Adopting a pet from a local shelter is an excellent venue for parents to consider when looking to add a pet to their family.
To begin with,animals lose their homes every day for many reasons. Some become lost, some are deserted and left at shelters because their owners must move or a new baby has arrived. Even the weather can be a reason pets lose their homes. During Hurricane Katrina, many people had to evacuate, but they were not allowed to take their pets with them. Many of these animals died or became street dogs that roamed in packs because they had no one to take care of them. Thankfully, many of these dogs were rescued by people and brought to shelters around the nation. Think about how many dogs, cats, and other animals flooded the shelters at this time. Adopting from the shelter would give one of these animals a new home.
Whether there is a natural disaster or not, animal shelters are usually severely overcrowded so animals have to be put to sleep. There are simply too many animals than there are slots at the shelters. According to Michele Smith at the Bergen County Animal Shelter, a dog or cat that enters the shelter is put on “hold” for seven days to give the owner a chance to locate their pet. “Many good animals never get that second chance they so deserve,” Ms. Smith affirmed. Consequently, if the owner doesn’t claim the animal in seven days, the animal has 23 days to get adopted before it is killed. Only 44 percent of dogs and 29 percent of cats brought into shelters are adopted. That’s a pretty small percentage, isn’t it?
Furthermore, many breeders and operators of puppy farms are irresponsible. Their focus is on mass production of puppies and the amount of money the breeder will make. Many puppies die because the conditions at these places are less than adequate. They are overcrowded, lack of food and water, and inadequate shelter for the animals. The Animal Task Force continually receives calls from concerned citizens who report improper care for animals at these irresponsible negligent breeding operations.
To sum up, whenever a family is thinking about welcoming an animal into their home, adopting from a local animal shelter is a source to consider. These animals are in need of loving homes. If not adopted, many of them will be put to sleep. As mentioned, puppy farms and breeders are irresponsible and couldn’t care less whether there are proper homes for these pets. So please consider the animal shelter. You will not only make your child happy, but you will be saving an animal. Could life get any better?