Adopting a pet from an animal shelter is the best decision ever!
Adopt Don’t Shop – Adopting a senior pet is even more amazing.
When you’re ready, adopting a pet from an animal shelter is one of the best decisions you’ll ever make. We encourage everyone to adopt pets from animal shelters and rescue organizations.
This is our senior girl Luna and yes that mat says HOPE, we thought this fitting 🙂
Our senior girl Luna (above) has lost her sight and moves slower now but she’s still has lots of love to give. Having a senior pet means lots of love and quality time. She’s a treasure.Â
Reasons why adopting a pet from an animal shelter/rescue is an amazing decision:
- You will be saving a life. And providing a safe, secure loving environment to a dog or cat who really needs it.
- Very often rescue or re-homed dogs are already housetrained and have some basic behavioral training as well.
- Shelters and rescue groups often include vaccinations, microchipping, and spaying or neutering in the adoption fee.
- Rescued dogs or cats or those from a shelter usually have extensive evaluations done on them before going up for adoption.
- There’s so many dogs and cats to choose from, too many but you will have ample choices for choosing your new family member.
- Shelters and rescues usually have all kinds of resources to help you once you have adopted your new family member.
- You are helping to reduce the serious problem of overburdened shelters, they are so overcrowded all over country.
We’re so thankful that an amazing animal rescue organization scooped up our awesome Ollie from a kill shelter. I couldn’t imagine not having this sweet boy in our lives. Ollie is lovable, gives face rubs, talks to you and cuddles all while being a sassy cat with character. Adopting a pet from an animal shelter was our best decision ever.
We also encourage people to adopt senior dogs and senior cats, and know this doesn’t suit everyone. The most important thing about adopting a pet from an animal shelter is that is suited your family and lifestyle. We just ask, no beg everyone to please do their research on the breed/s of their potential pet. No one wants to see an animal returned to a shelter because the pet wasn’t a good fit.
When people do think of adopting a pet from an animal shelter they think first of puppies and kittens over fully grown dogs and cats. We too have included puppies and kittens in our lives and while we would never say don’t adopt a puppy or kitten. However, we do encourage you to consider a fully grown pet. There are so many benefits and advantages adopting an adult pet. You’d be in many cases saving a life but adding so much more to your family.
Until recently my daughter was hoping we’d eventually get another puppy. She was too young to remember how much work our Luna was as a puppy. After dog sitting Bentley the cute puppy below who is our neighbours new dog, my daughter changed her mind. She enjoyed playing with him however, after seven hours of following him around, taking him outside several times etc.. she was pooped. As I told her puppies are like babies. She has now decided she agrees with me an older dog is the way to go for our family.
Adopting a pet from an animal shelter is not always an easy decision to make. There are great benefits to adopting both young and senior pets. My hubby always thinks she should get them younger as they will be with us longer. Yes it’s heart breaking when they cross the Rainbow Bridge. However, as I keep telling him, senior pets have so much love to give, you’re saving a life. Your making their time a happy one for as long as they are with you. You never know with any pet how long that is so enjoy your time and they have so much love to give in return.
Remember this sweet face? Our rescue cat Oliver. Just imagine if a rescue organization hadn’t stepped in, our sweet boy would have never been a part of our family.
Consider Adopting a senior pet! Check out the many benefits, as well as things to consider before adopting a senior pet here.
- There are no surprises with a senior pet. The puppyhood or kittenhood headaches of housetraining are well behind them, and their more mellow demeanor is a comfort to live with.
- Senior pets are also usually less destructive. The urge to chew and scratch is much less likely to cause problems.
- They tend to be more laid back. They like to play but for shorter periods of time.
December isn’t the only month to give back and you can help your local rescue with more than monetary donations. Check out a list of ways you can help that won’t break the bank here, many of which you can do as a family!
Eastwood Ranch Foundation, a non-profit animal rescue organization FosterFurkids.com a website that connects rescue groups and animal shelters with a nationwide network of pet fosters and transporters. To support the launch of FosterFurkids.com, the first 100 people that sign up to be a foster pet parent will receive a Petcurean care package
We hope that when you’re ready for a pet that you will always considering adopting as the best option.
Rosie says
We can’t have pets where we are, but I’m hoping to be moving this year, one reason is so I can have a dog. I’m learning about adopting from a shelter. Good information.
