Adopt rather than shop for pets

AMANZIMTOTI SPCA urges the public to choose to adopt a pet, rather than supporting backyard breeders.

The local animal shelter abolishes common misconceptions about pet adoptions.

“We urge you not to support and encourage backyard breeders, as these breeders are the reason that animal shelters, like SPCA, are inundated with so many homeless and unwanted pets coming through our doors every day,” said SPCA volunteer, Stacey Wall.

The SPCA thanks all of those who have opened up their hearts and homes to adopt a pet. Unfortunately, there are many more precious souls waiting to find homes. So if you’re considering getting a new pet for your family, choose to adopt rather than to shop.

Common misconceptions about adopting a pet:

The adoption fee at the SPCA is too expensive:

The adoption fee at the SPCA is R750 for large breed dogs, R650 for small breed dogs and R550 for cats. It is important to remember that this fee does not pay for your new pet, but rather pays for them to be sterilised, vaccinated and dewormed, which works out much cheaper than what you would have to pay at a vet if you were to buy a puppy or kitten cheaply from a breeder.

Adopting a pet is in fact the most cost-effective route when it comes to adding a pet to your family.

Adoption involves a difficult and lengthy process:

The process of adoption is actually very quick and easy. All you do is choose the perfect new pet for you and your family and fill out the forms to have a property check done. An inspector will then go around to your house when it is convenient for you and make sure that everything is safe and secure for your new arrival.

For example, that your yard is fully fenced. If it is passed you pay the adoption fee, then once your new pet has been sterilised, you can take them home. The whole process doesn’t take longer than a few days.

To speed the process along, if you are renting, take along a letter from your landlord with you when you fill out the forms to have the property check done, to say that you are allowed to have a pet.

All dogs that are up for adoption are sick or damaged in some way and may be vicious or aggressive:

This couldn’t be further from the truth. Every dog that is placed up for adoption is fully assessed in terms of their health, as well as any aggressiveness they have towards people.

Many of the dogs up for adoption have come from loving homes where the owner could no longer keep them for reasons such as moving or emigrating. Other dogs were found as strays and never claimed. Very few dogs have come from abusive homes, and even in these cases, the SPCA assures you that all the dogs that up for adoption are loving, affectionate animals who want a family to call their own.

There is a chance that when I get my adopted dog home, they will fight with my existing dogs/cats:

To ensure that this does not happen, SPCA always recommends that the prospective new owners bring in their dogs so that an introduction with the dog/s they want to adopt can be conducted, to ensure that they get along. If a person has a cat at home, the SPCA also tests the dog with the cats at the SPCA to ensure they do not react aggressively.

You can only find adult dogs and cats at the SPCA:

This is untrue; the SPCA often has the most adorable puppies and kittens available for adoption. If you still aren’t comfortable with adopting an adult dog or if you would like a puppy or kitten that your children can grow up with, don’t feel that a backyard breeder is your only option.

Choose to adopt, choose to be part of the solution, choose to save a life.

If you are interested in adopting a pet, you can visit the SPCA Facebook page to see all the pets they have available, or pop in to meet them all during opening times, from 8.30am until 4pm on weekdays and from 8.30am until noon on Saturdays. Toti SPCA is situated at 1 Nyati Road.

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