I’m a Shelter Pet – Why Should You Adopt Me?

You’ll save two lives – The life of the animal that you adopted and the life of the animal that’s going to take its place at the shelter.

You’ll save money – Most pets end up homeless through no fault of their own—”moving” and “finances” are the top reasons people give for surrendering their pets, meaning animal shelters, like Cascades Humane Society (CHS) are full of wonderful, family-ready pets. Pets adopted from shelters typically cost less than pets purchased or even acquired for free—once you add in the cost of vaccinations, spay/neuter surgery, microchip, dewormer, and other “extras” included in your adoption fee, you’ll be surprised what a bargain an adopted pet really is!

You’ll have a large selection to choose from – shelters house a variety of pets from small, medium and large, to young and mature, to ‘mutts’ and purebreds. You will also find pets who will fit well into a variety of living situations.

You’ll have support – Most shelters, like CHS, conduct thorough behavioral analysis of each pet to ensure that they will be the right fit for your family, dramatically improving the chances your new pet will fit right in. Shelters can also provide advice on making your relationship with your pet the best it can be for the rest of his or her life, so you’ll never have to go it alone!

You’ll know your new pet was cared for – Shelter pets, like the ones at CHS, are treated with exceptional care. They get lots of love and attention from staff and volunteers. Dogs at CHS get walked every day, sometimes multiple times each day. They are kept clean and healthy – being treated if a medical condition arises.

You’ll be supporting your community – By adopting from an animal shelter, you are helping keep unwanted and abandoned animals off the streets. You are also helping care for animals whose owners can no longer care for them. You are giving an animal a second chance at life.

You will not be supporting puppy mills – Millions of animals are euthanized each year because too many animals are born each year. Puppy mills are commercial kennels where animals are bred in order to sell them for money. All too often these puppy mills abuse the animals, kill the mothers after they are no longer of breeding age, and deprive the puppies of the chance to learn normal behavior. Breeders who breed their animals for money add further to pet overpopulation and, therefore, to euthanasia rates. Unfortunately, well-meaning people who do not have their animals spayed and neutered and who allow their animals to reproduce further add to the problem. By adopting from a shelter and not from a puppy mill or from someone else who is irresponsibly breeding their animals, you are saying that you do not want to support irresponsible breeding.

The satisfaction you will acquire when you adopt a pet is like no other; you will have received a healthy pet, you will save money, you will be supporting a healthy and just cause, you will get the perfect pet for your family, and you will have saved a life. Adopting a pet has lifelong benefits that you will not regret. Give these animals a second chance by allowing them to join your loving family. If you have any questions about adopting a shelter pet, please contact us at (517) 787-7387.