Most of us know the month of October for being Breast Cancer Awareness Month – and how could we miss it, really, with all of the outpouring of pink everywhere you turn throughout the whole month? The support for the cause is just astonishing – so many millions of people take part in this monthly activity to raise awareness about the disease that kills so many women.
But did you know that October is also National Adopt A Shelter Dog Month? That’s right, the entire month of October is also dedicated to raising awareness about adopting pets rather than purchasing them. And if you’ve never adopted before, here are 5 reasons why you should consider participating in this wonderful one-month celebration!
Every Animal Deserves a Second Chance
When you walk into an animal shelter, you don’t know what each and every animal has been through until you ask a shelter worker, and many times, the story may surprise you.
Animals end up in shelters for a number of different reasons – whether they were abused by previous owners, found abandoned in the woods or on the street or just could not be taken care of properly by their previous owners. Whatever their reason for landing in a shelter, each one of them deserves a second chance in life, and you could be the one to give them exactly that by adopting them!
Plus, when you adopt one shelter pet, you’ll be saving two animals – the one that you adopt, and the one who you freed up a spot in the shelter for who needs to find a loving home, too.
Proceeds Benefit the Shelter, Too
Whatever fee you may have to pay to adopt your new furry friend, you’ll know that your money isn’t just helping you rescue your new best friend, but it’s also going directly back into helping the shelter, too.
Animal shelters are often busy and overcrowded and don’t have the money or resources to tend to each animal the way they need to be tended to. This is how so many shelter pets end up with the unfortunate fate of being euthanized – the shelter either runs out of space or runs out of resources. With a donation to the shelter at the time you adopt your new pet, you’ll know that the money is being used to help save other animals who need someone to give them their second chance.
Your Pet is Likely to be Healthy
The great thing about animal shelters is that they care so much for the animals that come to them. Most animals are immediately given a medical evaluation at the time of their arrival to the shelter and are then cared for properly until their adoption.
Most pets that you adopt from a shelter will already be vaccinated, and should they require any special medications, they will likely be bundled in when you adopt, too. Plus, most are already spayed or neutered, which is one less cost you’ll have to worry about with your new pet.
Many shelters even go to the extent of listing the animal’s behavioral traits and making sure the potential step-parents know what to expect with the animal. This way, future owners will know exactly what they are getting into and if the particular pet they are hoping to adopt will really fit into their family.
No Need to House Break
Although some puppies do end up in animal shelters and up for adoption, it’s more likely that you’ll find a more mature dog in a shelter than a baby one. But that’s OK, because the older the adopted pet is, the less house breaking effort you’ll need to put in!
Older dogs are often more calm and better trained than puppies, which can be a welcome change from a puppy for the right family. Plus, shelters offer a much more varied selection when it comes to available pets than any pet store would. You’ll find all sizes, shapes and breeds of dogs, and usually at about all ages. But remember – the older the pet you adopt, the more mature they will be!
You’ll Have a New Best Friend
Shelter pets are surprisingly grateful when you take them away from the shelter and give them a warm and loving “forever” home. It’s almost like an animal instinct that they know they have been rescued and that they should be eternally grateful – they’ll shower you with kisses and affection like you’ve never seen in an animal before!
Owning a pet can be a truly rewarding experience that will benefit both you and your new pet. Make sure that as soon as you adopt, you apply the proper pet ID tags to your animal so you never lose them once you’ve already rescued them – you can check out Ketchum’s full line of cat tags and dog tags for the best quality products.
Celebrate Adopt A Shelter Dog Month and save a life!
