Ever since 1981, October has held a special place on the calendar. That’s because it’s Adopt-a-Dog Month!
There are millions of dogs living in shelters across America. They’re waiting for loving pet parents and a safe home.
Could you be the perfect person? If you have the time in your day and space in your home for a rescue dog, the team at Androscoggin Animal Hospital thinks you just might be. Here are the top 4 reasons to adopt a dog this month:
4 Reasons for Adopting a Shelter Dog
1. You’ll Save a Life (or Two)
When you bring a rescue dog home, you save that dog’s life. You also make room for another pup to take her place at the shelter.
Animal shelters are often filled to capacity. If you decide to bring two rescue dogs home at once, you make space for two more pups to be rescued. And if you bring three dogs home…well, you get the idea!
2. Your Life Will Become an Adventure
Rescue dogs come with a story. These stories often feature chapters of loss, loneliness, and abandonment. As you get to know your furry friend, you’ll face the challenges and triumphs that come with loving an adopted dog. Life will never be boring again!
The best part of all? When you adopt a dog, you get to be the very best chapter in their story. No matter how old they are.
3. You’ll Discover a New Community
Pet parents who adopt rescue dogs can build a community like no other. Doggy playgroups and meet-ups have popped up all over the nation. There are even meetups for large dogs and meetups for small dogs. When you adopt a dog, you can be part of this community. This means you and your dog will make lifelong friends!
4. You Join the Fight Against Unethical Breeding
There are over 10,000 puppy mills in the United States alone. Fewer than 3,000 of those are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That means that thousands, if not millions, of dogs are suffering inhumane conditions at unethical breeding businesses.
When you buy a puppy from a shelter instead of an unethical breeder, you are fighting against unethical breeding by lowering the demand for puppy-mill dogs.
If you’re anything like us, you probably feel really sad about the dogs in puppy mills. You may want to buy a puppy from a mill to rescue it from its conditions. But this only reinforces the breeder’s unethical practices.
Read more about how you can support puppy mill dogs.
Finding the Perfect Dog
Ready to meet your new best friend? Head to your local animal shelter to apply to adopt a puppy. If you live in Maine, the team at Androscoggin Animal Hospital can share our tips and resources for dog adoption. Contact us today to learn more or to schedule a health checkup for your newly adopted fur baby.