Our dog Ernie was found wandering the streets, cold, hungry, in need of medical attention and a bath when he was brought to a city animal shelter. Today we'll talk about the benefits of adopting from a shelter.
Right now there are thousands of dogs, cats, bunnies as well as other animals being cared for at animal shelters near you. These are not undesirable castoffs but furry diamonds in the rough that need a new home and family to care for them.
People sometimes say they don't want a dog from the shelter because they say they don't want to deal with someone else's problems. Actually many dogs who arrive in shelters were once adored family pets who had to be surrendered because of changes at home. Sometimes families can no longer afford to care for a pet, a family member dies leaving a pet behind, a child develops allergies or there may be a minor behavior issue and the family doesn't have the skills to deal with it properly.
Our dog Ernie was found wandering the streets, cold, hungry, in need of medical attention and a bath when he was brought to a city animal shelter. Today we'll talk about the benefits of adopting from a shelter.
Or people say they want to "raise a puppy.” Having a puppy is hard work and it takes hours for basic care and weeks of dedicated, consistent training to help mold a youngster. Puppy-hood is fun, exciting and magical but an older pet can be as energetic and fun without some of the worry. Many times adult dogs have had some training and don't require the constant supervision of a puppy.
Or even "I'd like a purebred because they make better pets". There is no scientific evidence to support this statement. Although each breed does have specific standard qualities that make them unique, anyone who's ever had a perfect mixed breed dog can tell you what great pets they make.
But if you have your heart set on a specific breed remember 25 percent of dogs in shelters are pure bred.
Although efforts are being made to wait as long as possible some dogs are deemed un-adoptable for a variety of reasons like breed or age, and given less than a week to live.
If you're thinking bringing a new pet into your family, visit your local shelter first. Remember when you adopt a pet from a shelter you've made room for another in need.