Writer Feature: Why I Support Animal Adoption

Editor’s Note: Please welcome our newest intern, Abigail Green! Abbey lives in Crossville, TN and attends Tennessee Technological University where she is majoring in English. She lives with her family and her cat, Mr. Kitty.

If someone asked me what my favorite animal was, without hesitation I would answer “a cat”. Over my lifetime I have been blessed to be family with eight furry animals, four of which were cats. Most of the animals adopted us (or at least that’s how I like to put it) since they came to our home and never left. However, there is one my family and I adopted from an animal shelter

My family lives only 5 minutes away from a theater where plays are held. The production Cats was being played at the time and they had collaborated with the local animal shelter. Kittens and cats from the shelter were brought out on the lawn of the theater as a special adoption event. At the time I was only 9 years old and my love of cats was as strong then as it is now. I begged my parents to go there to let me see all the cats. My mom finally gave in, taking my brothers and me over. My dad warned me not to come home with a cat and I promised him I wouldn’t. This ended up being a promise I happily broke.

When I first saw Jazzy I knew I had to take her home. I can’t tell you exactly why I chose her, she was just as cute as all of the other cats and kittens, but inside I knew that I needed to take her home and care for her. I begged my mom for her and eventually she gave in. We broke the news to dad, who wasn’t happy at first, but after holding the small tortoiseshell kitten in his hand he also gave in.

According to the Humane Society, 2.7 million animals are euthanized every year because too many come into the shelters and too few people consider adopting. Many people who buy dogs at pet stores don’t realize the dogs most likely come from puppy mills, which are breeding facilities where the animals live in poor conditions, don’t get the proper medical care, and profit is more important than the animals.

By adopting at an animal shelter, animals’ lives are being saved. They can spend their lives with a family who loves and takes care of them. They can become emotional support to their owners when no one else is there, caring for their owner as much as their owner cares for them. When they are adopted, it also allows space for more animals to come into the shelters, giving them an opportunity to be adopted. It is also cheaper to adopt than buy from a pet store. Usually when you adopt from a shelter, the cost of spay/neuter and first vaccinations are included in the adoption price.

Jazzy lived out the rest of her life with my family, until she passed away this year at the age of 14. She was a sassy, talkative cat who loved getting treats every morning, lounging on the bench in the kitchen looking out the window, meeting everyone on the porch when we arrived home, and cuddling in the evenings. If we hadn’t adopted her, I hope that she would have gone to live with a nice family. However, many animals won’t have that opportunity. So adopt, don’t shop. You might just find your new best friend.