Growing up with a pet is an experience that every child should go through. Having something that loves you unconditionally is a heady feeling that helps you develop as a person. As an adult you can look to get a pet to love and cherish at your house in a number of different ways. Some people go through breeders while others shop at the dreaded ‘animal mills’. We think that you should avoid these expensive and, at times, inhumane places. We highly suggest that people instead go through an animal charity to adopt their next pet. We decided to pull together 13 inspiring reasons to adopt your next pet rather than shop for it at a store. Keep on reading and get ready to invite a pet into your home!
You are literally saving a life.
When dogs or cats end up in a shelter they are immediately put on a clock. With millions of homeless and unwanted pets scattered across the country it is known that resources are tight at these shelters. Statistics estimate that there are nearly 4 million pets in shelters across the country and you don’t need an elementary education to know that these numbers are not sustainable and it leads to many animals being ‘mercy killed’ for no other reason than being unwanted. So how can it make you feel to swoop in and save one of these loving, big hearted, animals from almost certain death? Not only are you bringing a loving pet into your life but you are also saving an animal from a cruel death. Whether you are looking for big dogs or little cats, this is the perfect way to go about getting your next pet.
You are literally saving a life.
Financially you’ll end up saving a ton of cash.
When you buy yourself a dog or cat you are signing up for a number of life long expenses. Cats will need quality cat health care while dogs will need dog training schools. If you are living abroad teaching English as a foreign language you are already probably up to your neck with efl online courses and tefl training courses. So do yourself a favor and get yourself a beautiful, happy, and loving pet the most financially responsible way: by adopting one. Adoption centers don’t want to charge an arm and a leg for their pets because it belies the entire idea of an animal shelter: to rehabilitate and bring pets back into homes with loving owners. Animal shelters won’t ever charge you into the ground in order to purchase an animal but the same can’t be said for the aforementioned puppy mills and personal breeders. Those companies put income at the top of the line, allowing everything else to fall well below it. Many adoption centers are also including vaccinations, spaying, and occasionally even microchipping in with your initial fee — a huge bargain in the long run.
Financially you’ll end up saving a ton of cash
You get free follow up support and medical care.
Animal shelters are much like orphanages: the people that run them want their charges to end up in a ‘forever home’ where they are healthy and happy. For that reason many animal shelters are on board with offering free follow up services to their customers. This means that you’ll always have someone to go to in order to find the sort of care you need for your pet and you won’t need to book a cheap flight to Canada to get free health care for your pet.
You get free follow up support and medical care
You free up space for new dogs to be saved.
We talked about the over filling of animal shelters above and that parlays right into our next reason for adopting a pet: you are alleviating some of those burdened resources. When you adopt a dog or cat from an animal shelter you are opening up a spot for another animal to takes its place. It may be hard to imagine from our perspective as condition free animal lovers, but these shelters have to make the hard choice of not allowing pets to come under their care. This means that more and more animals are getting put to death because there is no room for them anywhere. In Los Angeles alone over 200 pit bulls are killed on a daily basis because their time in a shelter runs up. Now imagine that number inflating across all manner of species. It’s alarming how many dogs are dying when there are animal lovers out there that could give them a second chance at life. Don’t turn to puppy mills or department stores when you shop for your new best friend, turn to a shelter.
You free up space for new dogs to be saved
Adopting a pet is a strong moral choice.
When it comes to purchasing your pet, be it from a shelter or a store, you are really choosing to partake in two different set of moral systems. Most pet stores are run on the backs of puppy mills and these mills are dreadful for the animals. Puppy mills are churned out with consumerism in mind: quantity over quality takes a heightened placement on the list. This means that purchasing a pet from these stores is contributing directly to the sweat shop equivalent of the animal world. When you choose to adopt you are thumbing your nose at the broken puppy mills while also pushing away a mercy kill from occurring at an animal shelter. With one swift move you will gain a beautiful, loving pet while saving a life and contributing to the rightful end of puppy mills.
Adopting a pet is a strong moral choice
Adoption shelters are committed to helping you find a pet.
The people that run adoption shelters know what is on the line when it comes to their charges. They all know that an animal will end up mercy killed if it can’t end up in a good home. That’s why you always will know that the animal shelter workers are giving you heartfelt advice when you come through their doors. They want you to find the perfect animal for your home and they’ll work hard to make sure that it happens. A salesman on the floor of a national chain of pet stores is primarily interested in meeting sales quotas and getting commission. These stores value price tags over pet fits and an animal shelter will never think that way of you.
Adoption shelters are committed to helping you find a pet
You will likely get a house trained pet.
Most shelter animals fall under the cynical moniker of ‘pre owned’. These pets come from homes that either didn’t want them or could no longer take care of them. Either way, a majority of shelter pets are actually already trained in a variety of different ways. Many shelter pets are potty trained and broken in for indoor living. This makes the growing pains of raising a non-potty trained pet all but vanish. Your carpet and flooring will thank you!
You will likely get a house trained pet
Taking home a shelter animal is good for your health.
There are so many scientific studies that show how taking care of an animal is good for your health that we won’t even bother citing one specifically. Studies show that having a pet around the house that you love will alleviate stress and depression, offset anxiety, and even increase your dopamine levels which leads to genuine happiness. If you grew up with a pet how happy did you feel when it would curl up on your feet at bedtime? A shelter pet will love you endlessly and your body will be rewarded as a result.
Taking home a shelter animal is good for your health
Shelter adoptions support animal safety teams.
People who abuse animals are amongst the most vile forms of life on Earth. That is why we have special groups of trained professionals that handle cases of neglect and cruelty. These pets are rescued from homes where suspected cruelty or neglect happened and then given another shot at life by going to a shelter where people like you end up adopting them. Support these investigative pet teams and save an animal that they gave a second chance to.
Shelter adoptions support animal safety teams
Shelter pets are actually healthier than shop pets.
Many people wrongly associate pet shelters with unhealthy pets. The truth is that often times you will find shelter pets to be more healthy than their store bought counterparts. Store bought pets tend to come from puppy mills, which we’ve expounded on more than enough, and this means that they are bred with certain health issues. Next time you are at a store full of puppies take a look for common health issues and you might be surprised to see some that stand out.
Shelter pets are actually healthier than shop pets
You can adopt an animal to match your personality.
What we will say about animal shelters is this: they offer you a variety. When you shop at a store for a pet you are typically limited to just puppies or kittens. Nobody is interested in older animals. At an animal shelter you can look through a large variety of different pets of varying ages and breeds. You can adopt an older, more well trained dog and immediately reap the benefits.
You can adopt an animal to match your personality
You know what you are getting.
When you adopt a puppy you are getting a creature before its formative stages. This means that the pet will undergo many physical and emotional changes over the next couple of years. This could cause a change in temper and behavior. When you adopt a grown shelter pet you are getting a mature animal that acts exactly as it will act with you.
You know what you are getting
It’s the right thing to do.
If you buy into the idea that life is precious you shouldn’t have any problem heading to a shelter and doing your part. Adopting a pet is one of the best things that you can do for yourself, your family, and the pet. You are giving a wonderful creature a second chance at life while standing up for so many wonderful ideas.
It’s the right thing to do
