As animal lovers, we should be working to eliminate the market for neglectful puppy mills and unfit breeding conditions that these dogs and cats are put through every day here in the United States. They deserve better and the fur babies living in the shelters deserve a home and as much love as we have to give! Adopt, don't shop and give these sweet things a chance at a great life!
1. Obviously, it keeps your local shelter from overpopulation (which can result in those sweet animals getting put down).
According to the Humane Society, 2.7 MILLION adoptable dogs and cats are euthanized each year in the United States alone due to overpopulation in the shelters.
2. You're going to spend a lot less on a pet you get from a shelter than a breeder.
Buying pets from breeders can cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Depending on the shelter, you'll most likely spend less than $100 and that usually includes the vaccinations and maybe even the cost of spay/neuter fees!
3. Adopted pets are usually already house-trained or at least much closer to being so!
Most pets that have been in a shelter for a length of time have already gotten down the basics of house-training and possibly some basic commands (depending on the shelter). This can take a lot of the initial stress of getting a pet off of your shoulders!
4. You get the best of both worlds with a mixed breed animal!
They sometimes say that when you mix-breed dogs, the puppies develop the best qualities of each breed! For example, if you mix a lab and a husky, you get a sweet little fur baby with the beautiful color and obedience of a lab as well as the cute, curly tail and loyalty of a husky!
5. You might have that extra little help and support in caring for your new fur baby.
Many shelters (especially local ones) are totally okay with you calling/visiting when you need a bit of advice or support with caring for your adopted pet. They care for the well-being of the animals that come through their doors and want to see you be a successful caregiver to your rescued pup.
6. You get to see their personality before taking them home.
When adopting from a shelter, you can pick out a pet based on their personality and that way you won't be surprised with the way they act when you get them home! Some shelters even offer "rent-a-dog" programs, trial periods, and fostering options where you can get a better feel of if that pup (or cat) is right for you and your family.
7. The loyalty you will receive from an adopted/rescued pet is beyond anything you can imagine.
When you rescue or adopt an animal from the shelter, you save its life and you give that sweet baby a home. They look at you as their person, the one who saved them from the shelter and gave them a happy, healthy lifestyle full of love and attention.
8. The feeling you get from knowing you've done something very, very great.
I can't even begin to describe the feeling you get from knowing that you saved not only your new fur baby, but you also did your part in something much bigger. You helped that animal as well as every other pet in that shelter to have better lives.
