Lynchburg News Advance: Animal Shelters Offer Good Opportunity for Pet Ownership
Filed under: Uncategorized - October 7, 2008
By Niro Rasanayagam
One crisp October morning five years ago, we adopted our dog Elliott. For months we had mulled over getting a dog and whether we were ready for one. We analyzed our lifestyles, our budget, our living situation and the timing for whether this was the right time to get a dog.
Knowing millions of dogs are euthanized in animal shelters across the country, we were certain our next pet would come from a local humane society or breed rescue. We weren’t able to rationalize buying our pet from a pet store or breeder for hundreds of dollars while local shelters had thousands of dogs to select from, at a fraction of the price. While this was an easy decision, other decisions were more complicated.
For example, would we get a purebred or a mixed breed dog? My husband and I had grown up with purebred dogs, and we each had our favorites. In the end, however, we decided we simply wanted a companion animal. It really didn’t matter whether we had a purebred or a mixed breed dog since we were not planning to “show” our pet at competitions or breed him/her in any way. We were also encouraged to learn mixed breeds are generally much healthier than purebreds because they have far fewer breed-specific genetic problems. There was even a good possibility of finding a purebred in a shelter. Purebreds account for about 25 to 30 percent of all dogs in animal shelters. We decided to keep an open mind and look for both purebreds and mixed breed dogs.
More important to us was the dog’s characteristics: his size, age, exercise needs, temperament and compatibility with children. We spent a lot of time speaking with adoption counselors at the humane society, got advice from an experienced dog trainer, and spoke with friends and neighbors with dogs we admired.
Given our preferences and lifestyle, we then narrowed our breed/mix choices and started looking for the next member of our family. We made several heartbreaking trips to area shelters—heartbreaking because we were only able to adopt one dog, and so many dogs needed a home and came so close to being that “perfect fit.”
It was easy to be impulsive. The adoption counselors, however, encouraged us not to compromise; it was important to find the right match. Weeks went by. Then one day, I saw Elliott’s face peering out at me as I did the customary search on Petfinder.com. The profile read, “spunky lab/shepherd/coonhound mix puppy found abandoned in house by realtor … .” This dog seemed to have all the breeds and characteristics we were looking for, and he was cute. I was smitten!
A week later, after several interactions with Elliott, we brought him home—thrilled and excited we had found our perfect dog. While this story has a happy ending, Elliott has tested that assumption of perfection on more than a few occasions. He is a big, boundless, and, yes, spunky dog, and so is his love. I cannot imagine our lives without him or our other dog Sara Lee, whom we adopted a few years later. It’s easy to adopt the second time around. By then, you realize just how much adopted pets have a way of knowing, and showing, exactly what you’ve done for them.
Getting a dog is a serious affair. Give this decision the time and research it deserves. If you decide now is the time to adopt a dog, here’s information on what local humane societies are doing in October to help mark Adopt-A-Dog month.
Lynchburg Humane Society will be having a Howl-O-Ween Pet Party and Adoption Center Open House on Oct. 18 from noon to 3 p.m. Bring your two- and four-legged family members. Join in the fun, games, and win some prizes! Have a spooktacular time and see why dog enthusiasts love this event. For all dogs adopted in October, LHS will provide a leash, collar, temporary ID tag, treats, toys, and adoption package with a training DVD and helpful information on how to care for your pet.
Bedford County Humane Society currently has 13 dogs in foster homes now looking for permanent families. There are also several more dogs available for adoption through the Bedford County Animal Shelter.
Humane Society of Amherst County will be profiling all their adoptable dogs in the local New Era Progress paper in October and is offering $5 off each dog adoption.
All area shelters list their adoptable pets on Petfinder.com. Other popular sites include Pets 911 and 1-800-Save-A-Pet.com.
For more information on a breed rescue group for a dog breed that interests you, you can call the Lynchburg Humane Society to locate the closest rescue, or call the Humane Society of the U.S. at (202) 452-1100 and ask for the Companion Animals Section.
One Response to “Lynchburg News Advance: Animal Shelters Offer Good Opportunity for Pet Ownership”
As for dogs, do you know any reliable resource where one can find all the local dog kennels?