July 21, 2011 is a day that’ll go in the books for my family. It is the day that we gained a new family member, without even knowing what we were getting ourselves into.

After starting out as another ordinary day, July 21, 2011 became one of my all-time favorite days. It is the day my family adopted Viggo, our shelter dog, who is now completely a part of the family.

I remember going to the shelter to look at and visit a dog (whose name, at the time, was Tango). I made sure to understand that we were not going to be adopting any pets that day, but still I went in hopeful that I would meet the dog who we would eventually adopt. We walked in and were brought to the kennel in which Tango was kept.

On a leash, Tango was brought out to a little play yard, and once he was taken off the leash, we were allowed to play with him (keyword being allowed). He was not in a playing mood. He had been abused and eventually abandoned by his previous owners, and when we visited him, he hid in the corner to avoid any physical contact.

About an hour and several signatures later, however, we were on the way home with our new puppy. He was still terrified of all of us, but as we drove with the windows down, he ended up sitting in my lap, enjoying the car ride.

The 30-minute drive was all it took for me to fall in love with him. We eventually changed his name to Viggo, and he is still the happy dog he was when we adopted him.

There are several reasons why I think adopting shelter dogs is a much better option than getting a dog from a breeder.

1. First, and most obviously, it is significantly cheaper to adopt a shelter dog, and most of them come with their vaccinations already done. It saves a lot of money and time for your family. When you are adopting a dog who is completely ready to be brought home, you can start enjoying your life with your new pet.
2. Many shelter dogs come from terrible backgrounds, and you can save them and give them a new, better life. Although their previous owners could have left many scars on the dogs, you are the exact person they need and can trust to love them and help heal over those scars.
3. Over time, countless science experiments have been done to decide whether or not dogs can feel emotions, as well as sense human emotions. Adopting a shelter dog will prove, without a doubt, that they can both have their own emotions and sense those of other’s.
4. On a related note, shelter dogs can also sense that they have been given a second chance -- that their lives have been saved by a person whom they have only just met. They appreciate you as much, if not more than you appreciate them.
5. Because you have given them a second chance, as well as for the reason that dogs are the best, they are always excited to see you. From the moment you walk into their shelter, they love you. They have known loneliness, and because of it, they appreciate the company and a new family much more.
6. Lastly, shelter dogs give you an opportunity to change an animal’s life for the better. You can know, without a shadow of a doubt, that they will never let you down or stop loving you because of it.