Why Rescuing is a Better Choice

Jada Evans

Career Life 11
 Not everyone is informed on how rescue animals in a shelter are a better choice for a pet,

than buying one from a pet store or breeder. Not only are you saving the animal's life, but youre

giving your family a forever pet. Its shown by rescuing an animal, the shelter will be able to

travel across the country and rescue more animals in need of help. The SPCA of Montreal in

2014 said Adoption will not only save the life of the pet you are adopting, but will also make

room and free up precious resources for another animal that the shelter will take in. A large

majority of rescues would have been going to a kill shelter, or would have been euthanized. Zach

Skow, founder of California-based rescue Marley's Mutts said "The vast majority of dogs don't

make it out alive."

Imagine being scared, neglected and treated like an object instead of a living creature.

Every day animals are treated like they are worthless. Adopting a rescued dog or cat can give

them a forever loving home that they deserve. It will also help open up more space in the shelter

for new rescues, and keep them out of dangerous situations and environments. In 2009, Tia

Maria Torres spoke for all of us when saying My mission is to rescue. My dream is one day, I

wont have to. Sadly the animals in shelters have to be euthanized at a certain point when they

arent adopted, as the shelter has a lack of space. Adopting rescues not only gives the animal a

new life, but also gives your home a new family member. Every day animals are brought in

scared and nervous about what is to come for them. They are used to having an owner with bad

intentions, over and over again. According to Einstein The world is a dangerous place, not

because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing. Thats why it is

better to adopt a rescued animal over one from a breeder or a pet store.
 Think of this, a sweet Pitbull mixed dog named Abigail, forced into a dogfight as bait and

coming out with only one ear. Early November 2016 she was brought in to Miami-Dade Animal

Services in Florida infested with ticks, she was anemic and half of her face was infected and her

skin tissue was hanging. Her bandage had to be changed every couple of days for two months,

before they could even try surgery. It took multiple surgeries and seven months to bring her to a

full recovery. In July 2017 she was adopted as she was fully recovered, now only having to wear

headbands and hats to cover the side of her face as a protective layer. From a bait dog to now

training to become a therapy dog, Abigail is living a happy healthy life. Sadly thats not always

the case for these types of situations.

By rescuing a shelter dog, you are 100% not supporting illegal and cruel puppy mills. In

ways rescuing animals are helping shut down puppy mills. In puppy mills, puppies are cramped

and almost always suffering from malnutrition. In 2017 PETA says (People for the Ethical

Treatment of Animals) Mothers and their litters often suffer from malnutrition, exposure, and a

lack of adequate veterinary care. The dogs usually have no bedding, if they're lucky a little

amount of food and water, and almost never any veterinary care when they need it the most. In

2017, PETA also mentioned that there was No regular veterinary care even when they were ill.

Health conditions such as crusting, oozing eyes, raging ear infections, Its very surprising that

some of these young puppies can survive these cruel conditions.

In puppy mills, dogs are sold off to pet stores, breeders, other puppy mills and even

laboratory animal dealers. When this happens dogs are cowering in fear of what is to come next

for them. The feeling when you see a puppy in a pet store is great, you automatically want to
adopt the adorable bundle of joy. Except, people in society dont see the dark side of these

animals. They have been bought from cruel puppy mills, and abused in multiple ways. The

majority of puppy mills is located in the Midwest. In 2017, PETA stated that There are an

estimated 1,500 unlicensed kennels in Missouri alone. Some puppy mills even import the dogs

from different countries, which the dogs could now be carrying dangerous diseases, harmful to

them as well as others.

The puppies in the actual puppy mills could be litters from abandoned mothers or female street

dogs that take in. The mothers are constantly used for litters and nearly never have any recovery

time in between. The mothers are used until they can no longer reproduce. They are to breed for

years and years until they physically cant anymore. They are either then left on the streets to

find their own way or killed. The puppies are almost always sold to pet stores, and sold at as

young as 8 weeks old. As puppies they should be socialized so they do not develop fear or even

aggression with other dogs. At puppy mills they arent socialized other than being cramped into a

kennel with an absurd amount of dogs.

