Wilson. Wilsonian Democracy. Woodrow Wilson. The Willie Bear. Whatever he may be called, all I know is that I left for my school trip on a Thursday morning the spring of my junior year and came back to find a new furry friend that Saturday evening. The new addition to our family zoo wasn't planned. My mom was pretty firm that we did not need any more--a dog, two cats, and a guinea pig. However, after meeting Wilson at a softball game as a foster puppy of a family friend, the whole family was smitten by his calm, easygoing manner. A week later, we had filled the paper through the Great Pyrnee Recuse and found ourselves with five-month-old Wilson.
This is not an unusual pattern for my family. When we went to look at rescue kittens the summer going into my freshman year of college, my mom told us by no means would be getting the brother and sister pair--we would only be getting one. Roughly two minutes into our time with the kittens, it was clear to the whole family that we would be leaving with the pair--adding two kittens to our zoo. I never realize how many animals my family owns and how absurd it is until people ask me.
"Oh, I have two dogs and four cats!"
This is not about how awesome my pets are (which I could talk about for hours on end). It's about the important of pet adoption. Out of our six furry family members, all but one are rescue pets--coming from shelters or rescue programs. According to the ASPCA, 7.6 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year. Out of that 7.6 million, 36 percent will be euthanized. Now, I'm not trying to be like the sad Martina McBride commercial with the cute little animals in cages, but pet overpopulation remains a large problem in America, with thousands of adorable little fluff balls waiting to call a bed home--not a metal cage. However, you can help this epidemic! Adopt from rescue programs and pet shelters! Here are six benefits of adopting from shelters (besides, you know, saving a life)!
1. Many shelter animals are already house-trained!
While it's a no-brainer that pets are work, many shelter animals are already house-trained, eliminating the process for you!
2. You won't be supporting breeding mills!
While puppy mills are much more known compared to their cat-counterpart, both are prevalent today. Owners of breeding mills abuse these animals by over-breeding--keeping animals for the sole purpose of using them to reproduce. Kept in tight, untidy living quarters, the focus is not quality, rather quantity. Due to poor living conditions and frequent inbreeding, animals from pet mills face a plethora of health issues. These include, but are not limited to, epilepsy, heart disease, kidney disease, deafness, fleas, ticks, and heart worm. By adopting from a shelter, demand for pets from breeding mills decreases.
3. It's a great deal!
The cost of spay/neuter, first vaccinations, and sometimes microchipping is usually included in the adoption price. At No Kill Los Angeles, all pets come home with just that, with adoption fees starting at $100 (puppies and kittens cost more). In addition, shelters will often hold "sales." The Cat Adoption Team in Portland, Oregon had a "Black Cat Sale" this summer--adoption fees waived for black or mostly black adult cats and 50 percent off kittens! There are always great deals for adopting bonded pairs, FIV (Feline Immune Virus) positive cats, and senior animals. Considering the amount of love your new pet will give you, it's a great deal!
4. They're already spayed and neutered!
Why pet overpopulation is so prevalent is because owners choose to not "fix" their animals. By adopting from a shelter, you're doing your part in preventing pet overpopulation! If they aren't already, shelters will cover it, which means you get to enjoy your little buddy in the cone of shame.
5. By adopting from a shelter, you open a spot in the shelter for a pet on "death row."
Not only are you directing saving one life, another life is saved because of the space opened in the shelter. Shelters can only take so many animals--resulting in many animals stuck in kill-shelters run by the county. By adopting from the shelter, a space opens up for an animal currently on "death row," where death is inevitable if not adopted.
6. You'll get a best friend (or friends) for life.
Your pets will love you forever. And provide you great pictures like this.
For more information about where to adopt, visit petfinder.com or your local animal shelter today!
