As I scanned my Facebook newsfeed yesterday two posts that initially may seem unconnected appeared consecutively. However I, like many other dog advocates would, immediately saw a connection. The first was an anouncement by the ASPCA announcing a raid on a puppy mill in Arkansas (this caught my eye not only because of the puppy mill but because I lived in Arkansas for many years). The second was a post by Petfinder.com advertising a sweepstake to promote Adopt-a-Senior-Pet Month.
We all know how cute puppies are and how they tug at your heartstrings when you see them, but there are countless adult dogs in shelters around the country that will never be adopted because of our obsession with puppies. As this situation continues the puppy mills will remain in existence as pet stores supply the demand for puppies, and the adult dogs will--if they are lucky enough to be in a no-kill shelter--remain in a shelter for the remainder of their lives or they will be scheduled for death, deemed unadoptable because of their age.
There are many advantages to adopting an adult dog, not least of which are that they are usually already housebroken, and trained and socialized to some extent. Also, adult dogs tend to be less boisterous than puppies but can be just as funny and even more loving.
If you are considering adopting, please think of the advantages of an adult dog. Visit a local shelter, check out a website, and see just what fantastic adult dogs are available in your area! You will not be sorry.
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