A present that the majority of children will end up asking for a countless number of times is a pet. Whether it be a cat, dog, or even a guinea pig. However, the most common request is a puppy.
So, you drop the unbelievable amount of money on one from a litter. No shame, my family bought one too awhile ago. Although, I'd like to inform you of the most recent monthly statistic from my local animal shelter.
For the month of July, Montgomery County Animal Care and Control took in 443 animals. Of those 443, 208 were cats and 235 were dogs.321 out of 443 were strays.
Other absolutely awful statistics are that 9 were from cases of animal cruelty and 2 dogs were dead on arrival. 193, 133 cats and 60 dogs, were euthanized. That's 43 percent of those 443 animals that came into the shelter. 43 percent...that's almost half.
Since January 1st, my local animal shelter has taken in 3,041 animals. And that's just in my small town of Clarksville, just imagine what the statistics are worldwide.
Now I know we all want to shut off the TV right when we hear Sarah McLachlan's voice in the ASPCA commercial, trust me, I can't bear to look at their sad faces either because I want to adopt them all. I decided to visit my local animal shelter, which I encourage everyone to do and volunteer some time.
I noticed all of the dogs in their cages, barking frantically as I walked past with my brother. All of a sudden, I noticed him. The dog sitting regally in at the front edge of the kennel.
He was a stray, the shelter named him King because of his regal demeanor. They described him as skiddish and didn't get along with other dogs well. I knew I couldn't leave him there, so my family adopted him almost three years ago.
This is King now:
King is all around excited dog that loves the snow He is still shy around people until he gets to know them better, but aren't we all? King loves to play with other dogs and even knows the word "dog park!"
His favorite toys are the Zhu Zhu Pets electronic hamsters and isn't that interested in squeak toys! We still don't know what breed of dog he is, but I believe that it doesn't matter whether your dog is an AKC registered pure bred or not.
What matters is your love for your pet and the love it shows back. For a fraction of the cost you paid for a pet from a mass breeding facility like a puppy mill, you can save one of the many animals in shelters.
I once saw a quote on Pinterest that said, "Saving one dog will not change the world, but for that one dog, the world will be forever changed." I hope this quote resonates with you as much as it did for me and I greatly encourage you to start adopting your pets because shelter babies need some loving too!
