I have two rescue dogs and I have only had mixed breed dogs that were rescued from a shelter or rescue. It never made sense to myself or my family to buy an animal. The prices for pure breed dogs are astronomical and you really have no more of a guarantee of getting yourself a great pet then if you get one for the shelter.
Recently I found a great pet adoption site called Get Your Pet that will change the way you find your next family pet. There are over 2 million pets that are owner surrendered to shelters every year. The reasons for this can range from, the owner is ill, dog is not good with their kids, the dogs have special needs, or even something as simple as the animal is just not a fit for our family.
Get Your Pet is a site for direct pet adoption, from one good home to another. Rehoming a dog or a cat in this way keeps them out of the shelters. It is like having a online dating service for getting a great pet!
Did you know that certain breeds that just landing in a shelter increases their chances of being euthanized? I know that most of you are aware that pit bulls are at the top of the list, but I bet there are others that would shock you. How about Chihuahuas, and beagles and one of my favorites the Labrador Retriever? They are in shelters more than other breeds, for many reasons, popularity, size, health needs, and even because they eat too much. Great dogs, but their families just could not handle the responsibility of of the pet so they take it to the shelter.
I have a huge dog that we got when she was a puppy, but I will tell you, she is not a dog for everyone. She is half English Sheepdog and half Lab, she has all the traits of labs that some people don’t like. She used to chew everything, she sheds like crazy, she has a predominately black coat (yes black dogs are adopted less often), she has to have a special high fiber food because sheepdogs have sensitive tummies, she is also 95 pounds. Not a lot of people want to deal with a small horse in their house. We love her so much though, she is fabulous with kids of all ages, she is mostly lazy, which matches our energy and she also is a huge eater and well lets say poop duty is no fun with huge dogs.
We also have a chihuahua mix that we obtained from a shelter that is probably not a great fit for our family, he is a little high-strung, barks a lot, and sheds like crazy. The kids love this little dog and I would never dream of getting rid of either one of them, but to be honest there was a time I would have loved to have found another home for the little one, but when you adopt from a shelter you either return to that shelter, where they probably will never be adopted or you put them on a market place and risk a dog that you care about.
With Get Your Pet now available, I know for a fact that I would have used this site to find him a better suited home, not just for our benefit but for his. It is not fair for a dog to be in a home where they are not loved or given a great life. We now of course love the little guy and would not think of it, but I am sure there are other animals that are tolerated and not really given great lives because they are just not a great fit.
Pets are family and they should always be kept with your family when possible, however if that just cannot happen for some reason Get Your Pet dot com is a service that I hope you will consider instead of surrendering to a shelter.
Gabrielle says
September 24, 2018 at 4:58 pmWhat a great post. You are so right. My rat terrier was lucky. When he was given to a shelter because he was 9 years old and his people thought he was “too old”, it was in Idaho, which has all no-kill shelters. So after a year and 3 failed adoptions, he was still alive and well and waiting for me. I understand that terriers are not for everyone, but I am so glad I found him. Shelter dogs are the BEST dogs (and do consider a senior, folks, because they have so much love left to give!)!