Entry #2

 

Why I Adopted My Dog from A Shelter

Hello everyone, it’s Marlena here with another blog for you.  I would like to introduce you to my dog Bella.  She is an intelligent, spunky, beautiful 7-year-old Australian Shepard mix who is fiercely loyal to her family. 

 I got her about 5 years ago from an organization called Halo Animal rescue.  I volunteered for this organization many years ago where I helped take care of cats.  I would get them fresh water, play with them, and talk to people who came in looking for a new pet.  This is something that left an impression on me and while I was not ready for a new animal of my own yet, I knew when that time came, I would be adopting from them.  Some of the benefits of adopting from a shelter include the medical attention the animals receive like shots and being fixed, staff who evaluate the animal and make you aware of any behavioral issues that they noticed and the ability to bring your family (furry or human) in to meet each other to ensure it will be a good fit.  When I first came in to meet Bella I brought my son and partner, we were led in to the greeting kennel area where Bella was brought in.  She excitedly came right over to us, sat on my feet, and licked my son’s arm.  In that moment we knew that she belonged with us, and we took her home.  I will never forget that look of love and excitement that filled her eyes.  We already had a cat at home that was given to us by a family member and were a little worried about them getting along.  That worry quickly faded when they met each other and became instant friends.

Did you know that the ASPCA has reported every year approximately 920,000 animals are euthanized in shelters around the country, but it’s not all bad.  They also help adopt dogs and cat out to new homes and reunite lost pets back to their owners.  Thankfully the number of animals that end up in a shelter annually has gone down and roughly 4.1 million animals are adopted annually.  If you are looking for a new furry family member I recommend looking to adopt, not shop.  I am glad I did!

Statistics sourced from the ASPCA website https://www.aspca.org/helping-people-pets/shelter-intake-and-surrender/pet-statistics