Top 10 Reasons To Adopt From An Animal Shelter

Looking for a new pet? You might find exactly what you're looking for at an animal shelter.

Here's why heading to the shelter is a great idea:

1. You save a life
All animals at our shelter are in need of a second chance. They have been lost, given up or abandoned. They are all unwanted and helpless. You are giving them a new life in a loving home.

2. You help break the cycle of pet overpopulation
There are not enough homes for all the animals that are born every year. Adopting from a shelter helps weaken the pet overpopulation cycle. Each year 8 to 12 million dogs, cats, puppies and kittens are euthanized because there are simply not enough homes for them.

3. You help stop cruelty in mass breeding facilities
Throughout the country, thousands of commercial pet-breeding facilities and backyard breeders produce millions of animals for sale in pet stores and through newspaper ads. Often known as puppy and kitten mills, these facilities repeatedly impregnate female dogs that spend their entire lives in cages without human companionship. These unfortunate animals are often in intolerable environments, forced to produce litter upon litter, and are destroyed after they become unprofitable assets. Adopting a shelter animal means you don't support such cruel practices.

4. You take advantage of adopting an adult animal
Adult pets are great! Often they are already house trained and some can even "sit" or "stay." You won't have to deal with the "puppy faze" or the "kitten faze" which means less of that youthful energy such as biting, chewing, clawing, etc. You will be able to see the personality of the adult animal and won't have to wait to see what you get.

5. You get a lifetime resource with shelter employees and volunteers
People who work at the shelter will be a great resource to help you find information or resources for your pet. Our staff members work with animals every day and have a wealth of information on many issues.

6. You choose from a great selection of animals
Our shelter offers a variety that you won't find anywhere else. We have specific breeds and the greatest mutts you'll ever find. We have more than 9,000 animals come through our doors every year!

7. You adopt a pet who has received good care
All animals that come to the shelter are admitted by experienced staff. They are given vaccinations upon arrival and go through a behavior screening process. (Please ask your Adoption Counselor for details). We have several vet partners that come to our shelter weekly and are there to assist us with health care issues and concerns.

8. You support a valuable charity and community institution
Sadly, every community in America requires an animal shelter. When you adopt a pet from our shelter, you assist a not-for-profit organization, but also send a message to others who will be asking you for years to come where you obtained your adorable pet. Shelters improve the community by mandating that adopted animals be spayed or neutered. This requirement diminishes chances that more unwanted animals will enter the world.

9. You pay less
Low adoption fees (which cover a portion of our shelter's costs) are much less than the cost of purebred puppies or kittens sold for profit.

10. You encourage others to adopt animals from shelters
When your friends ask where you got your amazing pet, you can tell them "at the shelter." Your adoption may encourage others to do the same.