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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 petโs 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 โAll 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 didnโt 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.
-
Every pet purchased
is in dire need of a home.
-
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 donโt have big
window box displays or locations in nearby malls like the
competing pet stores.
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. Whatโs more, the Phoenix law was
even challenged and upheld in federal court, giving the law that
much more credence.
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
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Source: http://www.news3lv.com/content/news/local/story/New-Vegas-law-would-prohibit-selling-pets-that/pzsOWJqbS0yLG6Jlc42WyQ.cspx