Maybe you’re looking for your best friend, but aren’t sure where to look. And by best friend, that of course means your animal companion. If we think about the world today, and the past two years, it’s been a tough road for everyone – animals included. Perhaps now is the time to begin exploring pet adoption. There are generally two sound options for finding your best friend, an animal shelter or animal rescue. While pet stores still exist and breeders do too, there are some items to note about this avenue.
We’ll explore the top reasons to adopt a pet rather than shopping around for one. And while it is always your decision at the end of the day, there are some convincing arguments for rescuing and adopting an animal.
Reasons Why You Should Adopt
Adoption is a truly wonderful experience for so many people looking to open their hearts and homes to an animal in need. Each person’s story differs, which is what makes each adoption story so beautiful. At CUDDLY we like to keep track of our abundant success stories to inspire others to adopt an animal in need. These are just a few of our amazing stories.
Montgomery – Tails to the Wind All Animal Rescue
(La Crescenta-Montrose, CA)
This is Montgomery, a sweet little guy who went from wandering the streets as a stray to living his best life with his new parents.
Soldier – Lucci’s House Bully Rescue (Indianapolis, IN)
Meet Soldier, a poor boy who sustained horrific torture in a dogfighting ring. He was supported by his rescue
Michaela – Milo’s Dog Rescue of South Florida (Pompano Beach, FL)
Pretty Michaela here had a terrible start to life. She went from being left on the side of the road to gaining strength back and finding her forever home with her two amazing dads.
Lillie Bell – Sandy Paws Rescue Inc (Oak Bluffs, MA)
The sleeping Lillie Bell was at one point in dire straits after a brutal attack. Her amazing vet staff worked to nurse her back to health. As you can see, she’s quite cozy and content with her wonderful forever family.
Adoption Makes A Difference
Think about the impact your own pet has had on your life. You probably can’t even begin to imagine life without them in it. Even if you don’t have a pet at the moment, there are countless stories and videos you probably come across on a daily basis. About 99.999% (100% if we’re being biased) of those stories are the best part of your day. It may even give you hope for the future; or that there is still some goodness in the world. Your adoption story could not only inspire you to do more for animals, but others to do more as well.
You Are Supporting Local Animal Shelters
Your local animal shelter is probably inundated on a daily basis with the amount of animals that come in. Your support is immeasurable when you choose to adopt an animal in need. And if you’re ever in doubt of how to properly care for your pet, you can always discuss basic care, training resources, and any other questions with shelter staff. You can also refer to our Pet Health + Wellness blog for more information on keeping your pet healthy and happy.
Benefits Of Adopting
According to the ASPCA, it’s estimated that more than 900k adoptable dogs and cats are euthanized in the U.S. This is probably a deeply upsetting figure to read, but your individual adoption could save one more animal’s life. In the process you’ll probably end up with a wonderful companion and best friend. Below we’ve outlined some of the major benefits of adopting an animal.
Adopting Is Cheaper
According to Petbudget, on average purchasing a puppy can cost as much as $1,300, with the entire range working from $500 to $2,500 depending on the breed. Some purebreds even reach into the $3,000 range, which is often way more than the average owner can justify spending.
However, adoption generally ranges from $50 to $500 in comparison. While in both cases there are fees associated with caring for a new pet, the upfront cost can often be too much for owners to handle. If you are looking for a new pet, but don’t have the funds to support such a hefty price, then adoption could be the best option for you.
Puppies Are A Lot Of Work
It’s a longstanding debate as to what’s more difficult to raise – babies or puppies. While babies may be more delicate to start, they sure don’t move as fast or rip up furniture on day one. This could be why so many first-time puppy owners are hesitant to go through the puppy stage so soon after it ends. If you’re looking for a best pal that’s a little more mature like you, then maybe adopting an older dog is a better choice. The puppies may be cute and undeniably sweet, but much like sweet tarts, they turn quickly and can wreak havoc on the house.
Perhaps you’re someone who’s not keen on cleaning up potty pads or doesn’t have the strength to go through the painful teething stage. That’s perfectly fine! There are so many dogs past the puppy stage looking for homes.
In fact, many are often potty trained, familiar with living in homes, and just looking for a companion to go on walks with, play with, or even take an afternoon snooze with.
Your undeniable bond can start at any point in a dog’s life, it doesn’t have to start from when they’re a puppy. You might even find that you’re more suited for an older dog, just as they are more suited for you.
Support Your Community
Adopting an animal helps your local shelter and community in the process. Oftentimes shelters are supported by the community, so if they become too crowded, then it puts a direct burden on the community to step up. If we group together enough individual adoptions at one shelter, that could alleviate some of that community pressure.
Why You Should Avoid Buying A Pet
PETA has been a huge force in fighting for animal adoption over buying from a pet store. This is mainly due to the terrible nature of breeding dogs in high numbers, often referred to as puppy mills.
To Fight Puppy Mills
Puppy mills are extremely dangerous institutions that usually result in sick dogs bred for profit. These breeders often lack proper training and veterinary practices among many other terrible practices.
Litters and mothers require medical attention after leaving a puppy mill, which is why it is so important to avoid buying a dog from a puppy mill. Some of these dogs may even end up in a shelter or have to be rescued by a rescue organization because of the deplorable conditions.
Proper breeding practices are crucial for having a healthy pet population. If you do decide to purchase a purebred dog make sure you find a reputable breeder with safe practices and an expertise in veterinary care. However you choose your forever friend, keep health and safety at top of mind. All animals deserve to be treated with dignity no matter their background.
Dog Breeders Are Expensive
It’s no secret that purebred dogs are expensive. Rover even compiled a list of the top 10 most expensive dogs; the Tibetan Mastiff came in at an astronomical $5,000+. They are extremely beautiful dogs, but that price is far too high to pay, especially when there are so many adoptable dogs looking for homes.
While it is your decision whether to purchase from a breeder or adopt from an animal shelter, you may want to consider the price associated with a purebred dog. An animal from a shelter could be the more realistic option for the majority of people.
Other Ways You Can Contribute With Animals and Animal Shelters
Adoption is a beautiful and rewarding experience for so many people. From our success stories, you can see that these animals have been given a second chance, but they have also completely changed their owners’ lives for the better.
Maybe this is the time to consider adopting over shopping for animals. There are so many animals looking for a good home, that any contribution you make towards that goal will have a lasting impact. Your actions really can have a big impact if you let them.
