Informative Guide for Adopting Shelter Dogs

ASPCA.org says that approximately 5 to 7 million animals enter the shelters nationwide every year. 3 to 4 million of those are euthanized.

Private citizens can help animals rehabilitate from being strays, and find new homes.

So far in my life I have adopted 5 strays from shelters, and found new homes for 11 more.

Body
No formal statistics for the animal protection movement.

Three major programs in U.S.
1)PETA
2)ASPCA
3)Humane Society

5,000 independent animal shelters.

Transition: Now that we have talked about the shelters, I’m going to tell you about the animals.

Breeds of dogs

A. AKC only non-profit registry of purebreed dog’s in the U.S.A.

B. Animalshelter.org lists the top 10 breeds of 2010 (slide)

C. Mix-breeds or mutts are a combiation of two or more of breeds of dog

Transition: Whether you care about pedigree or not, a shelter has what you are looking for.

Dogs from shelters are a sure thing.

A. Happyhealthydogs.com states that adopted pets from a shelter have been seen by a vet and usually given a clean bill of health.

B. Most shelter dogs have background paperwork, some include pedigree that the AKC declined registration on.

C. The National Council on Pet Population Study & Policy (NCPPSP) 25% of dogs that enter the shelter are purebred.

Transition: Now that you know that all types of dogs are available at shelters, I want to tell you about the other benefits of shelter dogs.

Cost/Benefit analysis.

A. If you purchase a pedigreed AKC Labrador Retriever from pet store or breeder, you can expect to pay upward of $300 for your puppy. Add the cost of neutering and vaccinations. You are well over $500 in initial costs. In fact, you may be closer to $1000. Yet Dogsonly.org lists most adoption fees between $75.00 and $150.00 including spay/neuter and rabies vaccination.

B. It has become common practice to test their temperament before placing the dog up for adoption.

C. 5/10 dogs and 7/10 cats in shelters are euthanized annually because no one adopts them.

D. Most shelters will allow you to bring a dog back if you don’t work well together, and you can try again.

Conclusion

Shelters have many breeds of dogs. Some breeds are even pedigree. Getting a dog from a shelter allows you to know what you are getting, and if it isn’t a good fit. You can bring him back and try again.

With all the dogs in the country in need of good homes, and with the cost of a new puppy. Choosing a shelter dog over one from a breeder may be the right choice for you.

Works Cited page

http://www.animalshelter.org/

http://www.dogsonly.org/adoption_fee.html

http://www.aspca.org/about-us/faq/pet-statistics.aspx

http://www.healthyhappydogs.com/Article.ShelterDog