Are you planning on adding a furry family member to the household? If so, you have options other than buying from a breeder or pet store. Adoption is one of the best things you can do, whether you’re bringing home a new dog, cat, or another animal that needs a home.
By adopting a pet, you’ll get all the advantages associated with pet ownership as well as having the satisfaction of knowing you’ve done something positive for animals. These are some of the best reasons to adopt your pet from a shelter or rescue centre.
Reasons to welcome an adopted pet into your home
1.Save a life
Adopting a pet makes you a wonderful person because you’ve saved a life. Each year, millions of animals are euthanised because they can’t be rehomed and shelters are overcrowded.
In a lot of cases, these animals have been rescued from cruelty, abuse, neglect, and abandonment. Making an adopted animal part of your family is an act of kindness that comes with numerous other benefits as well.
2.Make more friends
Adopting a pet, especially dogs, can help you make more friends. According to one study, people with pets are 40% more likely to connect with other humans in their neighbourhood than those without pets.
When you head out for walks or a trip to the park, you’ll be striking up conversations easily with the locals because your dog or other companion animal makes an excellent conversation starter.
Dogs help break the ice with their playful, friendly personalities, and you can find yourself quickly forming friendships with other pet parents and their furry family members.
3.Help eliminate puppy farms
Adopting an animal helps eradicate puppy farms and pet shops. Unless you’re buying directly from a hobbyist breeder or adopting, you’ll likely be supporting puppy mills. These are factory-like facilities focused on profit rather than animal welfare.
Animals from these organisations are usually poorly cared for, with behavioural problems the norm. Their mothers are kept in cages and bred continuously for years.
By adopting, you’ll also help free up resources in terms of animal shelters, giving them more capacity to rescue more animals who need help. If you pay an adoption fee, your funds will go towards helping the shelter continue its work. As such, you’ll be helping not only your new family member but also other animals who need a second chance.
4.Enjoy better health and longevity
Welcoming a pet into your home can mean better mental and physical health for you and the whole family. For example, pets can help people with PTSD, loneliness, worry, depression, and irritability.
In addition, owning a dog could lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and be associated with lower blood pressure as well as lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. What’s more, dog owners tend to live longer than non-dog owners.
Having a pet can force you to get more exercise and give you a sense of purpose for the day. Moreover, playing and stroking your pet could reduce stress and increase the levels of feel-good hormones like serotonin and dopamine in your body.
The unconditional love you receive from your adopted pets can be an important source of psychological and emotional support, especially if you live alone. According to research, people with pets tend to be happier.
Anecdotally speaking, animals may be much more intelligent than they’re given credit for, with long memories and an awareness of the people who’ve rescued them. Your adopted pet might be well aware you’re the one who’s given him or her a second chance, so your bond could be stronger and even more rewarding than expected.
5.Support children’s development
For kids and teens navigating the trials of adolescent development, having a pet can provide much-needed mental and emotional support. A dog or cat never judges you and provides unconditional love and companionship.
They can boost self-esteem by providing affection and reassurance. Equally important, spending time with a pet can make kids more empathetic and more emotionally well-rounded overall. Pets could also help kids with separation anxiety by providing stable, unconditional companionship.
An adopted pet can also support the children in your household. They can boost your kids’ confidence by making them more responsible. Children tasked with feeding, grooming, and cleaning up after a pet may have a chance to become more independent and confident.
Finally, bringing an adopted pet into the home could lower the risk of your kids developing allergies and strengthen their microbiomes.
6.Older animals make great pets
Introducing an older animal to your home could be an easier process than getting a new kitten or puppy. Given that a lot of the animals from shelters are already housetrained and used to spending time with families, you’ll likely have less damage when it comes to your rugs, carpeting, and furniture.
You’ll save time spent on training your adopted pet when it comes to toilet training and rules like not jumping on the couch and chewing on the furniture.
Older pets are usually calmer and able to sit quietly without needing constant attention and affection. With an older animal, you might also be able to work out their personality more easily with a visit to the shelter.
This is because their personalities are already developed, so you can have a good idea of whether they have the kind of temperament you’re looking for.
7.Save on costs
Adopting is far cheaper than buying from a pet store or breeder. Often, you’ll find, your adopted pet will already have the shots they need. They’re likely to have been dewormed and microchipped and might also already be spayed or neutered.
These cost savings can add up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars. You’ll also probably be able to bring your pet home more quickly than if you’re buying from a breeder as breeders can have long waiting lists.
If you’re welcoming an older vet, you’re also saving on puppy school or other training costs, as your new family member will likely be already trained and well-behaved.
Adopted pets make wonderful companions
Adopting your pet comes with a lot of advantages that you might not have thought about. The single best reason is the fact you’ll be saving a life. You’ll also be doing your part in eliminating puppy farms and unethical breeding.
Older animals can make excellent companions, and they’re often already housetrained, with their personalities or temperaments established. A rescue animal is likely to be cheaper to purchase.
They’re likely to be vaccinated and spayed or neutered, so you’ll save on costs. You’ll also get all the other advantages associated with pet ownership. These include having more opportunities to make friends, along with better physical and mental health and companionship and support for younger kids in the house.