Yesterday Animal Planet played several shows from its Cats 101 and Dogs 101 series. Its companion website actually has quite a lot of resources about dog and cat breeds, including guides to help you better choose which breeds might fit into your household best and how to prepare for their arrival. For those of you who haven’t seen the show, various cat and dog breeds are rated according to broad characteristics (with the disclosure that individual animals may or may not necessarily conform to them exactly): playfulness, need for attention, affection toward owner, vocality, docility, intelligence, independence, healthiness and hardiness, need for grooming, compatibility with kids, and compatibility with other pets. Though the show is fun to watch, it’s not the main reason for this post. I want to talk a little bit about not only choosing which breed is right for you, but about where you go to get your new pet once you decide on a breed or mixture of breeds.
Here are a few statistics to get you thinking:
There are approximately 3,500-5,000 animal shelters and rescues in the United States.
There are currently 5-6 million cats and dogs entering shelters every year, and an estimated 3-4 million of them are euthanized every year.
25-30% of dogs entering shelters are purebred.
*Statistics taken from The Humane Society of the United States’ website.
Those numbers are always startling to me, no matter how many times I read or type them. It makes me wonder why people still buy from breeders, especially for family pets, when there are millions of adoptable animals euthanized every year. One of my family members recently purchased a puppy from a breeder, even after other family members urged her to consider adoption instead. She has adopted other dogs in the past, but she was determined to get a specific breed. Let’s look at some of the ways you can break this cycle and have the best of both worlds—adding a dog breed to your family that is right for you and finding that new addition at a shelter or rescue.
Since 1 in 4 animals admitted to shelters is purebred, your chances of finding your chosen breed aren’t as bleak as you might expect. You can call or visit shelters in your local area, state, or region to see if they currently have adoptable dogs of your preferred breed.
