Four reasons to adopt a rescued or abandoned pet

SO you have decided to open your home to a new pet but are unsure of which route to take: buying a bred animal or adopting a rescued one. These reasons for adopting a rescue pet should help make up your mind.

Adoption gives a second chance

By adopting an abandoned or stray animal from your local SPCA or animal shelter, you are giving the animal a new lease on life. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of animals that are handed over to shelters by previous owners do not have behavioural issues. A change in circumstances, like a house move, a new baby or a divorce is the chief reason people give up their pets.

Adopting costs less

Let’s face it – the cost of anything plays a crucial part in our decision making. While we all know that adopting an animal from the SPCA is inexpensive and sterilisation and initial vaccines have already been done, most people are not aware that thoroughbred animals can sometimes also be found at shelters.

Adoption helps stop pet overpopulation

Not a day goes by that a stray animal is not seen roaming our streets or industrial areas. A female cat, for example, can have a litter of six kittens every six months. That’s an awful lot of stray kittens and, very quickly, an area can become overrun by feral cats. No animal leaves the SPCA unsterilised or unvaccinated.

Adoption saves lives

Last but certainly not least, by adopting a pet from the SPCA, you are freeing up space for another stray or abandoned animal. This means that adoption not only gives the adopted pet a second chance, it means other strays can have the opportunity to be placed in a loving home once taken in by the shelter.

As Mahatma Gandhi so aptly stated, ‘the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.’

Source: www.spca.com