The Direwolfs used in Game of Thrones led to the popularity of Siberian huskies which look like the wolfs used in the hit show. This saw many fans around the world going for these beautiful dogs without knowing that they are pretty expensive and demanding and that led to many of them being abandoned and dumped in shelters. The stars of the show including Peter Dinklage had to come in and advise fans against going for huskies unless they had met the requirements needed to give them a good home
It is not just huskies that end up in shelters though, pet shelters often end up hosting some great varieties of dogs that many people don’t know about. While going for a puppy you raise yourself gives you the chance to bond for longer and know your pet better, adopting from a shelter is still a great way to get a pet and it actually packs lots of benefits.
You Get To Save An A Pet’s Life
A second chance at life is good for everyone including pets and that is why animal rescue centres are established. When a dog or cat doesn’t get someone to adopt them within a certain period in a shelter, they are euthanized to give room for rescuing more pets. Adopting a pet from a rescue centre saves that animal from being killed and also opens up room for another pet to be saved earlier than it would have otherwise happened. It is literally a chance at life for a whole line of other pets.
You Save Money
This is another reason why going to a shelter may actually be good for you. The cost of buying a pet directly from breeders has continued to increase over the years and that doesn’t include the high costs of puppy and kitten food as well as the cost of grooming and training.
You will be required to pay the adoption fees but that is only regulated to the cost of saving and keeping the animal you adopt alive since it was rescued and it never goes into the heights of getting your pet from the breeder. You can also get lots of initial accessories including a carriage, a grooming kit and bag for dog accessories which will save you money as well.
You Get To Choose From A Wide Variety
Many people assume that shelters have nothing but rejects that are not suitable for a family home, but that is a wrong assumption. All you need to do is go online and search for the exact breed of dog or cat you want and check the number of shelters offering them. You will realize that there is more variety in shelters probably more than what your local breeders are offering.
You Get A Mature And Fully Screened Pet
Before a rescue centre puts a pet up for adoption, they have it screened and given a clean bill of health. The centres sometimes have to nurse abandoned pets into good health before putting them up for adoption. That is a great relief considering the fact that many home-bred pets end up developing infections and complications that owners don’t know about. The clean bill of health allows you to adopt a pet that will be easier to take care of.
Your Pet Has A Known Personality
You don’t want a dog that becomes aggressive all of a sudden and turns on you and your children. That is why rescue centres take their time to profile pets and analyze their behaviour before they are adopted. There are very few unknowns when you adopt a pet because there is a well-known history of their medical and behavioural history. You also understand any special dietary or care needs they may have beforehand and prepare for them before adopting the pet. That cannot be said for a puppy you have to raise from zero weeks.
You Get A Trial
It is unfair to a pet when they get attached to you and then have to be homeless again because you didn’t like them but at least, you will be taking them back to a shelter where their safety is assured. You can always take the pet back to the shelter if its needs prove too much for you or if it shows dangerous behaviour that you can’t understand.
You May Not Have To Pay For Training
Imagine getting a dog whose home training was thorough and so you don’t have to teach them anything. The same goes for cats and some birds that you will find in pet rescue centres. The time and cost used in training a dog to use the potty, stay calm around the house, not bark senselessly at the neighbour and not fight with everything that runs past are enormous. Adopting from a rescue centre is the only way you can get a pet that has completed the training and is ready to live in your house.
You Get Free Lifetime Support
Rescue centres don’t just dump pets on you! They stay in touch and offer their help throughout the lifetime of the pet you adopted. That means you can call them whenever your pet has a hard time eating, breathing or is displaying symptoms you don’t understand. They will give you your pet’s history and keep you in touch with vets that understand your pet which is the best thing any pet owner can ask for.
You Help Reduce Pet Overpopulation
There are so many people that get enthusiastic about pets but end up dumping them for one reason or another only to move on and get another one from the pet breeding farm. That has led to a pandemic of an overpopulation of pets, especially in urban areas of the developed world. Rescuing that pet from the shelter eliminates the need for another poor dog to be bred on a puppy farm.
Reduce The Dominance Of Puppy Farms
The cruelty of puppy mills has put the pet breeding industry in the limelight in recent years. Most online pet stores get their pets from the mills where the welfare of animals is not considered. Female dogs and cats bred exclusively for breeding rarely leave cramped cages and they are tuned into birthing machines. All the pets that don’t get a buyer soon enough are killed with no consideration for their welfare. Puppy mills are all about profit when pets should be about love which is why rescue centres are the way to go.
If you got your pet from a rescue centre, we would love to hear about it in the comments below.