Why Don’t More People Adopt from Shelters?
I’m just a dog, so of course I don’t have all the answers, but I live with two shelter cats and they are wonderful! So it got me to thinking, why isn’t everyone getting their pets from the shelters? I would be so sad to know that my two kitty friends were killed at the shelter because no one wanted them. I know that if I was at the shelter I wouldn’t have made it out alive because Pit Bulls are the first to die. That brings me to something else I don’t understand. People are still paying lots and lots of money to get Pit Bulls from breeders, while thousands of pure-bred Pit Bulls and other pure-bred doggie friends are waiting at shelters all over the country. Now, my two housemates aren’t pure-bred cats, but to me they are just as good as any other cat, and we have fostered all kinds of cats, including pure-bred cats and kittens. My mom says that only 15-20% of all household dogs and cats are adopted from shelters and that 3-4 million die in shelters every year, and that 25% of all animals in shelters are pure-bred. I’m not the brightest dog around, but this just doesn’t add up. I’m hoping you can help me understand why more people are not adopting from animal shelters.
January 30th, 2008 at 9:01 am
People still believe that pure-breds are better and don’t know that you can get a pure-bred at the shelter. Also, people always want puppies and kittens and aren’t willing to give an adult pet a chance. It’s sad…
January 30th, 2008 at 9:02 am
People think that shelters only have bad pets, or think that if they don’t get a puppy or kitten that pet won’t bond with them. They just aren’t educated.
January 30th, 2008 at 9:03 am
Many people don’t realize that the puppy or kitten they are buying from the pet store was raised in a “puppy mill”. Maybe they would think twice if they new the truth.
January 30th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Some shelters, even kill shelters, make it difficult to adopt. They have strict guidelines and rightly so, or the poor animals will end up right back at the shelter. However there is no cause for rudeness on the part of any shelter worker when someone is trying to adopt a less than perfect animal. I attempted to adopt a 12 year old stray cat that was sick. I was told he was not an adoption candidate even though he was pictured on the website. Granted he had problems I was not told about, however the woman I spoke with was extremely rude. So much so that I went to the shelter to make a complaint. At which time they had an elderly female cat, 13, that was to be euthanized. They considered her “too old”. Lucky for me and for her, I was able to adopt her before the “big sleep”. She’s happy, healthy and a joy. I challenge anyone to make a trip to your local kill shelter and see if you can walk away without realizing these animals need our help.
January 30th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Many people want to adopt from shelters but it’s cheaper to adopt from individuals in many cases. I wanted to adopt a Llhaso mix from a shelter, she was a senior, and it would have cost me $250, so insted I opted to buy from GL and got a really sweet one free.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Lisa, at the beginning it is cheaper from individuals, but when you add everything up, the shelter is great. The animals have had their shots, are spayed or neutered and from TLAC they are microchipped. We adopted our 2 dogs from the shelter and they are the most wonderful, loving and happy dogs I have ever seen. They were adopted separately but bonded with one another instantly. At the time, they were approx. 2 years old but it didn’t matter to us. My girl is a german shepherd/chowchow mix and my little boy is a chihuaha/dashund mix so they are totaly different in size but now are inseperable. The only way my family and I will adopt is from the shelter and I recommend this to all my friends.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:48 am
I adopted an adult rescue who turned out to have several aggression issues, and I was ultimately unable to keep her. It was a heartbreaking experience that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. If I ever do get a rescue dog again, which is doubtful, it will only be a puppy. Furthermore, the reason that people want purebreds is not because they think they are better, but because people are better able to predict a purebred dog’s behavioral tendencies and exercise requirements, etc. (Informed decisions based on such considerations can make it more likely that the dog’s tendencies and owner’s lifestyle will mesh well.)
My rescue was a Catahoula/Rottweiler mix, and she was ultimately a victim of her own genetics coupled with a poor start in life. Please remember that there is another side to this argument and that for me, it had very sad consequences.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:50 am
The shelters make it extremely difficult. I understand the need for caution, but they are pretty extreme. I mean, fill out an application and we’ll call you if we think you’re a good cantidate? Who decides? If they want to make sure animals are not being aquired for negative purposes, why not track people who adopt so that one person cannot adopt over and over? I don’t need someone calling my friends or family to see if they think it’s OK for me to have a cat!
January 30th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
I always adopt from rescue groups because the dog/cat has likely been in a foster situation. That way, someone knows more about the animal (it likes/dislikes cats, it is afraid of car rides, it doesn’t like children, etc.).
I realize rescue groups get their animals from shelters and so I don’t feel so bad adopting from them.
January 30th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Cost is probably one of the big factors, I agree with Lisa. I also agree with Drake in that people think pure breeds are best. However, people don’t understand the difference between a pure bred and a well bred dog…well bred means that blood lines aren’t crossed and the breeders are careful about improving the breed. Purebred means that the parents were purebred but it does not account for genetics so you wind up with dogs having allegeries, hip problems, agressive temperments. I also agree with Dana, shelters and rescue agencies make it hard to adopt a pet, that is because people don’t take care of their pets and just throw it in the backyard without proper maintaining care (ie, heartworm prevention). People fall ‘in love’ with a dog without realizing that it is a high energy dog which they don’t want to deal with, or that they really don’t have time to walk the dog or give it any attention. Finally, I agree with Julie. Some shelter pets have issues. Sometimes they came to the shelter because of them (ie., they can jump a 6′ fence or dig under a fence) and sometimes they develop issues because they’ve been in the shelter for too long. We’ve domensticated these animals, we need to provide for them properly.
February 4th, 2008 at 7:56 am
I also think that shelters do a really poor job at marketing their pets. If they thought more like other businesses and really put some effort into getting the word out, more people would go to the shelter.
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March 21st, 2008 at 12:53 am
Me and my sister are both shelter dogs. My new family says “that the best puppies are pound puppies.” That an animal that gets a second chance at life seems to appreciate it more regardless of what breed they may be. Oh yeah, there are no bad dogs out there just bad owners.
April 3rd, 2008 at 5:30 am
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July 6th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Because some people are looking for a specific dog with specific traits and looks.
You just spoke out against puppy mills. Just because the puppy mill dog isn’t in the pet store anymore doesn’t mean its behavioral issues and sicknesses are gone. Often times, rescues go wrong and the dog ends up being euthanized anyway.
If you get a dog or puppy from the shelter, you have no idea about looks, personality, genetics, or previous care. It’s just too sketchy for me.
Also, I just went to TLAC a week ago. Honestly, they are no better than the mills. Look at their environment. Most are on cold, concrete floors with limited food, water, and bedding, OUTSIDE-meaning no protection from the scorching heat we’re having in Austin right now. And worst of all, most are sitting in their own feces, urine, and vomit. In my last visit I literally saw a very lethargic Australian Shepherd mix puppy laying in its own vomit. It was covered in it. The volunteers did nothing.
Again, just like the terrible breeders, they try to get the dogs and cats outta there, and get rid of them FAST-not much screening. The workers there really pushed their animals on me. You couldn’t so much as LOOK at a dog without a worker telling you “Oh, it’s so cute, and it seems to like you a lot!” Does that remind you of any pet store employees?
December 4th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
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