Why adopt a pet from a shelter?

[katerkat]

Hey, pet lovers, a bit of help, please! I'm going to be doing a TV segment for the Humane Society on Friday. I get to introduce a couple animals from the shelter, then explain why I think the Humane Society is important and why people should adopt from the shelter.

I'm afraid if I don't think something out clearly in advance, I'm going to end up being all gushy about my leetle boys, who are both shelter cats and the light of my life. (Er, not counting my husband... Of course I love you more than the cats, dear!)

Thanks!

Katerkat, who fears that her introduction will be, "And this is a lovely little kitten who is coming home with me, so viewers should find another one at the shelter..."

 

[Wish Upon A Star]

Both my dog and my two cats came from Shelters. People should consider adopting a dog and/or cat from their local shelter because these animals really need a loving home. They may have come from someone who bought them as puppies and/or kittens and then as they grew they weren't so cute anymore, or they became a burden for these people, or their owner might of passed away and left them all alone.

If you walk into your local shelter you will see all these hopeful eyes looking at you wondering if they will be going "home" with someone who will really take good care of them and love them.

My animals are loving and loyal and just happy to have a home. I think that shelter babies make the best pets because they are really appreciative towards whomever takes them away from their cages in the local shelter and the shelter takes great strides in really getting the right adoptive parent to the right animal.

 

[mamajoan]

Animals from the shelter are in need of a comfortable home.
Animals from the shelter are spayed and neutered therefore helping to reduce the number of unwanted pets.
Animals from the shelter have been checked out by a vet and health problems are either cleared or declared to the new owner prior to adoption.
Animals from the shelter can be of mixed breed which often make happy, well adjusted animals.... but there are also alot of purebreed animals to be found.. we have a purebreed Scottish Terrier whose owner left him at the Shelter when he had to head out of town quickly to another job. He is a great dog and we have had him 9 years.

Animals from the shelter have a lot of love to share with a new family!

Thanks for asking!

 

[TwinMom7]

We adopted our Rigby (black Cocker Spaniel) from a local shelter over two years ago. He was 11 months old at the time and had been dropped off because the owner couldn't cope with him, an infant and a toddler. When I took him to the vet for his first physical, he told me that Rigby was a full-blooded Cocker and that someone had probably spent big $ for him as a puppy - before dumping him at the shelter.

As I type this, he is spending the day at the doggie spa (as my kids love to put it), getting a bath and a haircut. I love to remind him what a GOOD life he has now and how SPOILED rotten he truely is!!! He just looks at me with those big black eyes and those droopy ears, as if to say, "I know - and thank you."

 

[binny]

I like the commercial on Animal Planet thats says " you might just find you need them as much they need you!"


My doggies is a shelter pet. SHe is loyal and seems to have an extra bit of love for us that could be my imagination though

Youre saving a life! How often do you get to do that?

 

[Redmic]

We have shelter cats, and I think it sends a great message to kids about openning up your heart to loving creatures. It also teaches responsibility. Both of my girls already know they must spay or neuter any pets they get, because they can't imagine our 2 "babies" being put down for lack of a home.

 

[grinningghost]

Because they really need a loving home. Many of them are abandoned or strays. Some have been abused. Although the most heartbreaking thing about visiting the shelter is knowing you can't save all of them. We got our kitten at a shelter and he is, by far, the most lovable pet I've ever had. I think deep down, he knows he made out good.

 

[Robinrs]

I'd get mushy, too. The Humane Society means so much to me and my family. My very first cat was from the Humane Society in NY, when my Dad RAN down to prevent her from being euthanized after a news story. That was 26 years ago and she died at the ripe old age of 17.

She taughty me how to love cats. Before her I thought they were just aloof un-fun animals... I only had dogs before her. The rest is history!

I've had street cats and shelter cats. The ones from the shelters are so much more appreciative! Not only that, the Humane Society takes care of medical needs for so much cheaper than a regular vet. My street cats cost me MUCH more than my HS cats.

I posted a Success Story on the Atlanta Humane Society's website after adopting my aDORable boycat, Max. Max was a 2 year cat that was left at the shelter just a day before we came down to look at the kittens. His sad eyes just intrigued me. He had upper respiratory problems, old scars and a broken tail, and alook on his face that said "You wouldn't want ME, would ya??"

I Did!

My Max!

One year later and he is the kindest, most humble most GRATEFUL animal I've ever had. On a daily basis he THANKS me for taking care of him. It does wonders to my heart....

If you want to read my Success Story I'll PM it to you.

 

[Pebblszzz]

Why people should adopt from a shelter (IMHO):

1. If you just GO there, you're going to fall in love.
2. Those pets are so grateful to be rescued, they'll be your loyal pals for life!
3. If you DON'T, that's one more pet that may be euthanized to make room for more unwanted animals.
4. Purebreds can be so tempermental!

and many more....

TIP: Go to some shelter websites, I'm sure they have stories that you could plagarize!!!

 

[ennazus]

Great words of advice so far! I'd also like to add that it's not just cats and dogs (at least at our local shelter)

We got our guinea pig from a shelter. It only cost us $10.00 and we got a certificate for a free health exam with a vet. A guinea pig at the pet store would have cost double and you certainly wouldn't have got a free health exam with a vet!

The people at the humane society are there because they love animals. And they get to know the animals and can help in matching the right animal to the right family.

