Save a life near you!
By Olivia Voth
Why is it so important to adopt a pet from a shelter rather than buying one from a breeder? There are a multitude of reasons as to why loving a shelter pet is better by far. For instance, by adopting a pet from an animal shelter, you are giving a second chance at companionship to the animal. Furthermore, the cost of pet adoption is typically lower than that of buying a pet from a breeder. Overpopulation is also a grave issue which leaves many pets on the streets without the proper care they need, so buying from breeders who consistently breed more and more animals does more harm than good for the pet population.
Luckily, Owasso has a local animal shelter that can help deter this issue. This shelter is run by the Owasso Animal Control officers, who take in dogs and cats that have been put out of their homes for a multitude of reasons. Owasso also has a local Feline Rescue group. Both organizations typically use Petfinder to help their beloved creatures to find a forever home.
Photo of former shelter pet, current professional best friend for 11 years, Hazelnut “Nugget” Voth, taken by Olivia Voth
In addition to getting a loving companion, adopting a shelter pet has numerous benefits that will be better off for the owner in the long run. Since many shelter pets have not been purebred, they will have a more diverse gene pool, meaning they will be less susceptible to certain diseases than a purebred animal from a breeder.
On top of that, caretakers in animal shelters often provide shelter pets with house training, obedience lessons and medical care such as spaying or neutering, which can mean fewer expenses down the road when the animal finds itself a forever home.
It’s important to note that adopting dogs from shelters also fights puppy mills. Puppy mills are farms or facilities where breeders breed typically large amounts of puppies in poor conditions with little to no obedience/house training, medical care, human affection or contact. This can lead many animals from this type of environment to be afraid of people and can lead to later medical and behavioral issues down the line. Many at-home breeders face similar problems. Inattentiveness to these young animals can cause them to get fleas and other ailments that can be difficult to treat, which affect many local kittens as well as puppies who are not taken proper care of.
So the next time you see a “Puppies 4 Sale” sign on the back of a truck in a Walmart parking lot, think twice about where you get your pets from, and remember all the wonderful shelter pets waiting to find a home.