When your kids give you those big round eyes and plead with you to get a family pet, you may feel pressured to rush out and buy the first puppy that you see. But opting for an adopted dog over a puppy is the better way to go, and you should know why.
Many families don’t even take a moment to consider this alternative, and as a result, more and more dogs are left abandoned every year, and shelters searching to find new homes for them — if they’re lucky. Every year there are more and more Dogs For Adoption, and you could be the lucky one to get one of them.
Before you get a puppy to be your family pet, think about adopting for the following excellent reasons.
They Usually Come Trained
When you get a new puppy, you’ll have to train the dog yourself. You’ll have to teach it to pee and poop outside, walk on a leash, and not chew your $200 leather shoes.
But when you get a dog from a shelter, it is usually housebroken already and knows how to behave. This won’t just save you a lot of money for dog training or replacing all of the items in the house that the puppy will destroy in just a few months, but it will be a lot less stress for the whole family.
It’s a Lot Cheaper
Buying a brand new puppy can easily cost more than a thousand dollars when you factor in vaccinations, neutering, ID chips, and gear. A lot of people budget for only the price of the dog itself without thinking about all the other items you have to buy for it.
When you adopt, however, you usually pay only the adoption fee, and the dog almost always comes neutered, vaccinated, and chipped. Adoption will save you a lot of money and hassle!
You Aren’t Supporting Inhumane Puppy Mills
Unfortunately, not every puppy comes from a loving breeder who has the dog’s best intentions (or even health) in mind. Too many people are breeding puppies mainly for the monetary return, with little concern for the living conditions of the animals or finding them loving homes.
So when you adopt, you’re denying profits from the pockets of greedy and inhumane puppy breeders who are pumping out living creatures like factory products.
You Will Be Giving a Dog a Second Chance
It’s easy for people to adopt puppies because they’re downright adorable. But sometimes, when that adorable bundle of soft fur turns into a big, hairy, drooling animal who isn’t so cute, and possibly difficult to manage, the poor dog gets abandoned, or turned into a shelter if he’s lucky.
Adopting a fully grown dog is giving that animal a second chance at life, with a new family rather than in a crate or cage at an animal shelter. Adopting will make you feel good about helping out a fellow living creature in need too! As a result, everyone wins!
