Those of us who have pets know that there’s something special about choosing a brand-new baby animal from the breeder. But before you rush to get the pick of the litter, one of the most important things to consider when getting a new pet is the adoption option!
There are many benefits to adopting your new BFF from your local shelter rather than buying from a breeder. According to a 2019 study the Humane Society Shelters across Canada took in over 78,000 cats, 28,000 dogs, and over 11,000 other animals. This stat has dropped in recent years, luckily. The pandemic has caused the number of animals adopted from shelters to rise dramatically and influenced many homeowners to adopt pets while they were able to stay at home to train and take care of them.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t change the fact that approximately 2% of animals in Canadian animal shelters are euthanized while perfectly healthy. In the United States, this number sits at over a million furry friends. By adopting pets from shelters, you prevent hundreds of animals a year from unnecessarily being put down, or staying locked in cages within the shelter. Although Humane Societies take great care of their animals, having a forever home and family is always their ultimate goal.
Across Ontario there are over 40 Humane Society Shelters where you have the opportunity to adopt a pet in need. Now, due to Covid-19, the Humane Society of Ottawa offers a concierge program. This is a pet matching program which allows you to enter your information, including the type of pet you are looking for, and the Humane Society will match you with the pet in the shelter which fits your wants and needs! Following the match, the program also offers a meet and greet to see if you and the pet fit well together and can offer them a forever home.
The next time you’re considering adopting a new animal, head to your local Humane Society’s website to search through hundreds of pets who are looking for a home. It’s extremely important to help these animals who are in need and provide them with the great life they all deserve.
Find out more at https://www.torontohumanesociety.com or https://ottawahumane.ca.