If you’ve decided it’s time to expand your family by adding a cat, dog or other pet, congratulations! Pets can enrich your life, improve your health and be a constant source of entertainment, love and companionship. While many prospective pet owners still turn to retail stores and breeders when looking for their new fur-baby, lately there has been a surge in pet adoptions through shelters and animal rescue groups.
If you’ve always assumed only “problem” animals get put up for adoption, think again. As mobile groomers, we work with loads of pets – coming from the finest breeders to the humblest rescues – and we can testify that some really special dogs and cats find themselves up for adoption through no fault of their own. So we’d like to say a few words in support of adopting a “used” pet. If you need more, here are four reasons to adopt, rather than shop, for your next cat or dog:
Rescue Pets Are Healthy Pets
Dogs and cats that are made available for adoption through shelters and animal welfare organizations have been thoroughly checked by a licensed veterinarian; usually these pets have been fully vaccinated, de-wormed and spayed or neutered.
Rescue Pets Are Affordable
The fees to adopt rescue animals are much more affordable than the price of purchasing a pet from a breeder, and many organizations provide assistance with start-up costs like kennels, food and litter boxes.
Rescue Pets Are Pre-Screened
Most shelters and pet adoption agencies take the time to get to know each cat or dog before it is made available for adoption. These pets often spend time in foster homes before being placed in “forever homes”; this helps the rescue agency learn about the pet’s personality and identify which animals are best suited to particular environments, such as homes with other animals or children.
Rescue Pets Are Grateful
Ask any owner of a rescued dog or cat and they’ll tell you just how grateful their pet is to have found a forever home. While there aren’t any scientific studies on the topic, and we’ve yet to find a talking dog or cat to support our claims, we know from experience that these lucky pets show their love and appreciation to their new families (and their groomers!) whenever they can.
To learn more about adopting a dog, cat, or other pet in the San Diego area, contact one of our local animal shelters or rescue organizations today. There are several shelters and numerous rescues located throughout the San Diego area, and sometimes it’s a challenge to find them. To help, here are a couple of handy links, courtesy of Adopt A Pet. Click on the links and then scroll down (!!) to find a map showing shelter & rescue locations. Then scroll down further (!!) to find links to websites of the various organizations that have adoptable pets available in the San Diego area.
Searching out the perfect new furry family member can be a longer process than you might think – after all, you’re searching for somebody to fall in love with. But you’ll find the perfect someone, we’re sure. And if it turns out that your new adoptee is highly excitable, less-than-perfectly socialized, timid, or wary of grooming, keep in mind that mobile grooming provides a calmer and lower stress grooming experience than a visit to a traditional groom shop. Plus we love rescues, and can’t wait to meet your new fur baby!