Dogs in Shelters -The Truth

We have heard every excuse in the book as to why people choose to buy a pet instead of rescuing one. We do not judge people, but we do know better as we work directly with these rescued pets. All the pets pictured in this article have been photographed by PIFFP and were at one point at Summit County Animal Control.

Misconception #1: Pets are in shelters because they behaved badly in their previous home.

This is the one we hear the most. However, most dogs end up in shelters to no fault of their own. The most common reasons: moving and can’t bring their pet, major life change such as getting married or having a baby, and allergies.Should these pets be considered “bad” because their past family could not be their forever home? Absolutely not. This is not to say that there are not dogs who need to learn proper manners in shelters. Many dogs have never been taught what is right or wrong and were punished by being abandoned by the “family” who failed to teach them in the first place. But wait, if you buy a puppy you’re going to have to teach them these same manners (i.e.sit, come, stay, potty training) so why not give a shelter dog a chance?

Misconception #2: All shelter pets have “baggage” due to their pasts.

Dogs live day by day. That’s the beauty of them! They do not worry about what happened yesterday or what will happen tomorrow. Every dog in a shelter can be led by a human to become confident and amazing. And let us tell you, there is nothing that can make you feel as good as helping a dog or cat come out of their shell and trust again.

Misconception #3: There are no purebred or designer breeds in shelters. 

You may have to wait a little longer, but 25% of dogs in shelters are purebred. There are also many breed specific rescues all across the country. If you are determined to find a purebred dog, that’s okay (though we prefer mutts!), do some research on how you can still rescue! Check out how many purebred dogs we’ve seen just in the past year while working with Summit County Animal Control:

Misconception #4: There is no way of knowing their background.

With most pets, it is true that there is no way of knowing their full background. Every adopter should take their new pet to their vet within two weeks of them coming home to ensure that there is no preexisting illness or medical concern. Other than that, why do we really care? If you have truly fallen in love with a dog or cat… nothing can stop you from loving and caring for them.

Misconception #5: Shelter pets are sick and carrying diseases.

Disease does spread rapidly in shelter-type environments because of the number of animals they house and pets coming in at a rapid rate. However, responsible shelters take all precautions to prevent this from happening. You should be able to tell just by walking in if the shelter is clean or not just through sight and smell. Ask about their quarintining processes, and how they deal with sick pets to prevent the spread of illnesses.

Misconception #6: There are no young pets available.

We believe in spaying and neutering as this is the only way to stop pets from being euthanized in the long scheme of our mission. But there are plenty of young puppies available for adoption. Just like purebreds, you have to keep a closer eye out for puppies as the get adopted very quickly.