Second Chances: Pet Adoption

Second Chances The day may come when you are looking to add the loving companionship of a dog or cat into your life. Providing love and care for a pet and getting that unconditional love back from them has many positive effects. Owning a pet decreases stress, eases pain, improves mood, among many other health benefits. We love our dogs here in America and according to the Humane Society of the United States, there are 78.2 million dogs and 86.4 million cats owned by Americans according to a survey done by American Pet Products Association for the year 2011. Surprisingly, only twenty-one percent of these pets were adopted from an animal shelter (“U.S. Pet Ownership”). Sadly, the Humane Society also reports that approximately 4 million cats and dogs are killed each year in shelters, which is about 8 innocent lives every minute (“Pet Overpopulation”). Inconsiderate breeding of dogs at puppy mills and by other means for profit, has created an issue of animal overpopulation and led countless number of animals to suffer. You can help stop this cycle of cruelty by doing your research before getting a puppy and look into adopting from your local animal shelter or rescue. If you are absolutely sure you want to add a dog to your family, you should first do some research on all of your available options. Many people want a puppy as their first time dog, but what you must understand is that there is a lot of work that goes into owning and taking care of a puppy so research is important. If you do not have the time to train your dog, then maybe you would be better off adopting an older, calmer dog, from an animal shelter. Most people will go into a pet store and purchase a puppy, but you are better off checking your local shelter or animal rescue for your new friend. Most pet store puppies come from puppy mills and irresponsible breeders, and by purchasing from these suppliers you are only adding to the already complicated issue of animal overpopulation. Therefore, doing research before you make your puppy purchase decision should rule out the naïve excuse of not knowing the negative effects of supporting breeders and puppy mills. There are many advertisings to be found online for the sale of puppies. These websites have a list of dog for every breed. This is a sure sign that these puppies are from puppy mills. The truly shocking conditions that exist in these puppy mills are not generally well known. Puppy mills raise litter after litter in unsanitary conditions and usually confine the dogs to unimaginably small cages. The females are forced to breed over and over again, until they are too weak and sick to reproduce anymore and are then disposed of like an old pair of shoes. In Port Clinton, Ohio, 34 dogs were rescued from a puppy mill as the rescuer claiming their condition as, “Their paws were cut from living in small carrier crates with mesh bottoms. They were dirty, hungry, and clearly raised to churn our litter after litter” (Gedert, Roberta). It is clear that puppy mills are run solely based on the concept of making profit with absolutely disregard to the welfare of the animals. People are working to get facilities like this shut down, but it is up to all of the possible dog owners to make the right decision by adopting from an animal shelter and not supporting puppy mills. The best option for adopting a dog is to choose one from your local rescue group or animal shelter. Since there is an overpopulation problem in the United States, there is no reason puppy mills should be breeding animals. Many dogs and cats can be given a second chance at life if everyone who is interested in owning a pet chooses one from a shelter. There are some steps to take when adopting from an animal shelter. First, it is important to get to know the animal you are interested in before you bring him or her home. Visiting the shelter and volunteering is a great way to find out if you and your possible new friend will be a match. There is even a fostering option, in which you can bring home the dog to find out if it is what you want. There is no need to purchase a dog through a breeder or a pet store, especially since the cost is cheaper through the shelter. An adoption fee is about $200 and it includes shots and the surgery to get the dog fixed. Spay and neutering your animals is important in controlling the countries animal overpopulation. Since about 4 million cats and dogs are put to sleep each year, due to the inability to find them homes, I am sure that there are enough pets to go around that we do not need breeders or puppy mills to keep up with the demand. Many people purchase a puppy and cannot handle the expectations that goes along with owning and pet and these innocent souls end up in shelters every day. In December 2010, a study was done by Wichata State University and it showed that number one reason at 17.7 percent of people who gave up their dogs for adoption was because they had too many animals. The second reason at 11.6 percent was for moving and the third most given reason was not enough time (DeLeeuw, Jamie). These animals end up in shelters and there is no excuse for giving up on an animal that you once committed too. We must learn to take responsibility and aid in reducing the number of animals that end up in shelters by not supporting pet store sales, instead adopting from animal shelters. I highly recommend familiarizing yourself with the many options that could be taken on the road of owning a dog. People must realize that we can stop the inhumane practice of dog breeding for profit, simply by not supporting their case. Instead we should support the case of our local shelters and rescue groups everywhere. I volunteer and am actively involved with my local animal shelter called Awesome Shelter in Stroudsburg, Pa. I truly believe in their mission statement which reads,
“The Animal Welfare Society of Monroe (AWSOM) seeks to accommodate Monroe County’s stray, homeless, neglected or abused animals. Our shelter takes in all companion animals and, with the assistance of rescue and foster organizations, veterinary services and pet behaviorists, evaluates and cares for each on a case-by-case basis. Our adoption program links up pets with loving families. We strive to end the pet overpopulation problem that leads to abuse and neglect with our spay/neuter program. We foster enriching relationships between people and animals through education and advocacy while setting a positive example for a humane path toward life. We are forging a new lifesaving consensus of hope in Monroe County that rejects the unnecessary killing of homeless animals.” (AWSOM)
We have adopted these furry creatures as man’s best friend, taken them from their hunting backgrounds and have bred them to be the unconditional loving companions that they are today. Regardless of the less than desirable lives they may have lived before ending up in a shelter, they still exert an abundance of love and loyalty. We can put an end to animal cruelty and when making your choice to add a loving pet to your family, consider all your options, do your research, and ultimately give a shelter dog the second chance at life that they so rightfully deserve. If man can create the issue of animal overpopulation and the unforgiving neglect that goes along with it, then we can turn the tables and end this horrifying issue one adoption at a time.

Works Cited
"AWSOM on Facebook / Twitter." AWSOM on Facebook / Twitter. N.p., 2013. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. .
DeLeeuw, Jamie L. "Animal Shelter Dogs: Factors Predicting Adoption versus Euthanasia."
Shocking Conditions In Puppy Mills. Wichata State University, Dec. 2010. Web. 14 Apr. 2013. .
Gedert, Roberta. "34 rescued dogs from suspected 'puppy mill ' find sanctuary for holiday in Port Clinton." Blade, The (OH) 22 Nov. 2012: Newspaper Source. Web. 17 Apr. 2013.
"Pet Overpopulation : The Humane Society of the United States." RSS. The Humane Society of the United States, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2013. .
"U.S. Pet Ownership Statistics : The Humane Society of the United States." RSS. The Humane Society of the United States, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2013. .

Cited: "AWSOM on Facebook / Twitter." AWSOM on Facebook / Twitter. N.p., 2013. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. . DeLeeuw, Jamie L. "Animal Shelter Dogs: Factors Predicting Adoption versus Euthanasia." Shocking Conditions In Puppy Mills. Wichata State University, Dec. 2010. Web. 14 Apr. 2013. . Gedert, Roberta. "34 rescued dogs from suspected 'puppy mill ' find sanctuary for holiday in Port Clinton." Blade, The (OH) 22 Nov. 2012: Newspaper Source. Web. 17 Apr. 2013. "Pet Overpopulation : The Humane Society of the United States." RSS. The Humane Society of the United States, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2013. . "U.S. Pet Ownership Statistics : The Humane Society of the United States." RSS. The Humane Society of the United States, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2013. .