Be an Animal's Lifeline (a Special Guest Post)

Would you like to have a fuzzy, funny Chihuahua to sit in your lap and look at you with adoring eyes? Or maybe you're a cat person who wants to dangle a bit of yarn for a frisky Maine coon cat. Dogs and cats are both marvelous animals with a lot of love to give. If you would like to nurture a deserving animal, please adopt one from your local animal shelter.

Because shelter animals are well behaved

It's rarely ever that a dog or cat is ever given to a shelter because something was "wrong" with it. Sometimes, an owner might request that a pet be re-homed due to a change in living conditions, illness in the family or sudden change in the budget. At any rate, it doesn't matter why the animal is in a shelter. It's never their fault. There's still a lot of love in these beautiful animals. The shelter volunteers will work on an individual level with the new animals to learn what difficulties they have, if any, and figure out the best solutions.

Because you don't want to support mills

The mills that breed purebred dogs and cats care more about lining their pockets than lining their cages, resulting in abused, unsociable animals and unhealthy puppies and kittens. Please don't support these reprobates. Adopting is not only the most merciful choice, it's less expensive. It's a common misconception that purebreds are superior to mixed-breeds. The truth is, cats and dogs of mixed heritage tend to be hardier and healthier than purebreds. These hybrids have the best of every breed they're related to!

Because shelter animals are healthy

You can know this for sure; cats and dogs are healthier in shelters than they'd be on the street! The primary thing a shelter does for an animal they've taken responsibility for is to screen for health problems and do what must be done to cure the ailment. The cats and dogs at these shelters receive round the clock veterinary care plus volunteers to make sure they're free of parasites, groomed well and socialized to get along with people. Many shelters will provide assistance and information as a public service. What they want is a healthy animal in a happy home.

Because there's just so many of them

One of the best things about being a pet owner is watching them grow from a minute puppy or kitten and training them yourself. If you want this then shelters are not exactly short on puppies and kittens. If left to breed freely, one cat and her offspring could produce 420,000 kittens in seven years! A dog and her offspring likewise could have 67,000 puppies in six years! However, realize that senior animals need homes too. If you'd prefer a pet who's already been trained and is ready to enjoy the golden years with you, maybe the older dog is best.

If you think you need more reasons, please take a few minutes to read the following infographic.