- An estimated 6-8 million dogs and cats are in shelters every year, waiting for their forever home. Tragically, half of those healthy, loveable animals will not be adopted and will die in the shelter. You can change that!
- Your companion animal will be healthy. Shelters often microchip, spay/neuter and vaccinate dogs before adoption. This relieves prospective owners of the heavy financial costs of caring for a dog purchased from a pet shop. Shelters also try to match an animals’ temperament with a suitable home, ensuring a perfect match!
- Many shelter dogs are already house-trained. Teaching puppies to be house-broken can be a lot of work and mature, trained dogs are often available for adoption.
- Adoption costs are usually a fraction of the price at a pet shop. Pet shops prices often exceed $1000. Adoption costs are generally a fraction of that, and adoption fees go toward the vaccination and spay/neuter costs of caring for your new family member.
- Shelter pets are just as lovable! Most animals are surrendered to shelters because their owner can no longer care for them. It is a common misconception that animals end up in shelters because they are “bad” or misbehave. Reasons relating to the owner (such as financial concerns, moving, death, and/or a lack of time) are common reasons pets are surrendered, not because of anything to do with the animal.
- Mixed breeds are often the healthiest. Known as the “hybrid vigor” principle, mixed breed dogs avoid common health conditions associated with a purebred bloodlines. Mixed breeds are likely to live longer and have less health issues than their purebred counterparts.
- Shelter Support. Animal shelters frequently provide counseling or training for new owners during the initial adjustment period to teach owners how to best care for their animal.
- When you adopt an adult animal you know their size, personality and energy level. Puppies are cute, but it is often hard to gauge how big they will grow or how high energy they will be when they mature. Adopting an adult animal of any species provides information about the animal’s personality, size and energy up front so you know exactly what to expect.
- Buying dogs and cats supports puppy mills. Puppy mills supply animals to pet shops for purchase. Puppy mill kennels are run like factories and are notorious for cruel and inhumane treatment of animals: dogs are often kept in wire cages, denied veterinary care and healthful, appropriate nutrition, and are auctioned off or killed once they no longer productive. In puppy mills, the dogs often live in crowded outdoor cages, which do not provide shelter from cold or hot weather. In an effort to maximize profits, dogs are inbred, resulting in personality and health problems for the puppies sold to pet shops. By adopting at a shelter you can be sure your money is not supporting these cruel puppy factories. Until people stop purchasing from pet shops, puppy mills will continue to exist.
- Knowing you saved a life! What can be more rewarding than that? Sadly, an estimated 2.7 million dogs and cats are killed every year because of insufficient space at shelters. Additionally, having a dog or cat is good for your health: studies show that living with an animal is psychologically, emotionally and physically beneficial to humans of all age groups. Adopting and caring for an animal can combat loneliness and isolation and is an incredibly rewarding experience for everyone in the family.
Caru Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Caru SPCA) 