April 30th: National Adopt a shelter pet day

Participate in National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day Tuesday, April 30th and Adopt, Don’t Shop

If you have been considering getting a pet recently, then I highly encourage you to participate in National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day and choose to adopt an animal in need of a home instead of buying from breeders. Roughly 6.5 million animals enter shelters every year and unfortunately, only about half of them get adopted.

While every animal shelter is different, it is no secret that shelter life is not ideal for an animal. Many shelters are overcrowded and understaffed. Spreading the word about adoption is vital to helping these shelters help its residents in the best way it can. Harrisonburg has an animal shelter located not too far from campus. The Rockingham Harrisonburg SPCA (RHSPCA) currently has around 50 dogs and 20 cats that are in need of a home. RHSPCA is a place with wonderful adoptable animals and an equally wonderful staff who devote their time to helping these pets and working towards finding them their forever homes. I personally know many people who have adopted from RHSPCA and gained a new best friend! I will give some information and statistics about shelter animals and hopefully encourage you to choose to adopt your next pet from a shelter and give them the homes that they deserve!

Around 700,000 animals were euthanized in shelters in the year 2023. Shelter animals are euthanized when their adoption timeframe runs out, when the shelter becomes overcrowded, or due to sickness or injury. Many animals can be saved from euthanization by people who are willing to foster or adopt. This is another reason why it is so important to adopt instead of shop and/or encourage others to adopt because you can save an animal’s life.

Another reason that I encourage adoption is to help put a stop to puppy mills. It is estimated that there are at least 10,000 puppy mills in the United States, fewer than 3,000 of which are regulated by the US Department of Agriculture. Puppy mills are commercial breeding facilities with the goal of creating as many puppies as possible for the purpose of selling them and making a profit. Puppy mills are known for placing more importance on making money than the well-being of the animals. They often lack good food, clean water, and proper veterinary care. There have been many protests against puppy mills and adopting animals instead of buying from breeder stores can help to minimize these breeding facilities.

Adopting can help solve other pet problems further than simply saving a life and giving an animal a new home. Pets from shelters are almost always fixed or come with a spay/neuter contract that requires them to be sterilized at the soonest available appointment. This prevents more pets from being born into the already overpopulated community of pets that need homes. Shelters do their part in trying to minimize the population of animals that need homes by fixing the animals in their care or by the contracts required for the procedure upon adoption of unfixed animals.

Please consider visiting the RHSPCA or your local shelter at home if you are thinking of getting a pet. These animals need our help and deserve to find a safe and loving forever home. Even if you are not able to adopt an animal yourself, you can still help by donating to local shelters or to APSCA. You can also help by spreading the word about adoption and encouraging people who are looking for a pet to adopt instead of buying from stores or breeders. I hope you or someone you know finds your new pet best friend at the shelter and gives them the happy life they deserve!