Tamra Gibson says
I love this. All of r dogs hv cfrom the shelter and any cats we have r because we rescued them from ppl that didn’t want them. Animals are such a joy and should be treated with care
Linda Szymoniak says
All my furbabies are rescues. Actually, two of our cats were found as strays. Moko was found by a friend’s father and my Kotoha was just two weeks old when I found her (I had to bottle feed her at first). Our third cat came from a rescue just outside of Indanapolis. All three of my current dogs came to me long-distance from high-kill shelters in NC and SC. I even had my own rescue for a while. I would never buy a dog or cat from a petstore or breeder. Too many are dying every day here in the US.
Mary says
My family has always adopted strays or from shelters. If they aren’t adopted, they will be euthanized, which is just wrong. Breeding animals for profit I feel is wrong because there are so many sweet, wonderful cats and dogs out there just needing a loving home. Human kindness should prevail instead of a “designer” pet.
wen budro says
I totally agree with your beautiful post. It’s heartbreaking to see so many dogs and cats in animal shelters…….especially if they are kill shelters. I adopted a 5 1/2 year old dog 3 years ago. She unexpectedly died recently…….so, I’m dealing with that heartbreak right now. At some point in time- I would be more than willing to adopt a senior dog despite knowing the heartbreak to come. My advice to others- dealing from experience- is to first investigate your local animal hospital or hospitals and get an idea of the potential costs involved with seniors. Nobody warned me about how very expensive vet care has gotten. I just had to pass that along.
ellen beck says
I crosspost senior pets on facebook. They are the best. Currently our dog is in decline, and if and when we get another, it will be one over 7. We are mindful we are getting older too, and to gage the pets age with our own. None of our animals have been ‘bought’ I do TNR and feed a feral colony. Adopt, dont shop.
Carolsue says
I don’t understand why everyone doesn’t get their pets at a shelter, or somewhere similar. Unless, as in our case, some strays adopted US over the years! Same thing, I guess.
Mindee Thompson says
YEEEES adoption is EVERYTHING! Loved this whole article
xo
Cindy S. says
We haven’t experienced the joy of rescuing a sweet pet from the shelter. It is something that I hope we can do soon. Wish we had a huge yard. We would have so many animals!
Natassha Márquez says
Amazing, adopt is amazing <3
Bryan Vice says
We just adopted our 5 month old Dachshund dog we love her to death!
Megan Candler says
I took my son to a pet shelter where he picked out a part German Sheppard. He named him Boss. Great dog. He sleeps on the end of his bed every night.
Laura says
We adopted our dog from a shelter. Truth be told, she is the best dog that I’ve ever owned!
Belle says
Now if we could only get irresponsible humans to take care of their critters so their pets didn’t wind up in the animal shelter in the first place, that would be the best. Second best is adopting those poor animals that have been abandoned.
Powered by Mom says
Totally agree Belle, if only, maybe one day…
Margot C says
I’m so glad that you wrote tis. Spread the word! I have 5 adopted rescue pets (one’s a foster on her way to her forever home) including 15 year-old Monty who is staying with me and is the sweetest boy ever!
Dee Cee says
Love this! Our last three dogs were rescues. First one was two yrs old and she was with us for 10 years and was a joy! Our next two (together as brother & sister) were 8 yrs old, needed to stay together and the best dogs in the world! (doesn’t everyone say that?) lol And…we took in my mom’s dog (who was about 14 yrs old) when she could no longer care for him. All of our dogs made us laugh & smile every day! You are so right…adopt don’t shop ~ and seniors are the sweetest! 🙂
Diana C says
<3 Both of our fur babies are from adoptions centers. Luke is my bunny and Apok is a boxer mix. When my husband and I got married, we "blended" our families. 😀
Sandra Watts says
Better to give to shelters than to buy from those stores that get from puppy mills. They always are in so much more need of love too.
Michelle S says
We volunteer at a local shelter. We aren’t able to have animals ourselves but my kids read to the dogs and cats. The hope is that it helps them get used to being with a family.
Powered by Mom says
Awesome, I love hearing that, a perfect example of how we can help if we can’t adopt ourselves. thanks for sharing Michelle 🙂
Nancy Burgess says
We have gotten pets from shelters before.They have so many beautiful dogs it’s hard to choose.Everyone should get a pet from a shelter.
Sarah Morris says
We’ve adopted all of our pets since childhood from the animal shelter. My husband and I also adopted two cats from the shelter.