Why Adopt A Shelter Pet
Why You Should Consider Adopting A Shelter Dog
At Aurora Family Dog Training we’re huge supporters of the difficult work that animal shelters do every day. We’re lucky that in Colorado we have a supportive community that helps multiple animal welfare organizations save thousands and thousands of lives every year. Organizations like the Denver Dumb Friends League help thousands of dogs find new homes every single year.
But they still need help.
They need people like you to adopt dogs and cats in need. But we still find that some people are a little hesitant to adopt from a shelter. We don’t want to guilt you into anything but we do want to share three important considerations before you decide to move away from a shelter dog.
You Can Save A Life
We said we aren’t going to guilt you and we mean it! The simple fact is that there are more pets in the world than there people who want to adopt them. That means that shelters have to make the incredibly difficult decision to euthanize dogs that can’t be adopted. Again, our local Aurora community and Colorado as a whole is lucky to have a community that is willing to adopting thousands of dogs every year.
But there is nothing like the feeling of bringing home a new dog knowing that you’ve make the choice to give them a better life! Simply put, adopting a shelter dog means saving a life.
Shelter Dogs Are NOT Behaviorally More Problematic
As professional dog trainers, we can say with confidence that shelter dogs do not have more behavioral problems than other dogs. But we still hear this all the time! We will admit that of course, very problematic dogs are more likely to find their way to a shelter as sometimes these dogs get stuck in the system and are continuously adopted and returned through multiple homes.
But this can be true of any source for finding an adult dog. A breeder can also not guarantee the personality of any dog. Just like people, each dog has its own personality that may or may not be similar to its parents.
In fact, according to PetFinder 37% of dogs relinquished to the shelter were brought there for reasons unrelated to behavior or health. Most dogs in shelters are there because the owner had a personal problem that they couldn’t solve- like moving, landlord issues or financial problems.
Because of this, many dogs in shelters have no behavioral problems and many of them are already house trained! Any dog can have behavior problems and purebred dogs are no exception to this!
We always recommend that you go to the shelter with some knowledge of canine behavior so you can make sure to avoid unknowingly adopting a dog with significant behavioral concerns. If you’re not sure what to look for Aurora Family Dog Training can help you pick out the perfect shelter pet for your family.
It Is Very Cost Effective
If we weren’t able to talk at your heartstrings a little bit by reminding you that adoption adopting a shelter pet is saving a life perhaps we can tug on your purse strings by reminding you that adoption from a shelter is significantly more cost-effective than purchasing from a breeder. You can expect to adopt an adult dog for under $200 from a shelter and a puppy for under $300 whereas a breed a purebred dog from a breeder can cost you thousands.
Consider Adopting A Shelter Pet
There are multiple benefits to adopting a shelter dog. From the feeling of helping an innocent creature to the more pragmatic reason of saving money, a shelter dog is a great choice for many families.
Aurora Family Dog Training or more than happy to help you pick out the perfect dog for you.