Animals for Adoption Make Wonderful Pets

My two cats and dog have been with me for about three years now.  All of them have a wonderful disposition and are good with people.  They were adults offered as animals for adoption at the local pet shelter.  If I had not adopted them, they probably would have been put to sleep long ago.

Many people don't consider or realize how many baby and adult animals for adoption there are available at the local shelters. Those poor animals sit in small cages all day until they are disposed of.  Many have already been house trained and were either abandoned or became lost for whatever reason.  

Abandoned Pets Are Sometimes House-Trained

At one time, I would purchase my pets from the local pet store or get babies from ads posted in the newspaper. A trip to a shelter with a friend quickly changed my mind.  My friend was looking for a dog to fill a void in her life and knew that some animals for adoption were already trained and had their shots. She ended up getting a collie mix that was already house trained, had its shots, and was grateful to find a new home.  It turns out that the dog she got from the local animals for adoption program knew some tricks and was able to fetch things on command, sit on command, and understood the word "no."

Irresponsible Gifting of Pets

The volunteer at the shelter told us that the number of animals for adoption had almost doubled from the previous year, which was causing some big problems. Not as many people were adopting and just as many were abandoning their pets.  The volunteer told us that usually soon after the Christmas holiday, the number of animals for adoption increases dramatically.  Kids beg for pets for their Christmas presents and, after they received them, lost interest a few weeks or months after the holidays.  The pet ends up at the shelter, only to face an uncertain fate.

I find it disturbing that so many people treat their pets irresponsibly, not caring whether they end up at the shelter as animals for adoption.  I encourage anyone who wants a pet and who will take care of it to visit the local shelter.

"Animals for Adoption Make Wonderful Pets," contributed by Angela Janz