Many potential pet owners are not aware of how many pets are available at shelters. They might also have the misconception that pets are shelters might be there because there was a problem with the animal. In some cases animals are lost and never found by their owners. These animals are healthy and very eager to please.
Some people are seeking purebred animals or puppies and think these are not available in shelters. In fact, nearly a quarter of all animals in shelters are purebred. Often someone buys an expensive purebred animal and then attempts to breed that animal to recoup their money. If these puppies or kittens are not placed in homes, and end up in the shelter.
Often, potential pet owners are looking for a kitten or puppy, but when an owner adopts an adult animal, they can see his/her size and temperament. Adult pets are very often housetrained and past the behavior issues associated with kittens and puppies.
Adopting a pet can be an important lesson to teach your children– both about the value of life, and also about civic responsibility and even recycling- in this case recycling a living and loving animal into a new home.
When looking for a pet to add to your family, consider a shelter or rescue pet. My pets (and regular bloggers here) Bo and Jessie were both adopted from area rescue groups.
For more information on pet adoption, check out http://www.adoptapet.com
