The Right to Choose...adoption

Looking to add a pet to your life? Consider adopting - whether you want a puppy or a more mature dog, a purebred or a one-of-a-kind mixed breed, even a rabbit or hamster… your local shelter will have the best selection of animals anywhere—all screened for good health and behavior. Pets in rescue are not broken, they don’t need fixing. They just need a home. Most shelters will even help you with the cost of spaying and neutering, and we all know that’s important. Fortunately there are some shelters with no-kill policies, but…what happens if people don’t adopt? National figures indicate that about half of the animals in shelters must be euthanized for lack of homes. If you’re worried about health and wellness…you can depend on responsible shelters to assess the animals' health and temperament in order to make the best adoption matches possible. Bottom line…most shelters hope to make the right match in the beginning…they would rather not see the same animal returned again. If a purebred is a must have for you…on average, purebreds account for about 25 to 30 percent of a shelter's dog population. Another great way to adopt a purebred is to go to a purebred rescue groups -- usually run by people with in-depth knowledge of a specific breed. Rescue groups keep adoptable animals until they can be placed in loving, permanent homes. These animals may come from failed breeding operations; arrive from boarding kennels and veterinarians, where they were abandoned; be rescued as strays living on the streets; or be obtained through the cooperation of local animal shelters. Whichever way you choose to…the key word is adopt. Check out our special PetNet hub on adoption to find out what bloggers all over the country have to say about adopting a pet…