Choosing to adopt a pet from an animal rescue center is an important decision. Choosing to rescue an animal can come with challenges, but as long as you are prepared to navigate those, it is also incredibly rewarding. The benefits of choosing to adopt a pet far outweigh any potential concerns you may have about behavior and training. Above all else, when you choose to adopt a pet rather than shopping for one from a breeder, you give the animal the most incredible gift - a second chance at life!

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of rescuing animals and offering them the second chance they deserve.

1 - Rescuing Animals Saves Lives

Perhaps the most amazing benefit of rescuing an animal is that you are saving lives! When you adopt a pet from an animal rescue center, you are not only saving that specific animal’s life; you could also be helping to save many more animals in the process. When you adopt a pet, it frees up a space for another animal in need to be housed temporarily until a forever home is found. In addition, if you pay an adoption or rehoming fee to the animal rescue center, that money goes directly back into saving more animals in need of rescue.

When you bring your pet home from the animal rescue center, you give them a second chance to have the life they deserve. Second chances can be hard to come by in this world, but by opening your home and your heart to a rescue animal, you offer them the chance to live a life that isn’t confined to an animal rescue center. With patience, love, and compassion, you can help your new pet find their voice and true personality in a safe and loving environment.

2 - Break The Cycle of Overpopulation

One of the sad truths of animal rescue is that there are not enough homes for the number of pets that are born every single year. When you adopt a pet, you are doing your part to break the cycle of overpopulation. Breeders are raising multiple litters a year to sell to families who want a pet, but there are already thousands of animals in need of a home. Every year between 8 and 12 million cats and dogs, many of them puppies and kittens, are unnecessarily euthanized worldwide simply because there are no homes for them. If more people choose to adopt a pet from an animal rescue center, there will be less demand for breeders to produce more pets, and we should see a drastic reduction in overpopulation.

3 - Put an End to Cruel Breeding Mills

While some reputable breeders care about their animals, unfortunately, they are outnumbered by the thousands of commercial breeding facilities and backyard breeders producing a constant stream of puppies and kittens to supply pet stores and to sell on social media and other online platforms. The practices in these puppy and kitten mills are cruel and dangerous. Females are repeatedly impregnated while being kept in cages their entire life, only to be disposed of when they can no longer produce litters. Often they are kept in cramped, filthy conditions and receive little to no veterinary care. When you adopt a pet from an animal rescue center, you know you are not supporting this practice. If more people refused to buy from breeding mills, there would be no demand for them, and they would shut down.

4 - Skip The Puppy or Kitten Phase

Puppies and kittens are adorable, but let’s be honest - they are a lot of work! Aside from the potty training, you must also work on socialization and eliminating behaviors such as biting, scratching, and chewing! It’s almost like having a human baby! When you adopt a pet, you can choose an adult animal. While you may still have to work on training away some undesirable behaviors depending on their previous life, for the most part, adults are at least housebroken and have already developed a personality of their own, so you can see exactly what you are going to get! It’s a great option if you want to skip the puppy or kitten phase. Also, older pets are often seen as less desirable and passed over in favor of cute babies, so choosing one will give them the loving home they deserve.

5 - Leading By Example

When you adopt a pet from your local animal rescue center, you set an example for your friends and relatives. When they ask where you got your new pal, you can tell them all about the animal rescue center and the great work that they are doing to help animals in need. When people see how great your rescue animal is, they may be encouraged to adopt a pet of their own instead of shopping with a breeder.

These are just a handful of the benefits that are associated with rescuing an animal instead of shopping for a new pet. Think about how great it would be if you offered an animal in need a second chance.

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Adopt a New Friend Today!

American Pet Rescues is working towards the goal of educating adults and children about the value of animal rescue. Through the sale of our quality plush stuffed animals, each based on a real animal rescue story, we hope to promote awareness of pet adoption while also funding the opening of an animal adoption center in the Knoxville area where we can continue educating others and also provide access to affordable veterinary care.

Visit www.americanpetrescues.org or call 865-800-3697 for more information.