In recent years, adopting pets from rescue homes and animal shelters has greatly increased in popularity. Awareness about the cruelty and negligence towards pets in puppy mills and the elitism and expense of buying animals from breeders has caused adoption to be viewed as a preferable alternative. However, among many prospective pet parents, there remain concerns about what adopting a “rescue pet” might entail. Here are the top 5 myths about adopted pets that need to be debunked so that more homeless cats and dogs might find their forever homes.
Myths About Pet Adoption
- Adoptive pets are for sale because no one wanted them. This is true in some cases, but the most common reasons that dogs and cats are given up for adoption are these: the original owner had no time to train the pet, they had allergies, personal (health or financial) problems, the owner is moving to a residence that doesn’t allow pets, etc. There are many logistical elements that factor into a pet owner having to relinquish his or her animal; it is not always because of personality differences. I
- Adoptive pets all have behavioral issues. Since rescue or shelter pets are often taken off the streets or rescued from unsafe environments, it is generally assumed that they will have behavioral issues. Though there certainly are abuse victims that cower at loud noises, or bark incessantly, run away or urinate if they are approached too suddenly, not every animal has these kinds of social anxieties. Shelter pets usually want nothing more than affection, devotion and a safe home with an owner they can trust. Fortunately, even for past abuse victim pets, there are ways to establish a good connection between new owners and adopted pets.
- Adoptive pets are unhealthy. Problems like fleas and kennel cough give shelter homes a bad reputation for giving their inmates poor health care, however this is not always the case. Because there are so many animals living in one place, rescue homes have incentives to ensure that their pets stay healthy. Shelter pets receive core (and often non-core) vaccinations they spay and neuter their pets, and provide them regular checkups and flea/tick treatments. Some rescue homes go above and beyond, providing better healthcare than even breeders offer their pups before turning over a sale. A rescue pet is often the healthiest kind of pet you can purchase.
- Shelter pets are wild cards: you don’t know what you are getting. While it may be true that an animal’s history could be unknown, most staff members at shelter homes are required to engage with, observe and note a dog or cat’s behavior. This will help inform interested visitors about the behaviors and tendencies a certain creature has. Just because a pet is in a rescue home does not mean he is just “one of the crowd” and that he is not closely and carefully observed.
- It is impossible to find what you are looking for at a shelter. Many people have specific ideas about what kind of dog or cat they would like. Some people really want a certain breed, but worry that they will never find a purebred in a shelter. This is false; shelters receive animals from numerous sources, meaning a home who has just lost a family member or key care giver might have to give up a perfectly healthy purebred Labrador pup simply because they cannot provide care for it. If you reach out to rescue several rescue homes and let them know what you are looking for, you can receive updates about the animals that arrive and potentially find your dream animal for a reduced price.
