The new generation of young adults is turning to pet ownership as one of their life goals, particularly in replacement of or to delay parenthood. This shift in foregoing traditional life milestones, like buying a house or starting a family, altogether is becoming more and more prevalent in recent years.
This is because it’s so much easier to become a fur parent than to be a parent to an actual child. Of course, this isn’t to say that pets and children are the same because they aren’t, but they do have some similarities when it comes to the additional responsibilities.
For instance, while it’s expensive to raise both a pet and a child, the costs of raising a pet are much cheaper than that of a child. Pets also require minimal to no supervision, unlike a child who needs to be watched 24/7 until they can manage to make decisions for themselves. The list goes on and on.
So if you prefer a lifetime companion to parenthood, consider adoption instead of buying a dog. No one can stop you from wanting to buy a pure-bred pup, but there are so many good reasons why you should adopt a dog from your local shelter. In fact, here are three of them:
Reason #1: Changing a Dog’s Life
In the United States alone, approximately 1.5 million animals from local shelters are euthanized every year because they weren’t adopted or returned to their owners. These rescue animals have their days numbered despite their knowledge, all because shelters can’t accommodate the sheer number of unwanted animals in their care.
Fortunately, more than half of the animals entering the system are being rehomed. If you want to get a dog, you should consider adopting a rescue animal than buying one because you can change its life in the process. Think about it, instead of being put down, the dog you’re going to adopt can live a longer and happier life by your side.
Reason #2: Breaking the Stigma
Many people are not keen on the idea of adopting shelter animals because they have been stigmatized to be undesirable or aggressive. While this may be true to some extent, the generalization that all shelter pets are like that can hurt their chances of being rehomed, and they will be left to fend for themselves.
But contrary to popular belief, rescue pets aren’t all aggressive or untrained. Many dogs that enter the shelters are there because their owners can no longer care for them or they got lost and never returned. There are plenty of pure breeds and amicable animals that are ready to be adopted should people choose to do so.
Besides, if the dog you want to adopt is untrained, there’s an easy solution to this problem that won’t hurt your pockets. For instance, you can enter it into a dog training program so that it can be taught to manage its aggression. Dogs can be house-trained and be as obedient as their situation allows them.
Reason #3: It’s More Affordable
Anyone who has ever considered pet ownership will know that being a fur parent is expensive. That’s why owning a pet can be likened to raising a child, albeit with the stark differences they exhibit. For one, the costs that come with veterinary appointments, shots, and sterilization surgeries are already heavy on the pockets.
However, since there’s a mandatory law that requires rescue shelters to neuter or spay all the animals they release back to the public, you can save money in the process. This law is being enforced to somehow control the overpopulation of strays wandering the streets and inside shelters themselves.
If you were to adopt a dog from shelters that take care of the necessary medical procedures for rescues, then you will no longer have to worry about the expensive costs of pet ownership. Of course, there might be other expenses in the future, but at least you can eliminate the upfront costs of vet care.
Besides, buying from puppy mills can be considered inhumane, especially when there are so many homeless animals in shelters. This is because these breeding facilities breed dogs for profit and quantity than for quality, which means they don’t show dogs the love and care that they deserve.
Adopting instead of buying a dog is one of the best ways to begin your journey as a pet owner. If you still aren’t convinced, you should check out the “#adoptdontshop” campaign on social media platforms to see the real-life adoption stories for yourself. So, start on the right foot and adopt a lifetime companion.
