Three Things About Shelter Dog Adoptions That You Heard Wrong

BY | April 06 | COMMENTS PUBLISHED BY
Three Things About Shelter Dog Adoptions That You Heard Wrong

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Pets in shelters that go unadopted account for 2.5 million euthanasia cases each year. Every time you adopt a pet from a shelter, you save a life. However, there are some myths that keep people from adopting shelter pets. Here are some common myths surrounding animal shelter adoptions.

Shelter dogs have health issues

Shelter dogs are just as prone to medical conditions as other pets. In fact, shelter dogs are usually mixed breed dogs, meaning they are healthier than their purebred counterparts, due to their mixed genetic composition. Also, most animal shelters will already have a vet overlook the health of the dogs beforehand, aside from providing DHPP and rabies vaccination. They also keep them free from fleas, worms and ticks.Animal shelters are honest about medical conditions that pets going up for adoption suffer from, and you can speak to the vet to understand any medications or specific diet changes that the pet may need. Some animal shelters even offer a free or funded first visit to the vet.

Shelter dogs have behavioral problems

A common misconception that people have about shelter pets is that they have been left to the care of a shelter due to behavioral problems. If you walk into an animal shelter looking for the perfect pet, then you are probably not ready to be a pet parent yet. Pets like other animals, and humans, are not perfect. However, that does not make them any less worthy of a home or a family.Pets that have behavioral problems can be trained and disciplined. Moreover, these shelter animals may be given up by their previous family for many reasons, and not necessarily due to behavioral problems. It is not the pets fault that they are in the animal shelter. It could be anything from the death of the pet parent, to a relocation that may have caused the pet to be separated from their previous family.

Adopting a shelter dog is a tedious process

Some animal shelters may have a strict screening process to ensure that the pet is going to the right home. Many of these animals are rescued from the streets or abusive households. The screening process is how the shelter staff makes sure that the dog does not go through such traumatic experiences again.It is in the best interest of the petโ€™s health and wellness. Yes, it may be a slightly time-consuming drill, but at the end of it you have an adorable pet to take home, and have given a pet a new shot at life. Some shelters even vaccinate, microchip and neuter the pets before they are put up for adoption, so the transition to the new home becomes simpler.

New Law Says โ€œAll Pets Purchased Must Be From a Shelterโ€

In an attempt to diminish the amount of pets raised in horrible puppy mills, city officials in Las Vegas are working on a bill that would ban pet shops from selling any cats or dogs that didnโ€™t come from a rescue or a shelter. If this bill passes, every pet purchased inside the city is guaranteed to have been a rescue. And this is a big deal.

Why This Is A Big DealThis bill can affect the way pets are adopted in two major ways.

  1. Every pet purchased is in dire need of a home.
  2. The puppy mill industry will lose major business.

Previously, pets found in pet stores were often bred just so they could be shipped off to a pet store and sold. Meanwhile, perfectly good pets were languishing in shelters right around the corner. They languished because those shelters donโ€™t have big window box displays or locations in nearby malls like the competing pet stores.

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Puppies from a puppy mill, born to be sold.

Basically, people would purchase these pet store pets out of convenience, not even aware that in doing so they were directly supporting a malicious industry and preventing an abandoned dog from getting the home they deserve. Thanks to this bill, all those mall storefronts and bright displays are going to be filled with bonafide shelter dogs, ensuring that every dog purchased is one that needed a home from the start, and not one that was bred just to make a sale.While Las Vegas should be heralded for taking this leap, they are no pioneers. In fact, Phoenix passed a similar bill a few years back. Whatโ€™s more, the Phoenix law was even challenged and upheld in federal court, giving the law that much more credence.

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Shelter dogs up for adoption at a pet store

All of this is to say that, while the bill has not yet been formally passed into law, in all likelihood it will be official before long. Furthermore, if the law works as proposed in both raising shelter adoption rates and undercutting puppy mill sales, more cities will likely be adopting this policy. Before long, puppy mills will become a thing of the past.Want more news like this? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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national-dog-daySource: http://www.news3lv.com/content/news/local/story/New-Vegas-law-would-prohibit-selling-pets-that/pzsOWJqbS0yLG6Jlc42WyQ.cspx

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