Why Adoption Is Always An Option
Providing some of the cold hard facts on why you should consider adopting your next pet
If there’s anything I want to sell you on, it’s this: not shopping at all. There is a pet problem in the USA. It may not be so obvious in the confines of your home or even your suburb. The issue is, however, made plainly obvious to those that decide to take a day trip to their local animal shelter or rescue. Rows upon rows of kennels housing dogs of all shapes and sizes are filled to the brim year round. And no matter how many loving canines these facilities manage to find homes for, it seems like the volume of intakes never significantly dwindles. We are suffering from a vicious cycle of what is formally referred to as pet overpopulation. There are not enough homes for all of the domestically bred animals born each and every year. And yes, the mere thought of euthanization makes every animal lover exceptionally angry. But annually, between 8 to 12 MILLION dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens are euthanized in kill shelters and other facilities across the country because there is simply not enough room for them. Although, most do try to accommodate as many as they possibly can at any given time.
Here are just some of the reasons why you should always consider adoption an option:
1. You literally save a life.
All animals at shelters are in need of a second chance. They have been lost, voluntarily given up, or abandoned. They are all, in some way, unwanted for reasons beyond their control. By adopting, you are single handedly helping save a life.
2. You help break the cycle of pet overpopulation.
Adopting from a shelter helps weaken the pet overpopulation cycle. While purchasing from a pet shop, puppy store, or breeder indirectly bolsters it.
3. You help stop cruelty in mass breeding facilities.
Throughout the country, thousands of commercial pet-breeding facilities and backyard breeders produce millions of animals for sale in pet stores. Often known as puppy and kitten mills, these facilities repeatedly impregnate female dogs that spend their entire lives in cramped quarters completely deprived of human companionship. They are objectified as breeding machines and treated as such. These animals often live in deplorable conditions, forced to produce litter upon litter, and are disposed of after they are no longer considered profitable assets. Adopting a shelter animal assures that you are not directly or indirectly supporting these cruel practices.
4. You pay less. Which means you can spend more on toys!
Adoption fees (which cover a portion of the shelter’s or rescue’s overhead costs) are incredibly inexpensive compared to the asking price for any purebred puppy or kitten sold for profit.
5. Myth debunked! Mutts are more robust than purebreds.
On average, mutts win out in the health department for their sheer hardiness and longevity, due to lower incidences of genetic disease. Because they are much more likely to have lower risks of receiving high doses of specific purebred genetic material that can lead to inherited diseases, they’re generally healthier and heartier than purebreds. As a result, many mutts have lower rates of hip dysplasia (common amongst large breeds), certain knee diseases, most spinal diseases, many heart diseases and cancers, and a whole lot of skin, blood, brain, liver and kidney diseases, amongst others.
6. No discrimination here. Because the breed possibilities are still endless.
But, if your heart is set on bringing any particular breed home, there’s an organization or rescue for it. Breed-specific non-profits and rescues have been well established across the country. If you’re looking for a Rottweiler, rest assured you can find one up for adoption at a Rottweiler-specific rescue also searching for a loving new home.
7. You can even adopt a little old man suited to your quieter lifestyle.
Because puppies and kittens are, let’s face it, heartwrenchingly adorable and brimming with energy, most people prefer obtaining their pets at a younger age. Senior dogs and cats are the most overlooked candidates at any shelter or rescue. But, if you’re looking for someone to suit a much quieter lifestyle or slower pace of existence, they’re your match made in heaven.
8. You encourage others to adopt animals from shelters or rescues.
When your friends ask where you found your remarkable pet, you can tell them “at the shelter/rescue.” Your decision to adopt may encourage others to do the same.
