Why a Shelter Dog Should Be Your Next Best Friend

Written on 10/16/2013 by Brandy Arnold 

original post: http://dogingtonpost.com/why-shelter-dog-should-be-your-next-best-friend/#.Uo0Y91PXvOh

So, you want to get a new dog for your family. If you’re like most people, you’ve thought about buying a pooch from a reliable pet store or a reputable breeder. But before you buy, why don’t you consider adopting a dog from a shelter instead?

Although getting a new pooch from a pet store or dog breeders may seem like a great idea, opening your home to a rescue dog has its benefits too. Adopting a shelter dog can be equally rewarding, maybe even a better addition to your household.

Plus, according to the ASPCA, roughly 25% of all shelter dogs are purebred. So, if it’s a specific breed you’re hoping to bring home, chances are you’ll find him in a shelter, too, not just from a breeder or pet store.


Why Adopting a Shelter Dog is a Good Idea:
· Buying dogs from breeders or pet stores may have many drawbacks. Most people assume that buying a pooch from one of these sources is the better choice as it can provide for a healthier and emotionally sound pet. This is actually a misconception since many dogs marketed to pet stores generally come from puppy mills where they are kept in deplorable conditions until they are sold.
In puppy mills, the breeding dogs are confined in small and cramped cages, fed inadequate diets, and provided with insufficient vet care. As a result, dogs reared in these environments tend to encounter more serious health problems as well as behavioral issues than dogs raised with families.

· Rescue dogs need and deserve a second chance. Many people assume that there’s something wrong with dogs from animal shelters and rescue centers. While it’s true that a few rescue dogs have ended up in shelters because of ignorant, lazy, cruel, irresponsible, neglectful, and abusive human owners, the rescued dogs are hardly as harsh as their backgrounds. With attention, meaningful interaction, constant socialization, or productive obedience training, troubled shelter dogs are almost always capable of being terrific canine citizens.

And, in most cases, animals surrendered to shelters have been loving and loyal members of a family. Now they are not only confined in an unfamiliar place but in a kennel with other frightened, anxious dogs. Just imagine the kind of stress and terror these shelter dogs must feel right now.

· Adopting shelter dogs will bring more meaning to your life. Bringing a rescue dog into your home and treating him as one of your family members means saving a life. When you rescue a dog, you become a hero for a sentient, innocent, and vulnerable being desperate for a loving home. Giving a rescue dog the second chance can also bring you a sense of fulfillment as you save his life and then watch him flourish with love, care, and respect.

Aside from that, shelter dogs can improve the quality of your life. They are capable of lifting spirits and increasing life longevity. Several studies have already substantiated the correlation of adopting a companion pet to several health benefits.

Finally, the unconditional love that these animals can give is priceless. A rescued dog generally knows that you have saved him, and he is thankful, devoted, and unreservedly loving and loyal because of it.