Thinking of adding a pet to your family? Shelters and rescue groups have a wide selection of animals looking for new homes, from cats and dogs to birds, rabbits and small animals. Here are great reasons to adopt your new best friend:
Adoption helps stop pet overpopulation – There are too many animals and not enough homes. Shelters have been facing a pet overpopulation problem for the last few decades. Some animals are found wandering as strays, and some are surrendered by their owners who cannot, or no longer want to, care for them. In order to help reduce pet overpopulation and being part of the solution, it’s important to have your pet sterilized, which is the only permanent, 100-percent effective method of birth control. In most shelters, spaying or neutering is mandatory for all adopted cats, dogs and rabbits. This ensures the animals placed in the community don’t contribute to pet overpopulation.
Adoption often costs less – Pets adopted from shelters and rescue groups usually cost less than pets purchased or even obtained for free. Once you include the cost of vaccinations, spay/neuter surgery, microchip, deworming treatment and health guarantee, you’ll be surprised what a good deal an adopted pet really is! Also, did you know that more than 25% of cats and dogs who enter into shelters are pure breeds? If you’re truly set on a specific purebred cat or dog, there are breed-specific rescues that work to match up the right owner with the perfect purebred pet.
Adoption saves lives – Shelters are overcrowded. Adoption will not only save the life of the pet you are adopting but will also make room and free up precious resources for another animal that the shelter will take in. Adopting an animal from a shelter is the best way to help the shelter continue its work. Shelters are meant to only house animals temporarily, and in order to be able to help more animals in need, shelters must find loving adoptive homes for the animals they take in.
Adoption gives a second chance – Shelters are full of healthy, sweet and smart animals who were surrendered not because of their behaviour but generally due to the issues of their guardians. The most common reasons animals are surrendered is because of a change in circumstances of their family: a divorce, a move, a new baby or because their family was not ready for all the responsibilities of having a pet and “no longer has time for them”. Shelters and rescue groups offer adoptable dogs, cats and many other animals of all ages, breeds, mixes and sizes.
Help stop the number of abandoned animals. Adopting from a shelter is an act of rescue and love. It is a good deed for you, for the shelter, but especially for the animal who needs you. Added to the pleasure of having a new companion, you’ll be happy to be the one who was able to offer him/her a second chance. Below are some local shelters in our area:
Wallaceburg Animal Shelter
105 Arnold Street
Wallaceburg, Ontario N8A 3P3
Phone (519) 627-6722
Pet And Wildlife Rescue
PO Box 858 Dresden, ON
Phone (519) 683-6778
Email: pawrrescue@gmail.com
Ontario SPCA – Kent County Branch
405 Park Avenue East
Chatham, ON N7M 3W4
Phone: (519) 354-1713
Fax: (519) 354-1716
Email: kent@ospca.on.ca
CK Animal Rescue
266 Inshes Ave
Chatham, ON N7M 2Z7
www.ckanimalrescue.com