It can often be hard when your pet comes down with something, and the vet bills are just

too much to handle. The great thing with rescuing an animal during these tough times, is that the

society will often help cover the prices and/or it will be covered in the adoption fee. Not only

that but before you adopt, the animal will be spayed/neutered, up to date on vaccines and

provided with a microchip number with all of your information leading back to you.

Puppies brought home from pet stores often go to their new homes with the following

disease(s). Giardia, parvovirus, distemper, upper respiratory infections, kennel cough,

pneumonia, mange, fleas, ticks, intestinal parasites, heartworm and chronic diarrhea. Not only
that but these puppies have chances of being born with mutations. Cause by the living conditions

and the nonexistent health care for the mother. The puppies could be born with epilepsy, heart

disease, kidney disease, musculoskeletal disorders, endocrine disorders, blood disorders,

deafness, eye problems and respiratory disorders. Rescue societies in the end are just trying to

find the animal a loving family. They want a family that will help the animal with their past

experiences and their upcoming experiences.

Just this past October a home that looked normal from the outside, in the inside was far

from what the neighbors had thought. CTV news on October 12th said Dozens of dogs found

trapped in cages, shoved in dresser drawers and even in a bathtub have been transported to a

Montreal shelter after police uncovered a suspected puppy mill inside a dilapidated Quebec

home. Luckily seventy dogs were rescued and saved but sadly, four dogs had been found dead.

After the rescue all the dogs were moved to the SPCA located in Montreal.

It depends but in some locations there are things called no kill shelters. Where animals

will only be euthanized if they are unhealthy and completely unadoptable. Other than that they

are kept safe until the perfect home comes around for them. Other kinds of shelters keep the

animals safe, but can only keep them for so long. The shelters are depended on to keep making

room for new animals. There are fosters though, that are temporary homes for animals until a

long term owner comes around for the pet. In foster homes there are often more than just one

animal, so they are able to socialize which is a benefit. In 2013 Erika Bockenfeld from the

Denver Post said No-kill shelters are generally private organizations, and because of this, they

reserve the right to choose which animals they admit, this allows them to seek out adoptable
animals that traditional shelters are going to have to put down because they did not find homes

quickly enough.

In pet stores they almost never provide you with any helpful information about the

animal. In most cases once you leave the pet store, youre on your own. In a shelter they will

provide you with the history of the animal, as well as any necessary care instructions. Shelters

are also great because they desperately want these animals to have a forever loving home. So the

prices are lowered for people that cant always accommodate to the high prices from breeders.

Best Friends Save Them All Sanctuary said Adoption costs range from $50 to $200, depending

on whether the pet comes from the city shelter or a rescue group that has spent money on

boarding, vets and grooming.

Not only are you saving your own animals live by adopting, but youre helping stop pet

overpopulation. Every year eight to ten million animals have to be euthanized, because shelters

are over flooding with animals without a home. Dr. Lila Miller from the American Society For

The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals has said I get distressed when I hear people saying

theres no overpopulation here Tell that to the dogs that are still dying in shelters; that theyre

in the wrong place at the wrong time, says Dr. Lila Miller, vice-president of veterinary outreach

and veterinary adviser for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals.

Numbers have gone down dramatically, but were still killing adoptable animals.

In the end, dogs from puppy mills and shelters are a better choice than one from a pet

store or breeder. The rescue societies make sure people are ready to become new owners and

face new challenges. These dogs only want love and stuck inside a window in a shopping mall

cant do that for them.

Bibliography

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PrayersforPets1, 25 Sept. 2017, prayersforpets1.org/abigail-one-eared-bait-dog-wins-award-

beverly-hills/.

Cotroneo, Christian. Dog Who Was Used As Bait Loves Her New Hats. The Dodo, The Dodo,

21 Nov. 2016, www.thedodo.com/bait-dog-abigail-pit-bull-2103959705.html.

Puppy Mill Prison. PETA, 1 Jan. 2017, www.peta.org/features/puppy-mill-prison/.

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Puppy Mills: Dogs Abused for the Pet Trade. PETA, 13 Sept. 2014,
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Bockenfeld, Erika. Adopt from a No-Kill Shelter and Save Two Lives. The Idea Log, 13 May
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Zimlich, Rachael. Understanding Pet Overpopulation. dvm360.Com, 26 July 2014,

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