The Advantages of Pet Adoption

Adopting a pet is an easy and inexpensive alternative to buying or breeding an animal. Better yet, adoption saves lives. Many of the thousands of pets currently waiting for adoption in shelters and rescues are at risk of euthanasia if they do not find homes. In addition, adoption is an attractive option for pet owners who want a pet with a particular personality trait. Instead of buying a puppy or kitten that could grow up to be unsuitable for the buyer's household, adopters can choose an adult dog or cat with an established personality and a history of living peacefully with a foster family.

  1. Adult Pets

    • Adopting an adult pet is an excellent choice for families new to pet ownership or families with small children and/or other pets. This option allows new pet owners to bypass problems like house training, chewing and hyperactivity. Many adult pets available for adoption already have some obedience training. Some may even be living with foster families who will have observed how the pet interacts with other pets, kids and strangers. This information is invaluable when trying to determine a good pet match for the owners and any children or other pets they may have.

    Reduced Cost

    • To adopt a pet from a shelter or rescue, an applicant must pay a one-time adoption fee, which typically includes spaying or neutering as well as routine vaccinations. Adoption fees are usually less than a pet owner could expect to pay for these medical services at a veterinarian's office. Pet owners who choose to buy a pet from a pet store or breeder will pay full price for those veterinary services in addition to paying for the animal itself, which may cost several hundred dollars, particularly if it's a purebred or a "designer dog."

    Lifelong Support

    • Many rescues and shelters offer behavior counseling and other services to adopters throughout the lifetime of an adopted pet. For example, the Denver Dumb Friends League offers adopters one free private consultation with an animal behavior expert in order to deal with specific problem behaviors like digging or scratching. Other animal shelters organize social events for adopters and their pets. Some shelters even operate a low-cost veterinary clinic that provides discounted health care to adopted pets.

    Saving a Life

    • Adoption saves lives. For every pet adopted from a rescue or shelter, a space opens up so that another animal can be saved. According to the American Humane Association, approximately 3.7 million pets were euthanized in animal shelters in the United States during the year 2008. Every adoption saves a life, even when adopting from a no-kill or limited-kill shelter.

    Reducing Pet Overpopulation

    • Choosing adoption instead of breeding or buying a pet helps to reduce pet overpopulation. According to the Hamilton-Burlington Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, one unspayed female cat and her unspayed female offspring can be responsible for over 3,200 kittens over a 12-year period. Animals adopted from shelters are spayed or neutered before they go home. More importantly, each time a pet owner chooses adoption instead of buying an animal, a backyard breeder or puppy mill loses a sale.