Looking for a New Pet - Check Your Local Shelter First and Help Save a Life

Are you thinking about adding a furry new member to your family, and you really have your heart set on a certain breed? Well, I encourage you to skip the mall and local breeder and make your first stop your local pet shelter.

Every year, millions (yes, millions) of unwanted cats and dogs are euthanized in pet shelters. The majority of those animals were fully acceptable for adoption, but because of space limitations, had to be put to death. It's such a sad situation and I'm hoping that more people would go out and save some of these loving animals from their impending death sentences.

I currently have two incredibly loving dogs and two fabulous cats and they have all been rescued from shelters. Not a day goes by where I don't remember picking them out from the hundreds of available pets all anxiously waiting for someone to pick them to go home. It just breaks my heart. And if you've never been to a pet shelter, I would strongly encourage you to visit one, or even volunteer at one. I guarantee that once you set foot in one of those places, you'll never buy a pet from a pet store or private breeder again.

A lot of people have the misconception that only mutts end up at the shelter. That's the furthest thing from the truth. There are many pure bred pets at shelters (some will even come with AKC papers) that need loving homes. And really, there's nothing wrong with a mutt. Both of my dogs are mutts, and they are truly the best companions I could ever ask for.

Sadly, "behavioral issues" is one of the most popular reasons for dumping an animal at a shelter. The truth is, the pet owner never realized how much time and effort it is to take care of a pet, especially a dog. The owner got caught up in the emotion of having a new puppy, and the "how cute is he?" syndrome and didn't place much thought into "how do I take care of this animal?" Typically, those "behavioral issues" would never have even become issues if the pet owner took the time to have obedience-trained the dog. It's just so sad.

One of the other popular reasons for surrendering a pet is "I'm moving and can't take it with me." This one makes me so upset, I can't even put it into words. I have had many animals for the last 15 years and have probably moved at least 10 to 12 times in that time period, and I never gave up my pets. I always made sure to look for places (when I was renting) where pets were allowed. If they weren't, I'd continue looking until I found one. Unfortunately, many people don't realize that pets are truly members of the family and should be treated as such. They add so much richness to daily life, and just live to love us unconditionally. It's so sad when they don't get the same treatment in return.

If you're not sure where to start looking for shelters, PetFinder.com is the perfect place to start. You can choose what breed, type of animal, sex and size pet you are looking for, and then put in your zip code and VOILA! It does all the legwork for you. Once you start seeing photos of all those poor, homeless animals, you will be wishing you could adopt them all (I know I do).

When you do find a potential animal, go visit it at the shelter to see if it will be compatible with your family members (including other pets). Find out if it's been trained as a lot of shelters train their pets in order for them to become more adoptable. Also, make sure to find out if it has any special health needs. If it does and you know you won't have the time to devote to the pet's needs, you will need to find a more acceptable pet to fit with your lifestyle and schedule. This will be hard to do once you fall in love with that fluff ball, but it's in the pet's best interest so it doesn't wind up back in the shelter.

If the dog does need to be trained, there are many places you can go for that training. Personally, I took both of my dogs to PetSmart® for 6-week obedience training classes which were well-worth both my money and my time. My dogs started out as the worst behaved dogs (thanks to previous owners) to "Top Dogs", which was super cool. I invested a lot of my time and energy training them and it showed - they are both very well behaved. Just like children, dogs want and need to have rules and boundaries.

And I must briefly touch upon the subject of puppy mills StopPuppyMills.org for disturbing facts about puppy mills). I never have, and refuse to, purchase a cat or dog at a pet shop. It's just so sad that the majority of these animals were bred in puppy or kitten mills and have been subjected to deplorable living conditions. I know you're probably thinking, "but why not save one of these animals and give it a good home?" Well, this is part of the vicious cycle involving pet shops as well as "backyard breeders."

Many people buy pets from these shops because of guilty feelings, the shop owners and mills make lots of money, and the purchase of the pet leaves space to accommodate yet another mill animal. To add insult to injury, many of these mill animals are so sick because of serious in-breeding, starvation, and other disgusting living situations. Sadly, many pet owners end up euthanizing their animals after a few months of purchasing them just because the animals are so sick. Will this disgusting cycle ever end?

My article was not meant to be a sad and depressing one. Rather, I just wanted to enlighten future pet owners of the miserable situations these animals are placed in every day and just hoping that more and more people will adopt loving pets from shelters and help end the vicious cycle of puppy and kitten mills once and for all.

