in most cases microchipping.
Adopting is just one more way to fight puppy mills. If you don’t know what a puppy mill is, The Humane Society describes them as, “‘factory style’ breeding facilities that put profit above the welfare of dogs.” Puppies from puppy mills often get sick and do not get the medical attention they need and deserve, so it shouldn’t come as a shock that the conditions of these “factories” are very poor.
The mothers of puppy mill puppies are overbred for multiple years and kept in cages. After these mothers aren’t “profitable” anymore, they’ll be thrown away, either by being killed, abandoned, or sold at auctions.
Most people who buy their dogs from pet shops don’t know that most of the puppies in these shops come from puppy mills. Not only do most pet shop puppies come from mills, but most dogs sold online as well. Puppy mills will continue to function as long as people are still buying their dogs online or through pet shops. By adopting, you’re one step closer to shutting down puppy mills.
Adult dogs need love, too. When most families want to get a new pet, they opt for buying a puppy. While puppies go fast in shelters, there are plenty of older dogs looking for a home. They deserve a better quality of life and a loving family. Older dogs will be just as loving and playful as any puppy. They’re housebroken, too!
How can you adopt?
There are more local shelters around you than you probably think. With a quick search online, you can find a shelter near you.
Alternatively, organizations like The Shelter Pet Project and Petfinder are great tools for finding your new furry friend. In addition, these websites offer great information on adopting and shelters. These websites will also inform you on what the adoption process is like, what the rates are, and how shelters are different.
Wait, there’s different types of shelters?
According to The Shelter Pet Project’s page to learn about pet adoption, “There are three kinds of adoption organizations: municipal animal shelters, private humane societies and SPCAs and rescue organizations.” Municipal animal shelters and private humane societies and SPCAs are typical shelter facilities that you can go and visit. Most of the time, rescue organizations, while they may have facility, are volunteer based and care and foster pets from their homes.
Don’t hesitate to contact your local shelter for more information on how you can make a forever furry friend. Not only will you be gaining a forever furry friend who will love you unconditionally, but you’ll be changing an animal’s life.
