14 Reasons To Adopt Your Next Pet From A Shelter, Instead Of Going To A Pet Store Or Breeder

Oct 05, 2018 by apost team

Making a choice to become a pet owner is an important decision. Bringing a new addition to your family is great and it comes with a lot of perks. You can make a big difference in your life and the life of a sweet animal by adopting from a shelter.

Over 40% of dog owners got their pet from a shelter from 2017 to 2018. The number is over 45% for cats and other animals. Animal sheltering released a study through the American Pet Products Association (APPA) that showed 4% of dogs and around 1% of cats that were added to families across the nation were from stores.

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Cats and dogs are among the most popular adopted pets. Shelters often take in a wide range of animals. You can also rescue rabbits, birds, and other small creatures that are absolutely adorable. You might even find some shelters that cater to farm animals like horses and livestock.

Here are 14 wonderful reasons for you to choose to adopt a pet from a rescue shelter instead of going to a pet store.

Shelters always try their best to avoid euthanizing animals that are found, but it does happen. A rescue shelter can only handle so many new residents and overcrowding does happen. Almost 2.4 million healthy animals are euthanized each year in America. For every single minute of the day. Some animals don't live long enough to find a new owner.

When you adopt your furry friend you are saving them from what could be a very terrible future.

When someone abuses their pet or neglects them, then they'll usually end up in the shelter. It's a harsh reality that some pet owners don't care about their animals. A lot of these pets come from backgrounds that leave them anxious and timid.

You can show these sweet bundles of joy what it's like to be truly loved. It's a great feeling to earn their trust and work together with them to build a better future. It won't go unrewarded.

Pet stores are constantly breeding animals everyday. It's really unnecessary when you realize that there are over six and a half million animals being brought the shelters every single year. Help stop the problem of overpopulation through breeding buy docking animal rather than giving incentive to those who are creating a problem.

Almost all rescue animals I've already been neutered or spayed, so that's one step towards solving the problem.

Some pet stores get their supply of new puppies from these shady breeders. When you adopt an animal you're helping to affect the market in a way that lowers the profitability of puppy mills.

Most of the time pet stores only sell baby animals like puppies and kittens. When you adopt a pet you can choose from a whole range of ages. You can always get a puppy, but when you adopt you have a lot more options. It can also be easier to tell the personality of an older pet because they're more mature. Older pets are great companions for young children and those with special needs.

Training can be very expensive. Thankfully you can choose to adopt a pet that’s already trained and well-mannered. You can always find a pet that's house-broken or knows tricks if you look hard enough.

All kinds of dogs get admitted into shelters. Well trained dogs can be abandoned by their owners, or just experience certain circumstances that might put them in that bad situation.

Any animal that enters a shelter will be checked out by a veterinarian and given any treatment they have need of. You won't have to worry about diseases or illnesses that have gone unnoticed. Your animals should be in great shape and healthy unless otherwise disclosed to you. Any problems or issues they may have had will be taken care of.

It's become more popular for shelters to automatically microchip any animal that's admitted today. This is a great way for you to save money if you intended on having your pet micro-chipped anyways. Another great benefit to this is that if your pet ever goes missing again and ends up in a shelter, then you'll be contacted. As long as you're around they won't be left stranded if they end up there again.

If you're looking for a specific type of animal, then shelters are your best bet. You can find all kinds of animals and breeds at rescue shelters. There are even online resources that you can use to find pets across the country. Websites like adopt-a-pet.com can help you narrow down your options to find that perfect special furry friend from anywhere across the country.

When you go to a shelter there is a process for adopting a pet. You can spend time getting to know the pet that you're interested in before you adopt. At a store you really don't have that advantage. Most pet store sales are very quick and they try to get the customer taken care of as fast as possible. When you go to a shelter they want to make sure that you and your pet are going to get along very well. This gives you plenty of opportunity to spend special bonding moments together before you make the final choice.

Most of the time when you adopt a pet you will receive a brochure or booklet showing exactly what you need to know to take care of your new friend. You get all the resources and tips that you need to keep them happy. Shelters also pay a lot of attention to your pet's personality and they'll give you a good idea how they act so you can be prepared.

Rescue shelters want to you to be the best pet owner you can be.

All you need to do is fill out a few forms and spend some time together with your new friend. There's no lengthy waiting period that you have to go through. Breeders require you to sign up way ahead of time and wait for a new litter before you can purchase a pet. Shelters want to make it as simple and easy as possible for you to find you're perfect new family member.

Adopting a pet is often much less expensive than buying a new one. All of the standard medical procedures and vaccinations are already taken care of for you. You won't have to pay some high up-charge for a special breed, or because of pet a store’s operating costs. Typically there will be a set price for each animal type.

By adopting you're showing the world that there are alternatives to traditional pet stores. Those around you will see your success and follow after it. You can make a difference one sweet little animal at a time.

Have you ever met anyone that adopted an animal? Did you adopt your pet? Let your loved ones know that they can bring love to a beautiful animal by adopting!