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By Sam Orinstien  When most people seek out a companion animal such as a cat or dog, the first thought in their mind isn’t based on rescuing a nonhuman animal; but maybe it should be taken into consideration. Animal shelters in the United States take in an average of 324,000 animals a year from previous owners for a variety of reasons. The reasons for giving up an animal to a shelter can range from financial/housing issues or death of an owner to behavioral issues. There are many people who don’t have the patience or the means to take care of a pet and the result is millions of animals in our shelters. It seems wrong to buy animals from a breeder trying to make a business off of these living beings instead of saving one of the many who desperately need a human companion.  With so many reasons to adopt from a shelter, a philanthropist may wonder why anyone would do different. One answer to that question could be that many humans seeking a companion animal have a specific breed in mind and won’t settle for anything less than their purebred dream dog. I would encourage those people to visit their local shelters because you may not know your dream dog until you find it in one of these places. For those who desire a purebred pooch, there are shelters such as the Animal League of America who have a variety of purebreds that have been put up for adoption or have been rescued from puppy mills. Although it may depend on the given shelters in your area, national estimates conclude that a quarter of dogs in shelters are purebreds. With that in mind, there seems hard not to adopt an animal from a shelter. Some people may think that it is more ethical to get a dog from a pet store, but the sad reality is that an overwhelming majority of these puppies are purchased from puppy mills. You can do your own research on puppy mills but what you need to know is that the industry of puppy mills is inhumane and unregulated for the most part. By adopting nonhuman animals from shelters, you can be assured that you are supporting the right people and saving lives. Not only are you saving the life of the dog you take home, but you are making room for another dog to come off of the street into the shelter. There are countless benefits from adopting a companion animal from a shelter. One of the positives is that most shelters have a flat rate for adoption which is a fraction of the price you may find from a breeder. Those aren’t the only financial benefits. Some shelter animals are already spayed or neutered and are required to have been vaccinated upon admittance or adoption. Many shelters will also offer to pay for the first veterinary visit to ensure you are adopting a healthy companion. Another positive is the unique experience; going into a shelter, not knowing which animal you’re going to fall in love with.  Obtaining a new companion animal is bigger than you as a human caretaker. It involves an effort towards bettering the life of a member of another species. Humans should consider who they are supporting and why they are doing it when seeking to adopt a companion animal. Everyone is looking for different things when searching for a companion animal but the public should know that everything they are looking for can be found at a shelter instead of a pet store or breeder. When you adopt an animal from a shelter, you are showing your friends, family, and community that you are doing something to make a difference and putting forth effort to leave the world a better place than you found it. Works Cited American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 2015. “Too Many People are Still Not Adopting Animals”. Retrieved April 5th 2017. https://www.aspca.org/blog/too-many-people-are-still-not-adopting-animals-0. Banfield Pet Hospital. 2017. “The Benefits of Adopting a Dog or Cat From A Shelter”. Retrieved April 6th 2017. https://www.banfield.com/pet-healthcare/additional-resources/article-library/everyday-care/the-benefits-of-adopting-a-dog-or-cat-from-a-shelt. Humane Society of the United States. 2017. “Puppy Mills: Frequently Asked Questions”. Retrieved April 8th 2017. http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/puppy_mills/qa/puppy_mill_FAQs.html. North Shore Animal League America. 2017. “Purebred Pet Rescue and Adoption”. Retrieved April 6th 2017. http://www.animalleague.org/adopt-a-pet/dogs/purebreed-rescue-adoption/. No Pet Store Puppies ASPCA. 2017. “Puppy Mills are Crue”. Retrieved April 8th 2017. http://nopetstorepuppies.com/puppy-mills-are-cruel. Reese, A Laura, Mark Skidmore, William Dyer, and Erica Rosebrook. 2016. “No Dog Left Behind: A Hedonic Pricing Model for Animal Shelters. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Services. AUTHOR BIOSam Orinstien is a junior at Minnesota State University Mankato. He studies sociology and has research interests in social stratification and inequalities among human and nonhuman animals. More from SamComments are closed.
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This is a website about nonhuman animals, written by human animals taking a Society and Animals class at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Archives
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