Many people have issues about adopting a dog from a local shelter. There are, of course, a lot of myths and prejudices about shelter animals, which encourages a lot of people who are willing to let a furbaby into their lives to buy a pet in a pet store, from a local breeder or even on the internet. So read on if you want to know why adopting a lovely dog from a shelter is the right option, in most cases.
Myth 1: all shelter dogs are old
You want to have a young pup in your life and figure you can’t find one in a shelter? Well, this is absolutely wrong! Many shelters have a lot of puppies looking for a forever home. And the average age of a dog entering a shelter is eighteen months. But senior dogs are awesome, too, so consider giving one a loving home.
Myth 2: all shelter dogs are aggressive – why would they be in a shelter otherwise?
Of course, not all dogs in shelters are aggressive. Most dogs given away by their families are perfectly fine and well-behaved; they have to leave because their families are moving or because someone’s getting a divorce. In any case, shelters always label their dogs and check with your lifestyle before letting you adopt – so you’ll always know what you’re getting and whether a particular dog matches what you want.
Myth 3: all shelter dogs have health issues
Wrong! Most shelter dogs are more likely to be healthy than purchased dogs. After getting to the shelter, all canines undergo a medical check and get all the important shots to guarantee their health and the health of all dogs around them. Of course, a dog from a good breeder might be perfectly healthy, too, but selling puppies is an easy way to earn fast money. So there are a lot of black sheep among breeders; buying a cheap puppy from an unauthorized breeder or from a puppy mill might not only supply you a dog with major health issues, but will give breeders the opportunity to go on with their dirty work and torture more innocent dogs. So if you decide to buy a dog from breeders, make sure that they’re authorized and definitely visit their facilities before you decide to trust them.
Myth 4: adopting from shelters is a huge hassle
No! It’s actually pretty easy! You can go to shelters during their visiting hours to figure out if a suitable pup is around (and I promise you – you’ll be willing to adopt them all). Then you’ll have to explain to the staff what you’re interested in, take the pup out for a few walks and if everything seems fine between you and the dog, you’ll just adopt them. Nothing more simple than that.
So just go for it!
Adopting a pup will bring so much joy into your life. Shelter dogs which have gone through unhappy times will appreciate your love and will always show their never-ending gratitude. I adopted the most precious and loving dog from a shelter and have never regretted the decision.
Where to go
| Tierschutzverein Augsburg und Umgebung e. V. Holzbachstr. 4c 86152 Augsburg 0821 / 455290 – 0 http://www.tierheim-augsburg.de/ |
Tierheim Lechleite Neue Bergstraße 101 86316 Friedberg/Derching 0821 / 79 30 30 http://www.tierheim-lechleite.de/ |
Tierheim und Tierschutzbund Ulm/Neu-Ulm und Umgebung e.V. Örlinger-Tal-Weg 40 89081 Ulm 0731 / 97 92 31-50 https://tierheim-ulm.de/ |
Text & Pictures: Lisa Schümann