Adopt, Don't Shop!

Welcome back, readers! I hope you and your furbabies have had an awesome couple of weeks!

First, I’d like to start out by sharing some GREAT NEWS out of Arizona!! http://bit.ly/byebyeBSL

Next, Diesel wanted to make sure he got a mention in tonight’s post by promptly throwing up as soon as I sat down to write… in. my. bed. I guess pet parenting can’t be ALL fun and games! (He is fine now.) 

So, with the washing machine as my background music, I'd like to share some information on one of my favorite topics: animal rescue! 

If you're in the market for a new pet, Petfinder.com is my favorite site for rescue.  Petfinder lists pets from all different organizations, so you don't have to wonder if you're missing out on someone special. You can search by type, breed, age, gender, location, and more. You can specify whether you need a pet that gets along with dogs, cats, and kids. Another great feature is that you can search by pet name, which is helpful if 1) you have lost a pet or 2) you saw a pet you liked but can't remember where! <--- Yup, I've done it!

If you're considering buying a pet, consider this: I did a search of adoptable dogs within 100 miles of my zip code (with no other search filters) and there were 3,251 results. 

Let's take a minute to let that sink in. 

Over three thousand dogs in just this one small area... I try to multiply that by the area of the U.S., and I get so overwhelmed I cry. Cats are even higher - over 3,600. I did another search for all of their animal listings (yes, you can rescue a horse or a snake!) and there were over SEVEN THOUSAND. 

Seven thousand living, breathing, creatures who need a home.

I understand why people use breeders; I really do. They want to know where their pets came from, want the bloodline, want to be more confident that their pet won't have health issues (which is a ridiculous claim, by the way... and are you really going to RETURN your puppy!?? But I digress.). 

But seven thousand is such a HUGE number... and have you SEEN their faces?

Photo Credit

I know, I know, you didn't come here for me to make you cry. Many people simply don't realize the sheer number of pets that are in shelters. Even if you aren't in a position to adopt a pet, you can still foster, volunteer or donate! And you don't even have to part with your hard-earned cash - shelters are in constant need of things you might throw away without a second thought: newspapers, blankets, towels, and old t-shirts! Speaking of t-shirts, you can also shop at websites that donate to shelters and rescues, like The Animal Rescue Site.

If you're interested in learning more, here's a link to some staggering statistics provided by the ASPCA.

If you would like some help finding a rescue or shelter near you or have any adoption/rescue or fostering questions, please feel free to contact me on Facebook or Twitter! I follow a ton of rescues and would be happy to help. 

Thanks for reading!