If Everyone Knew This, Animal Shelters Would Be Much Less Crowded...

The word is getting out. Puppy mills are in big trouble in California with the new law, and people are slowing realizing that adopting a pet is the best way to go!

The trouble is the word is spreading slowly, and millions of adoptable pets are waiting for forever homes in shelters all across the country. In the United States, each year the ASPCA estimates that there are about 670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats get put to sleep each year because shelters are overcrowded. The common misconception is that shelter animals are ‘damaged.’ They are not – so, they sit in a concrete kennel.

Some of the pets there do have behavioral issues that come from a lack of training or abuse. But other pets get surrendered because their families didn’t realize how much work having a pet was, or they were unable to afford the pet, or the animal was deemed ‘too old.’ Some of the pets with behavioral problems can be rehabilitated with enough love and patience.

Did you know that buying a pet from a pet store is no guarantee they are healthy and free of problems? Some backyard breeders sell their puppies to pet stores. Getting a dog from an unknown breeder may mean there is a puppy mill operation at work. Just think, when you adopt a pet, you are saving two lives! One is the life of the pet you took home, and the other is the life of the dog (or cat) who can now be taken in by the shelter because they have more room!

Feature Image Source: Pixabay