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Pet Adoption: Why Adopt a Shelter Pet

Why Adopt a Shelter Pet

Looking to add a new pet to the family? Congratulations! Before you get started, there are a lot of questions you need to ask yourself. One of the most important questions you need to answer is: where are you going to look for this new addition?

At Shoppers Supply, we don’t discriminate. We love all pets, but we have a special place in our hearts for rescue pets. They’re the faces you see behind bars at a shelter, the abused animals that were rescued from terrible circumstances, and the strays that are lost and looking for a loving home. No matter how these animals ended up at the shelter, the fact of the matter is they’re in need of a family and place to call home—and you can be their saving grace.

Why You Should Adopt

According to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), there are nearly 7.6 million companion animals across the nation that get brought into animal shelters each year. Some of the animals brought into the shelters are lost, 649,000 of which are returned to their owners. However, of those 7.6 million animals, approximately 2.7 million are euthanized.

As you can see, saying there are lots of companion animals up for adoption that are in desperate need of a loving home doesn’t even begin to cut it. There are millions of animals waiting to be adopted, waiting to be loved, and waiting to be wanted. So what are you waiting for? Get adopting!

There are all types of animas to rescue.

It may surprise you, but there are animal rescues for all different types of animals—not just dogs and cats! Rescue Me! is a great website to begin your pet search—just take a look at all of the horses currently available for adoption in Arizona!

Not sure if the type of pet you want is adoptable? Here’s a list of some of the more popular, and not-so popular, animals that can often be adopted:

  • Dogs
  • Cats
  • Hamsters/Gerbils/Ferrets/Rabbits and other small mammals
  • Birds
  • Horses
  • Pigs
  • Lizards, turtles, and other reptiles/amphibians

There are rescues to match any criteria.

Just as there are rescue organizations for different types of animals, there are also organizations that will help you find a pet that meets all of your requirements, no matter how specific they may be. For instance, if you’re looking for a well-trained Golden Retriever, you can go to, or contact, one of the many Golden Retriever rescue organizations throughout the state of Arizona to find the perfect dog for you or your family! When you go to Google to perform a search, be sure to take the time to really read through the website and make sure they actually are a rescue and not using words that can mislead potential adopters into thinking they are a rescue organization. No matter what type of animal you are looking for, if you are willing to wait a bit (depending on how specific your criteria may be), chances are you’ll eventually be able to find the perfect addition.

Where to Adopt

Searching online is one of the best ways to begin your pet search, especially if you have specific criteria to meet. Most rescue organizations (especially for dogs and cats) post to petfinder.com and adoptapet.com, which are two great search engines that allow you to choose a specific animal type, and filter the results with items like location, breed, age, sex, and size. Almost all listings on these types of sites will then provide additional information about the animal, including details such as:

  • Whether they’re good with kids
  • Whether they’re good with other animals (most commonly dogs and cats)
  • Whether they’re trained (most commonly potty trained)
  • Their history (age, breed(s), where the animal came from, etc.)
  • Any other additional information the organization may have on the animal

Need a hypoallergenic dog because your family has allergies? No problem. Looking for an orange kitten because your children fell in love with Garfield? That’s not out of reach. Start your search, and if you don’t find exactly what you’re looking for right away, don’t give up! New animals are being added to these websites on a daily basis, so continue your search and be patient. The right pet is out there somewhere, and if you’re open-minded, patient, and determined, you’ll be able to find the perfect addition to your family!

If you aren’t quite sure what you’re looking for, heading out to the shelters to see the animals in person may better suit your needs. Maybe you don’t have a lot of criteria and instead want to see what animal or animals you like and are attracted to by visiting the organizations in person. Below is a list of some of the more popular rescue organizations and the types of animals they typically have up for adoption:

There are so many homeless animals.

Want to save a life? If you answered yes, then you’ve also already answered the question of whether to adopt or not! And as stated above, there are millions of adoptable animals in need of loving homes.

Time to adopt!

It’s time to go adopt. And once you do, be sure to bring your new pet into your local Shoppers Supply in Chandler, AZ or Apache Junction, AZ. We’re pet friendly and would love to meet them.

If you’ve recently adopted a new dog, or are thinking about doing so, be sure to take a look at our 7 tips for training your dog! They’re sure to come in handy once you bring your new pup home.

Adopted Pets

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