So, if you are planning on getting a pet, please, please, please check your local shelter first. And please realize that whether these animals are pure or mixed breeds, they all have one thing in common: they just want to love and be loved. And that's all that really should matter.

7/19/07

Michelle Wood is a handbag designer and founder of Lil' Diva [http://www.lildivabags.com], an online retailer of unique and funky handbags

diaper bags, totes, and other related fashion accessory products.

She has also recently started "The Diva's Corner" [http://lildivahandbags.com/the_divas_corner_index.cfm]on her site, where women can submit their own fashion tips, short stories, advice and information on many interesting topics that are geared toward today's fabulous women!

Pet Dog Costs: A Reality Check

How much is that dog by the window... so goes an old song. It is easy to fall in love with the dog at the pet store or at the shelter. But buying it - or even adopting one -- is not the same as buying on a whim a nice pair of shoes or a cool shirt. The shoes and the shirt you can simply put in the closet or get rid of after the initial fancy or cool is gone. At issue is how much of a dog lover are we?

It is easy to overlook the cost part when you think of the benefits. Or when you are simply infatuated by the dog or the idea of having one. How cool is it to carry around a live toy-dog like Tinkerbell of Paris Hilton fame. Or have an energetic windhound or a lovely labrador to walk or run with. Or a hunter dog to hunt with. Or bring home a dog playmate and a pleasant distraction for the kids. Psychologists tell us, pets and pet dogs teach young kids such positive traits as kindness, caring, love and loyalty.

Various studies on the health benefits of having pets also show that pets make owners healthier by helping to lower blood pressure, reduce stress, prevent heart diseases and help fight depression. The positive effects of pet ownership even lower health care costs for people who, as a result, make fewer doctor visits for non-serious medical conditions.

The initial price of acquiring a pet dog may or may not be easy on the pocket depending on how much the household budget is. At the San Francisco SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) for example, the cost of dog adoption ranges from $80-$300 depending on the age of the dog, plus $20 for dog license fee. Recently, it adopted a policy of variable adoption fees, the price being based on whether a certain dog or breed is in high demand, as a means to raise funds for the other animals in need in the shelter.

The American Pet Products Association (APPA) places the average cost of buying a dog at $364, based on a 2011-2012 National Pet Owners survey where pet owners were asked on the amount spent on pets in the past 12 months. The higher cost is attributed to the increasing cost of pure breed dogs.

This is just the beginning. In the same survey, it is estimated that basic expenses for dog owners is at $1,542 a year which consisted of surgical vet visits, $407; routine vet, $248; food, $254; kennel boarding, $274; vitamins, $95; travel expenses, $78; grooming/grooming aids, $73; food treats, $70; and toys, $43. If surgical visits and kennel boarding were not factored in, granted that the dog is healthy for most of its life and the owner has a family to leave the dog with when they travel, a safe bet for expenses is over $800 a year.

In rare cases you may escape the initial cost of buying or adopting the dog you want. If you find a stray and decide to keep it if no one would claim it - after reporting to the local animal control agency or the shelter you pick. Examples are the stories on two adopted dogs I have met on the trail. A rescue cleverly named Ruscoe by the human who found him, is a brown brindle with uncertain mix-breed who was found sick and abandoned near a stream. Another is Winnie, a chihuahua, who was found barking and roaming around confused on a busy street. When they were found, they could have easily made it as poster dogs of owner irresponsibility and animal cruelty. There is no escaping the succeeding expenses for these new parents: dog license of $12 -$21, and vet costs for immunization and treatment, cost undisclosed.

This is not to discourage dog ownership. This is opening our eyes to the reality of dog ownership. Costly maybe, but the rewards priceless. To many of us, the cost may even be the least of the factors at issue. Commitment is. If you decide you are up to the task and are committed to taking good care of a dog for the long haul, then another dog may just have found a new human friend and a new home for keeps.

And we need more committed humans and dog lovers.

Alda Menhennet is a self-confessed dog-scared person who has turned into an avowed dog enthusiast, thanks to a dog. Follow her personal saga, adventures and misadventures with Otis the dog--and maybe learn with her-- in her Dog Day series at [http://www.dogphiles.com]

Note:

In Joplin, Missouri where over 600 animals survived but were left without owners when the deadly tornado hit May 22, the ASPCA and the Joplin Humane Society have teamed up to hold a special Joplin Adoption Event on July 25 and 26. Among these animals waiting for adoptive parents are Shih Tzus, Labradors, Golden Retrievers, and Dachshunds. Precious beautiful dogs and other animals that have undergone SAFER evaluation by the ASPCA Animal Behavior Center