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With millions of animals entering shelters and rescue groups across the US every year and more and more shelters reaching maximum capacity following the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s no better time than right now to adopt a dog! If you’re considering adding a canine companion to your family, check out these 7 reasons why you should adopt, don’t shop!
7. Purebred Shelter Dogs Exist
For people considering adding a new dog to their family the number one reason owners may consider buying from a breeder rather than adopting a dog is that they want a particular breed. While purebred dogs can sometimes be difficult to come by in a shelter setting, there are actually plenty of available purebreds nationwide.
If you’re looking for a particular breed of dog, there are rescues nationwide that specialize in a variety of breeds including greyhounds, labrador retrievers, poodles, chihuahuas, pit bulls, and much, much more! For help finding a breed-specific rescue in your area, check out the American Kennel Club (AKC) Rescue Network for more information.
6. Most Shelter Dogs are Temperament Tested
When it comes to adding a new dog to your family, one of the most important things to look for is good temperament. While shelter dogs often have a bad reputation for being unfriendly, unhealthy, or even aggressive, that’s actually far from the truth. Depending on the type of rescue organization that you plan on adopting from, many of the dogs on site have undergone behavioral evaluations that test for things such as temperament, attitude towards other animals, comfort with various surroundings, and more.
5. Most Shelter Dogs are Healthy
When it comes to the health of shelter dogs, having access to routine veterinary care is paramount during the dog’s time in the shelter as many diseases are transmissible between animals. All reputable shelters across the US should have policies in place for the intake and veterinary care of each animal that enters the shelter. Most practices follow a standard procedure that includes the following:
- Spay/neuter surgery
- Annual rabies vaccinations
- Annual DHLPP vaccinations
- Monthly flea, tick, and heartworm prevention
- Treatment for intestinal parasites
In the event that a shelter dog has a predetermined medical condition, the shelter staff will disclose this information to adopters to help them make an informed decision prior to adoption.
4. Adoption is Cheaper Than Buying from a Breeder
When it comes to adding a new dog to your family, adoption is by far a much cheaper option than buying a dog from a breeder. Adoption fees at shelters in the US can range from anywhere between $10 and $500 or more depending on the location of the shelter, the type of services they offer, and whether they have any adoption specials.
Adoption fees help cover the cost accrued by the organizations for things such as food, shelter, veterinary care, transportation costs, and more. It’s a small price to pay for bringing home your new best friend!
3. Adoption Helps Prevent Pet Overpopulation
By adopting a dog from a shelter, you can help prevent pet overpopulation by giving an animal a loving home. In addition to providing a home for your new dog, that also opens up space within the shelter for another dog in need to find their forever home. Additionally, dogs adopted from shelters are required to be spayed or neutered prior to adoption to help reduce the risk of accidental or unwanted litters.
2. Support Community Effort
As community organizations, animal shelters are a huge part of the community where volunteers and staff members come together for a common goal. Shelters provide a valuable service to the animal in their care and by adopting a dog from one of these organizations, adopters are helping the shelter continue lifesaving efforts including volunteer opportunities while providing valuable resources for the community.
1. Save a Life
Arguably the most obvious and definitely the most important reason to adopt a shelter dog is that adopting a shelter dog saves a life! In addition to saving one dog, adopting a dog frees up space at the shelter for another dog needing placement and can help continue to contribute to preventing pet overpopulation by providing a home for a dog in need.
FAQ
According to data compiled by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), nearly 6.3 million animals end in shelters across the United States each year. Of these animals, about half of them are dogs and the other half are cats.
Animal shelters charge adoption fees to help cover the costs accrued by the shelter while an animal has been in their care. Adoption fees cover costs for things like spay and neuter surgery, vaccinations and other veterinary treatments, food, and more. Adoption fees can range from anywhere between $10 to over $500 depending on the shelter’s location and policies.
If you’re looking to add a new dog to your family, start by checking out Petfinder. This pet adoption search engine allows users to find rescues in their area as well as filter adoptable pets by breed, age, special needs, and more.
Most animal rescue organizations in the United States do not adopt out pets to owners less than 18 years of age.
In an effort to continue reducing the number of unwanted and abandoned animals across the country, shelters require all pets to be spayed or neutered prior to adoption.
Carrie first started working with animals when she was 15 years old and has never looked back. After graduating from San Juan College with an Associate’s in Animal Science in 2011, Carrie received her license to practice as a veterinary technician in the state of Virginia where she spent 10 years working as an ICU nurse and internal medicine technician in specialty practices throughout the Richmond area. She is currently volunteering at animal hospitals and shelters in the Caribbean with her two rescue chihuahuas, Slim and Penelope, at her side.
