Adoption is the best option: sniff out a shelter near you

I resolve in 2007 to encourage adoption from animal shelters or breed rescue. On December 1, 2006, my wife Robin and I put a puppy where our mouth is. We adopted a pup that in all honesty really shouldn't have been born. The entire litter of sneezy, wormy pups was unceremoniously dumped at Animal Care and Control in Chicago. I'm grateful that we found little Ethel in that litter. This story of unwanted animals happens daily at shelters around America.

"Of course, the mother of those puppies should have been spayed," says Paula Fasseas, founder and chair of PAWS Chicago. "There are so many unwanted pets out there; it's all about spay/neuter to prevent future generations. I think the message about spay/neuter has mostly gotten through to more educated people, but there are still many who just don't do it, particularly those in impoverished communities. They just don't understand why spaying or neutering benefits them, and benefits their animals."

PAWS Chicago, like so many shelters around America, now offers low-cost and even no-cost spay/neuter and public relations campaigns touting the benefits.Also, the Internet makes it possible to search for a rescued pet from the comfort of your living room.

"I don't know that people understand all breeds are now available through rescue," says Emily Scott Pottruck author of the self-published "Tails of Devotion: A Look at the Bond Between People and Their Pets". "Even though there are rescue groups, you can still visit a local shelter and find a purebred dog, or at least a dog that very closely resembles the breed you like."

In recent years adoption has simply become "cool," and so is rescuing a pet. "People have big hearts when they know there's a need," says Wayne Pacelle, CEO of the Washington based Humane Society. Still, he says, fewer than 20 percent of all dogs are adopted from shelters.

The heartbreaking news is that every nine seconds one animal in an American animal shelter is put to death. "The overwhelming majority of these animals have done nothing wrong; circumstances have just put them in a shelter."

Think about it – in the time you've read this story, so far, several animals have been put to death in shelters for crimes they did not commit. "Let's tell the truth, these animals are killed," says Scott Pottruck. "Euthanized makes it almost sound pleasant, or at least acceptable."

While adopting pets in need from shelters has become a cool trend, so is the purchasing of high priced so-called designer dog "breeds," such as labradoodles and goldendoodles. "It just drives me crazy," says Scott Pottruck. "I mean, they're bred, but when it comes down to it, they're what we used to all call mutts. The only thing to come out of this trend is that one day soon we could need labradoodle rescues."

Another issue is the stigma of getting damaged goods when adopting from a shelter, according to Pacelle. "It's a perception, and one we have to do a better job at changing."

Scott Pottruck, who is donating the proceeds from her book to shelters and animal welfare groups adds, "Awareness and education are needed in the world of pet adoption. I believe that many of us involved in the pet world think everyone knows what we know. I'm a classic example of a person who loves animals and yet was so clueless about the world of adoption. There are so many reasons to adopt from a reputable shelter."

Reference: www.goodnewsforpets.com

Return to the index...

This article has been viewed 1161 times.