Adopt – don’t shop!

Many people have issues about adopting a dog from a local shelter. There are, of course,  a lot of  myths and prejudices about shelter animals, which encourages a lot of people who are willing to let a furbaby into their lives to buy a pet in a pet store, from a local breeder or even on the internet. So read on if you want to know why adopting a lovely dog from a shelter is the right option, in most cases.

dav

Myth 1: all shelter dogs are old

You want to have a young pup in your life and figure you can’t find one in a shelter? Well, this is absolutely wrong! Many shelters have a lot of puppies looking for a forever home. And the average age of a dog entering a shelter is eighteen months. But senior dogs are awesome, too, so consider giving one a loving home.

Myth 2: all shelter dogs are aggressive – why would they be in a shelter otherwise?

dav

Of course, not all dogs in shelters are aggressive. Most dogs given away by their families are perfectly fine and well-behaved; they have to leave because their families are moving or because someone’s getting a divorce. In any case, shelters always label their dogs and check with your lifestyle before letting you adopt – so you’ll always know what you’re getting and whether a particular dog matches what you want.

Myth 3: all shelter dogs have health issues

sdr

Wrong! Most shelter dogs are more likely to be healthy than purchased dogs. After getting to the shelter, all canines undergo a medical check and get all the important shots to guarantee their health and the health of all dogs around them. Of course, a dog from a good breeder might be perfectly healthy, too, but selling puppies is an easy way to earn fast money. So there are a lot of black sheep among breeders; buying a cheap puppy from an unauthorized breeder or from a puppy mill might not only supply you a dog with major health issues, but will give breeders the opportunity to go on with their dirty work and torture more innocent dogs. So if you decide to buy a dog from breeders, make sure that they’re authorized and definitely visit their facilities before you decide to trust them.

Myth 4: adopting from shelters is a huge hassle

dav

No! It’s actually pretty easy! You can go to shelters during their visiting hours to figure out if a suitable pup is around (and I promise you – you’ll be willing to adopt them all). Then you’ll have to explain to the staff what you’re interested in, take the pup out for a few walks and if everything seems fine between you and the dog, you’ll just adopt them. Nothing more simple than that.

So just go for it!

Adopting a pup will bring so much joy into your life. Shelter dogs which have gone through unhappy times will appreciate your love and will always show their never-ending gratitude. I adopted the most precious and loving dog from a shelter and have never regretted the decision.

Where to go

Tierschutzverein Augsburg und Umgebung e. V.
Holzbachstr. 4c
86152 Augsburg
0821 / 455290 – 0
http://www.tierheim-augsburg.de/
Tierheim Lechleite
Neue Bergstraße 101
86316 Friedberg/Derching
0821 / 79 30 30
http://www.tierheim-lechleite.de/
Tierheim und Tierschutzbund Ulm/Neu-Ulm und Umgebung e.V.
Örlinger-Tal-Weg 40
89081 Ulm
0731 / 97 92 31-50
https://tierheim-ulm.de/

Text & Pictures: Lisa Schümann