LaunchAdmin 
Thinking about giving your kid a pet as a present? Or adding a new furry family member? Here’s why to adopt a rescue pet…
Adding a pet to your family is a big decision! It’s a new furry family member and you might be wondering whether you should adopt a pet from a shelter or get the breed you have always wanted from a breeder.
Can’t commit to adopting right now? Why not foster a dog or cat this festive season?
It can be a difficult choice to make, especially when you do have a specific breed in mind or want a really tiny puppy or kitten from a certified breeder, ensuring you know your future pet’s family history. But the thing is, adoption is not just the right thing to do, it is also a reward. And here’s why.
Why You Should Adopt a Rescue Pet
1. You are saving a life
Pets from a breeder are bound to find a home, and if they don’t then the breeder will often keep them for future breeding purposes. But, cats and dogs in shelters are euthanised and put down if they do not find a home to make room for other new cats and dogs constantly coming in off the streets. When you adopt, you are quite literally saving a life.
2. You get a great pet
Of course, there is always a risk of a pet having temperament issues if it has a bad history, but the people who work at a shelter can often tell you what the pet is like before you adopt. Most animals land up in a shelter because they have been neglected and not because the pet did something wrong.
3. You save a whole lot of money
Did you know that a pug can cost you around R5000 and even more for a French bulldog? Some pedigrees go for R50 000 or more from a breeder! When you adopt a pet it will have been spayed/neutered/ had its first vaccinations and even microchipped in some cases! And it will only cost you a fraction of the price!
4. A pet with character!
Think about it – when you adopt a pet you can tell your friends and family about your good deed and even make up some awesome backstory about how they managed to escape a gang on a pirate ship and lived off crabs and fish for a month before being found. Well, something like that.
Related: Caring for Pets Over the Festive Season: 3 Important Factors
5. It’s a way to fight against puppy mills
Puppy mills are basically breeding facilities where dogs are treated terribly and only used for breeding. Their shelter is minimal, they given no love and are forced to breed as often as possible often producing puppies with mental and physical issues.
When the dogs can no longer breed they are either left for dead, sold or put down. The moms and puppies are kept in small cages and the puppies are taken from their moms as soon as they are old enough to be sold. The mom is left alone and has to be impregnated once again without a break between puppies.
Pet stores often have puppies from puppy mills or the ads are posted on the internet. You may not even be aware you are adopting a dog from a puppy mill.
6. Some pets come house trained
Especially if you adopt an older dog or cat, he or she is likely to already be house trained. This means no training is needed on your part and no more stained carpets either!
7. It’s good for your health
Having an animal is known to boost your immune system, eliminate stress and improve your happiness. When you adopt you can also feel an extra sense of pride in saving a life!
8. It goes beyond saving just one animal
Shelters are often overburdened with animals and when you adopt one, you are making room for other ones in need of food, shelter and warmth. So, you are not only giving your pet a second chance but others too!
Adopting a pet means you are changing that cat or dog’s life for the better. You are giving their lives new meaning with love, comfort and a home to stay in. You never know the terrible life your pet may have had before you and I can promise they will be so very grateful to you for taking them in and loving them.
Read next: From Travelling to Fireworks – Here’s Why You Need Dog Anxiety Medication
Make the right choice and adopt don’t shop this festive season and in fact, every season. Of course, make sure you have pet insurance the moment you adopt a dog! And if you need a recommendation, we always recommend Oneplan Pet Insurance because they pay you BEFORE you see the vet!
Yours in Not-So-Average Pet Advice,
The Petinsurance.co.za Team
