Writer Feature: Why I Support Adoption vs. Shopping
Editor’s Note: Please welcome our newest intern, Andrew Howland! Andrew lives in Vermont and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in communications with a concentration in professional writing. He is currently between pets, and can’t wait to rescue another new best friend.
When we think of bringing an animal into our lives, we usually focus on the joy and satisfaction it will give us. I myself hope to someday be able to have a pet of my own, as growing up with a pet was one of the primary highlights of my childhood. It helped me deal with social anxiety and childhood fears, as safety was never more than a whistle away thanks to my loving and steady companion: Ruby, a mixed breed German Shepherd. Very rarely, however, do we consider the benefits to the animals, or think about the wider world of animal adoption. There are millions of animals out there, stuck waiting for someone to come along and let them into their lives, who are perfectly healthy and loving creatures (as most animals tend to be). Sadly, many people when deciding to own a pet forgo the idea of adoption due to a lingering feeling of them being “unwanted” or “secondhand” animals.
Nothing, of course, could be farther from the truth; adopting a pet comes with a host of benefits, both for the animal and the owner. One of the greatest benefits of adoption is that animals adopted from shelters are usually given thorough medical examinations as part of their care, which can help correct minor health issues or at least make you aware of what conditions the animal may have. Compare this to a newly purchased animal, whose background may not be fully known, or whose conditions may not appear until later in their life. The state of the animal sales industry is such that perfectly healthy adoptable animals have to be euthanized every day, whereas animals from breeding mills with questionable ethics and healthcare are sold in their place.
In fact, the United States Humane Society estimates that 2.7 million adoptable animals a year are forced to be euthanized. This is a staggering number, when you consider that these are warm and friendly animal companions, with no health risks, that are begging to be taken into a home. Many pets end up in shelters for reasons such as moves, divorces, or people rushing into pet ownership before they are ready. This means that for those who are looking for a pet, adoption can be a great way to connect with an animal that needs very little care other than a new owner.
When I was growing up, my dog, Ruby was just like any animal. She played, stole food when no one was watching, and would chase anything she thought likely to give a good run (though she never caught anything, bless her heart). It was only years later I discovered that my parents had gotten Ruby out of a local adoption drive instead of buying her in a store. I asked them why they never pointed it out to me, and they shrugged and said, to them at least, it wasn’t a big deal. “It’s a pet like any other,” I recall my mother saying “It was cheaper than buying a new one and you loved it all the same.” Those words stuck with me, and formed the core for my interest in the world of animal rescue and adoption. I always found it interesting that my parents chose to adopt primarily to save money, as many people I speak too think adopting is more expensive than buying a new pet.
It turns out that a surprise benefit to most people of adoption is that of saving money. Many people balk at adoption fees, but often many of the costs of owning a new can pet can be subsidized into this fee. The cost for things like spaying or neutering a new pet, or needed vaccinations, can usually be included into the adoption price. A “new” pet owner will have to pay for these in addition to the cost of purchasing the pet itself! Adoption makes sense not only for ethical reasons, but economic as well.
I could list reason after reason, fact after fact as to why adoption is the better, smarter, and more ethical path. In the end, though, it comes down to the fact that these are animals that need our help. They face the threat of death or imprisonment, when instead they could be providing comfort and companionship to humans. Adopting is not only a wiser choice than buying an unknown animal from a breeder out for personal profit: it is the noble action of saving a life in peril as well. Instead of thinking merely of the benefits of bringing an animal into our lives, perhaps we should be thinking of what we can do for those loving creatures who give us so much. So, please: when it comes to thinking of your next pet, take the ethical path and consider adopting! It has meant the world for the animals in my life, and it could mean everything for the one you allow in yours.