Are
you thinking about adding a furry new member to your family,
and you really have your heart set on a certain breed? Well,
I encourage you to skip the mall and local breeder and make
your first stop your local pet shelter.
Every
year, millions (yes, millions) of unwanted cats and dogs
are euthanized in pet shelters. The majority of those animals
were fully acceptable for adoption, but because of space
limitations, had to be put to death. It's such a sad situation
and I'm hoping that more people would go out and save some
of these loving animals from their impending death sentences.
I currently
have two incredibly loving dogs and two fabulous cats and
they have all been rescued from shelters. Not a day goes
by where I don't remember picking them out from the hundreds
of available pets all anxiously waiting for someone to pick
them to go home. It just breaks my heart. And if you've
never been to a pet shelter, I would strongly encourage
you to visit one, or even volunteer at one. I guarantee
that once you set foot in one of those places, you'll never
buy a pet from a pet store or private breeder again.
A lot
of people have the misconception that only mutts end up
at the shelter. That's the furthest thing from the truth.
There are many pure bred pets at shelters (some will even
come with AKC papers) that need loving homes. And really,
there's nothing wrong with a mutt. Both of my dogs are mutts,
and they are truly the best companions I could ever ask
for.
Sadly,
"behavioral issues" is one of the most popular
reasons for dumping an animal to a shelter. The truth is,
the pet owner never realized how much time and effort it
is to take care of a pet, especially a dog. The owner got
caught up in the emotion of having a new puppy, and the
"how cute is he?" syndrome and didn't place much
thought into "how do I take care of this animal?"
Typically, those "behavioral issues" would never
have even become issues if the pet owner took the time to
have obedience-trained the dog. It's just so sad.
One
of the other popular reasons for surrendering a pet is "I'm
moving and can't take it with me." This one makes me
so upset, I can't even put it into words. I have had many
animals for the last 15 years and have probably moved at
least 10 to 12 times in that time period, and I never gave
up my pets. I always made sure to look for places (when
I was renting) where pets were allowed. If they weren't,
I'd continue looking until I found one. Unfortunately, many
people don't realize that pets are truly members of the
family and should be treated as such. They add so much richness
to daily life, and just live to love us unconditionally.
It's so sad when they don't get the same treatment in return.
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