Top Reasons to Adopt Pets

There are all kinds of ways that people come to own their pets and no matter how you come into pet parenthood, it’s true that they become a part of the family.

But if you are looking for a new pet for your family, there are several reasons why you should adopt a pet instead of buying.

It Saves Lives

There are way too many adoptable pets in shelters and not enough people willing to adopt. In fact, it is estimated that, in the United States, over one million cats and dogs have to be euthanized every year.

If more people adopted their pets instead of buying them, then this statistic could seriously be reduced. Adopting cats and dogs from a shelter means saving an animal who otherwise wouldn’t have a loving family or home, and leaving space for an animal who really needs it.

It Helps You Find a Great Pet

Most animals that end up in shelters or with a rescue group do so because of unfortunate circumstances they can’t control, such as a family move or divorce. They did nothing wrong and are usually healthy and happy. In fact, many are already house-trained and great with kids!

It Costs Less

It’s common knowledge that pets are expensive. Between the cost of spaying/neutering, vaccinations, and microchipping, things can get costly. However, when you adopt a pet, those things are included in the adoption fee. Plus, if your pet is already trained, you could end up saving on those expenses, as well.

It Gives You Bragging Rights

Let’s be honest- everyone likes to brag when bragging is due. And bragging will certainly be due when you adopt a pet! Everyone will love to see pictures of you and your new pet that you adopted when you post them on social media. In fact, you may even get some bonus likes!

It Helps Fight Puppy Mills

When you buy a dog from anywhere like a flea market, online seller, or even a pet store, chances are, you are buying a dog from a puppy mill.

Puppy mills breed dogs like a factory but are so concerned about profit that they don’t care about the welfare of dogs. In puppy mills, animals live in extremely bad conditions, receive little to no medical care, and are usually very badly behaved due to their treatment.

The mothers live in cages so they can be bred over and over again for years and years. They don’t have any companionship or a family to love. When they are deemed no longer profitable, breeding dogs are either sold at auction, abandoned, or even killed.

Of course, puppy mills are illegal. But they are stealthy. They operate by selling to unsuspecting customers who are shopping on the internet, browsing classified ads, or even in pet stores. And puppy mills will continue to thrive until people no longer support them, whether they know they are or not.

Adopting a pet from a shelter is the only way to be 100% sure that you are not supporting a puppy mill.

It is Good For Your Home

Many pets at shelters are already house-trained, so you won’t have to worry about all the inevitable accidents that come with house training if you adopt. So that means you’re not only saving the life of an older pet that maybe wouldn’t get a second chance, but you’re also saving your rug!

It is Good For Your Health

Of course, animals are instant mood boosters with all of their unconditional love. But it’s also a scientific fact that they provide physical, emotional, and psychological benefits to their owners. They give you a sense of fulfillment and purpose. Plus, they chase away loneliness! So when you adopt, there’s the added benefit of pride from helping an animal!

It Helps Multiple Animals

Even if you adopt one animal, you are helping out many, many more. Adopting one animal means there’s space at the shelter for another animal who needs help. It also means that the adoption fee you pay provides essential support to saving other animals, as well!

It’s Easy

With online resources, it’s never been easier to adopt a pet from the shelter. There are online pet finders that scour the internet for shelters and even let you narrow your search by breed, size, temperament, and location.

It Changes Animals’ Lives

You’ll be saving your new pet from euthanization, showing them what a loving home is like, and you’ll be getting a best friend in the process. It doesn’t get much better than that!

Clearly, there are many good reasons why you should adopt your pet instead of buying it, but the main one is that it is always worth it.