The shelter is there simply to care for the animals... a pet store is there to turn a profit. (ok, maybe you won't be able to say that one! LOL)

 

[catsrule]

Just print out and hold up a picture of Simba. When everyone sees how handsome he is, they will all run out and get a kitty.

 

[Denine]

We got our 3 cats at the local no-kill shelter. One is now an angel. They are the sweetest cats!
If you get a shelter animal, you are giving them a good, loving home and you are getting a great companion, happy to have a home and people to love.
You can get pets that are already house trained or older so they are not as rambunctious as babies.
Since they are already spayed or neutered, you don't have that expense.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Shelter animals are the most loving, loyal pets in the world. They truly appreciate your rescuing them! I got Max about 3 years ago at the shelter. He knew EVERYTHING when I took him for training. The trainer said someone definitely had trained him previously. We couldn't understand why someone either let him go or never bothered to look for him. He was at the pound 5 months. But that's good for us! The local pound had him down as a Lab/Setter mix because of his long hair. The trainer said they didn't know what they were looking at because he's a Flat-Coated Retriever. What a FANTASTIC dog he is! Such a sweetie.

And three weeks ago I adopted a puppy out in front of PetsMart. Too cute...a Lab/Boxer mix. He's just too cute. Homeless pups are the way to go. They make great friends for life.

 

[bliss4us]

We have two dogs that are both owner give-ups. One is a purebred Schipperke - too headstrong and active for her first owner. The other is a big, lazy Lab mix - he was picked up 19 times by Animal Control for being a "dog at large" before his owner was legally ordered to surrender him.

So many people love the puppy but not the dog. Some don't realize how many years of feeding and walking and cleaning they're in for. These dogs ended up homeless through no fault of their own, and if someone wants to take on the wonderful commitment of owning a dog, they can't go wrong by giving one a second chance.

My dogs are my best friends. I hate to think where they'd be now if I hadn't brought them home.

Adopting a dog is an act of kindness that is rewarded every day.

Daisy

 

[katerkat]

Originally posted by catsrule
Just print out and hold up a picture of Simba. When everyone sees how handsome he is, they will all run out and get a kitty.

Well, I'm going to have pics of my boys with me, so that'll help!

My mom said I can't say that the shelter pets are more grateful, because that assigns human feelings to animals. I'm still saying it!

Thanks for all the help!

And another question -- do you think the Humane Society president would notice if I don't give back the kitten I'm supposed to introduce during the segment?

 

[goofygirl]

What a great gig!! Good luck with it!

All of my kitties were shelter kitties

 

[janette]

One of our dogs is from the pound, I adopted her the day she was to be put down. They had to retrieve her paper work so that she could go home with me instead. She's a wonderful dog, also seems to have some training in the past and loves to be petted. She gets out of the fence once in awhile and I always get a phone call from someone. She finds the nearest person and lets them know she wants to be petted. I've had a few that would've loved to keep her.

Although it's not good news maybe include some statistics on how many animals in your area are destroyed due to lack of homes. Although there are many no-kill shelters now the city pounds can rarely keep animals long due to lack of space. Every animal that is adopted is a life saved.

 

[WDW Poly Princess]

I voulenteer at our local shelter, and its so hard not to bring them all home with me! There are so many sweet, loving, playful cats there who have been abandoned by their owners, I think that anyone who gives one a home is a hero!

Adopting from the shelter is very cheap, too! Ours includes the first round of shots plus spay or neutering the animal in the $45 adoption fee. To get the same thing done at the vet would normally cost over $100!

Tens of thousands of animals are euthanized every DAY in the US, the vast majority of which would make someone a fantastic pet! Its like the story of the man who was walking down the beach, and saw a young man picking up starfish from the beach and throwing them into the water. The man asked him why he was doing it, and the other man answered "If the starfish are still on the beach when the tide goes out and the sun rises higher in the sky, they'll die". "That's rediculous! There are thousands of miles of beach and millions of starfish. You can't believe what you are doing could possibly make a difference!"

The young man picked up another starfish, paused thoughtfully, and remarked as he tossed it out into the waves "It makes a differencee to THIS one!"

That story was in the info packet that I got when I signed up to be a voulenteer, and I always think about that when I'm feeling overwhelmed. No matter how little we do, we can make a big difference to one animal!

If you can, you might want to mention that older cats have a MUCH harder time finding homes this time of year, because its kitten season, and everyone goes to the kittens first!

Good luck!

 

[CookieGVB]

Crystal - that is an EXCELLENT story - I may just pass that along to a few people.

 

[Twinsplus1]

As the Mommy of two rescue Boxers (plus a human set of twins and an almost 14 month old) I had to put my two cents in! First of all, I think you are doing a great thing! Everyone needs to know that the Humane Society is a GREAT place to get a GREAT pet. I've had Boxers since I was 18, so over the past 12 years I've had 4 and all of them have been rescue's. Our first was a stray, our second was from our local kill shelter and he was 10 when we adopted him and our current two are both rescue's from Northeastern Boxer Rescue.

So many, many people look at pets as disposable, the poor animals at the shelters are some of the casualities of our "throw away" society. I wholeheartedly agree with the above responses who said that the furbabies from the shelter are incredibly loving and grateful as are rescue dogs.

One of my favorite sweatshirts has a great quote you might be able to modify and use. It is from MO/KAN boxer rescue and it says "Recycled Boxers Are....Instant Love!" How about "Recycled pets are....Instant Love!"



Good luck with everything!

Robyn