| are lots of ways that people choose a new family | | | | acquired by other means such as kids giving away |
| dog. Some may search the newspaper for | | | | “free puppies” from a box in front of |
| advertisements from breeders who are selling new | | | | the local grocery store or PetsMart. |
| puppies; others find breeders via listings on the | | | | The dogs at a shelter are not just strays and often |
| internet, while still more may simply purchase a puppy | | | | are turned in to the shelter by former owners for |
| from a local pet store. Perhaps the best method, | | | | various reasons. When this happens, the shelter |
| however, in terms of being helpful to society in | | | | collects as much information about the dog as |
| general is to adopt a dog from a local animal shelter. | | | | possible, including whether its good with children, how |
| Adopting a dog brings a new friend into your life. It | | | | much it barks, how playful or obedient it is, whether |
| also helps to reduce the number of unwanted and | | | | its housebroken, and other important details. While |
| homeless dogs in your area. Unless the shelter is a | | | | it’s true that this information is only as good |
| “no kill” facility (and these are sadly | | | | as the honesty of the former owner, most of the |
| few and far between), it will also save a | | | | time it is fairly accurate. |
| dog’s life. Animal lovers everywhere champion | | | | Animal shelters provide a valuable service to the |
| the adoption of dogs from shelters as opposed to | | | | community that they serve by keeping the streets |
| any other method of bringing home a new pet for | | | | as free of stray animals as possible. Because many |
| this reason alone, but there are other reasons to | | | | of them do this with little or no public funding or |
| choose the adoption option. | | | | governmental support, they are very limited in the |
| Adopted pets have had their shots | | | | number of dogs they can have in the shelter at any |
| Shelters often have information about a | | | | given time. The only way that they can bring in more |
| dog’s temperament | | | | stray animals is if they remove the ones they |
| Adopting a pet frees space in the shelter for more | | | | currently have. This is done through adoption or |
| dogs | | | | euthanasia. Obviously they would prefer to have the |
| When you adopt a dog you can be sure that the | | | | dogs adopted rather than killed. Adopting a dog could |
| staff at the shelter has had the dog examined by a | | | | very well save its life and allows the shelter to bring |
| vet for diseases and parasites and that the dog has | | | | in another dog in its place. |
| had its shots. This is not always true of dogs | | | | |