There's an animal rescue center right down the road from your house. You've heard that they've had an overflow of animals in the past few months; more animals are coming in than coming out. You're looking for a pet yourself, but you're not sure if you want to adopt from the animal shelter. After all, aren't all of those dogs mutts? Aren't all of the cats feral? It might be a good idea to help a homeless animal find a forever home, but...you remember seeing that really cute, really expensive purebred German shepherd puppy, and you think maybe it would be worth it to pay a little more. You'll get to have a fancy dog that is closer to what you actually wanted. Still, it's worth a shot to give the animal rescue center a try.

The first thing you notice as you walk through the door is the smell. It is hard to make sure that all of the animals are bathed regularly, and they are all living in close quarters with one another. There is simply not enough room. The second thing is the noise. As soon as the dogs spot you coming in, they lose it and start barking and bouncing against the bars of their cages, trying to make sure that they catch your attention and you don't walk past them. It is hard to imagine that they get all the attention that they need while they are at the shelter. There could be three hundred animals or more there, and that is a lot of attention that simply cannot be distributed.

Most people get turned off just by the smell and the sound of the high-pitched barks echoing off the metal walls of the cage, and they simply turn and walk out the door, opting for a better solution to their need for a companion. The animal rescue center continues collecting animals with minimal funds and minimal volunteers, and you sit at home with your purebred German shepherd puppy that makes you happy, despite the fact that you spent $700 or better to purchase him.

The fact is, people just don't want to get an animal from an animal shelter. A detailed list of common misconceptions reported by Petfinder claims that people do not want to adopt an uncertain breed, they can't find exactly what they're looking for, and they assume that animals are in shelters because they don't make good pets, among other reasons. Another writer reports from The Washington Post claiming that rescue centers do not know of any bad behaviors or health issues that a dog or cat might have before taking it in at the center, and therefore they are ill-advised and cannot inform potential pet owners about the animal until it is too late.

I think it's all worth it. As reported by the Humane Society of the United States, an estimated 2.7 million dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters each year in the United States alone because there are simply not enough homes for all of them. They cannot take care of all of the animals on their own. Adopting can save a life. Maybe sometimes there are animals that are in bad health or animals that are simply too old to continue living, but oftentimes, there are animals that are in perfect health and could be sent to a forever home that are put down just because rescue centers cannot accommodate for them. Adopting fills you with such a sense of pride and joy because not only have you done a good thing and saved something from an inevitable fate, but you have also rewarded yourself with a companion that will love you and never leave your side. I can certainly assure you that a shelter dog is one of the most loyal companions you will ever have in your lifetime.

I started adopting from shelters when I was thirteen years old. I had always loved being around any animal any time that I could, so regular visits to the animal shelter were a must. A few years earlier, my father got me a purebred Chihuahua puppy that I named Rodrigo, and I had decided in my mind that, while I loved Rodrigo, I wanted another dog—even if my father didn't know I was plotting the adoption in my devious little mind.

The connection I had with Roxy was almost instantaneous. As I got out of the car and walked up the gravel drive toward the shelter, I saw her in the pen immediately in front of me, playing around with a bunch of other dogs. She was beautiful—a skinny, medium-sized pup with short golden fur that glistened under the afternoon sun. As soon as I was spotted, all of the dogs rushed to the fence to stick their wet, black noses through the holes to nudge my hand, and they were all so loving and friendly. But Roxy was special. I knew from the moment that my eyes connected with hers that she was going to go home with me.

Roxy was my best friend. She was the best dog that I ever owned. Every time we shared a look, I could just tell that she thought I was her best friend, too. That was not so with any of the other dogs I owned in the past. Roxy understood the circumstances that she had been in at the shelter, and she was filled with such a profound level of love and loyalty for me because I had rescued her, and I felt even closer to her because I got her away from the shelter and gave her a forever home. There is gratitude from a shelter animal that is just not present in an animal that came from breeding practices.

The next time you're looking for a family pet to add to your home, look closely at your options. Check out the information for your local animal rescue center and go for a visit. Try to remember that the surroundings of the shelter can be a little off-putting, and it's best to get to know your new pup or cat in a more comfortable setting. Adopting is the way to go; you're not just getting yourself a best friend, but you're saving a life.