It Is the Right Time to Adopt a Dog!

With the economy on the mend there are a lot of statistics being tossed around these days. Here is one for you: over two million dogs were euthanized in shelters across America last year. The fear is that the number will grow, a lot, this year. The reason? Well, the economy.

In the past, recessions have not had much of an impact on pet ownership or animal shelter populations. The rationale is that folks will continue to spend on their children and their pets through thick and thin. But this recession is different. This time millions are losing their homes because the major underlying cause of this downturn is tied to mortgages. As people lose their homes, they are turning to apartments or relatives. In many of these situations, they are not able to take their beloved pets with them, so they turn to shelters and rescues.

Most animal shelters are full most of the time, if not all of the time. Now they are overflowing. This is especially true for “No-Kill” shelters, because pet owners are desperate to have their pets rehomed and not put down. Rescues are getting multiple calls every day from people begging them to take their pets to rehome.

The good news for you is that now the majority of animals in the shelters are not the matted, dirty, flea and tick bitten, unsocialized strays – they are loved, well cared-for, clean, socialized pets ready for a new home. Of course, these are course generalizations, but in general, this is the trend we are seeing.

If you are thinking about bringing a four-footed member into your family, the time is right to adopt. Please visit your local shelter or rescue group today to see if they have your next cuddle-buddy waiting for you!