Written by Senior Editor Peter Gehr
Top 10 Reasons to Adopt a Dog from an Animal Shelter
If you’re wondering how to choose a dog from a shelter, these tips will give you some of the necessary basics to help you make the right decision when choosing a rescue dog.
1. You can find the best rescue dog for kids—or for any situation.
Chances are that a shelter dog is already fully grown, or close to it. Therefore, you see exactly what size you’re dealing with. A cute little puppy doesn’t stay small for long, and it’s a lot more work dealing with an infant dog who requires your full-time attention.
2. Be a life-saver for a dog.
Adopting a dog will most certainly be saving his or her life. Dogs do not stay in a shelter forever. In fact, there’s a constant turnover to make room for the new. Unfortunately, many perfectly lovable dogs are put down each year.
3. Rescue dogs for sale. Save money!
A shelter dog (rescue dog) will be in tip top health. Shelters check their dogs and often take care of vaccinations, spaying and neutering etc. Therefore, you will not have to pay for these expensive procedures. Buying a dog from a put store will cost you a lot more, and you soon have to foot the bill for shots and necessary vet visitations.
4. Taking on a rescue dog can be tremendously rewarding and creates a bond for your whole family.
Knowing that you’ve saved a dog’s life is an extremely rewarding experience. Enjoy it, and let the feeling of accomplishment be a hallmark of your family’s character.
Top 10 Reasons to Adopt a Dog from an Animal Shelter
5. Pre-trained dogs.
It’s likely that your rescue dog will be fully trained and will save you from the carpet stains, obedience classes, hyperactive behavior, and full-time care that comes with training a puppy. This is a huge advantage.
6. Dog’s personality revealed from the start.
It’s quite difficult to determine the personality of a new puppy. A shelter dog will give you the opportunity to study and decide what sort of canine persona you are looking for. Take the time to interact with the dogs, and it’s almost guaranteed you will find one that will suit your own personality.
7. Help fight overpopulation of dogs in your neighborhood.
If you have any idea as to how many pets are euthanized each year in the United States, it should be enough to get your attention. If you are a pet lover, and it’s obvious that you are, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this, getting involved in reducing the number of dogs bred irresponsibly will make a difference.
8. Talk to the animal shelter staff.
Each pet is known by the shelter staff, and these details will be critical in helping you get a head start on the history of the dog, as well has personality, health, advantages and disadvantages. This sort of information will be of great benefit. Don’t be afraid to ask, as the people at your shelter love animals and will be more than happy to help you with input.
9. Dog owner support.
Animal shelters are full of people who are full of information. You will not find this anywhere else. Knowledgeable advice isn’t cheap, but if you purchase from an animal rescue center, you will tap into a support system that would otherwise not exist if you purchase a puppy from a pet store.
10. Relieve stress out of pet ownership.
Let’s face it; a puppy is a lot of work. Granted, it’s yours from the beginning and you imprint from the very start of the dog’s life. However, you also have a lot of effort before you and the amount of time you’ll need to invest in this stage of your pet’s life is a huge sacrifice. Give an already existing dog a chance at life by considering what he/she can do to save your time and money.
I hope these top 10 reasons to adopt a dog from a shelter will help you in the decision-making process. Taking a pet into your home will have its consequences, and making the right choice will make this transition and introduction a better experience for all involved—especially for the dog.
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