October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month!

[Caiyuo]

Quoting the article I found this from since there's not a ton to say about this other than mentioning the discounts and the resources, but if this interests anyone, the ASPCAs website has a ton of info and little tips for new or current pet-owners.

http://www.aspca.org/Home/Adoption/a...dog-month.aspx

If adding a canine creature to your clan is a future plan, now's the time to do it. October is National Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month. To celebrate and to get rescued dog and puppies into forever homes, many shelters offer discounts for pet adoptions during this month.

Cases in point: At the Pima Animal Care Center in Pima County, Arizona, dog and cat adoptions are half-off. The Wenatchee Valley Humane Society in Wenatchee, Washington is offering free gifts for any dog adoption and discounts for those adopting Pit Bulls.

Shelter animals are usually spayed or neutered, come fully vaccinated and are often microchipped, so half-price off means even bigger savings for a furry companion since you'd have to pay for these procedures separately otherwise. Or consider a senior dog. Petfinder.org has a great video about the benefits of adopting older dogs, including that many are already housebroken, leash-trained and generally less high-strung than a younger pooch.

Finding a dog for you
The ASPCA maintains a searchable database of nearly 5,000 community SPCAs, humane societies and animal control organizations so you can find a shelter near you. Nearly 14,000 adoption groups, including breed-specific rescue organizations, use Petfinder.org to highlight what pets they have available. You can search by a range of criteria, including gender, age, breed, and size.

And you won't just find lovable mutts for adoption. An estimated 25 percent of shelter dogs are purebred, according to the Humane Society of the United States.
Pet product superstore Petco works with local shelters to host in-store adoption events each month. The nationwide chain also offers discounts on pet food and products through their Think Adoption First program.

There's a reason to jump through hoops
Too many times, shelters see animals who were unwanted "gifts," especially after the holidays. As a result, most have strict return policies for the pets they adopt out, usually based on the health or disposition of the animal.

On the other hand, reputable shelters will do everything they can to make sure you go home with a perfect match. You'll probably have to fill out a personality profile and will need to spend time with the pet prior to adoption. Most shelters require a waiting period from the time you make the decision to adopt, to the time you can bring your puppy or dog home. Some even require home visits, to make sure you have the space, especially if you are adopting a large breed dog. With an estimated 3-4 million shelter cats and dogs euthanized each year, no shelter wants to risk a returned pet.

Now, you can take "buy a puppy" off your holiday wish list.

[Pirian]

As long as November is "Abandon a shelter dog at a shelter" month then I'll participate.

[Caiyuo]

oh man that one's going on facebook

[Barada]

Every day is "Abandon a dog at a shelter" day. Also, dont forget the cats, cause usually this time of year its "abandon my cat and her 6 kittens at the shelter" day. Fucking people that come in to the shelter, they suck the fucking life out of me.

[Caiyuo]

Yeah I wondered if that'll be a thing next month or what since it seems weird to put a spotlight on just dogs for a period, but maybe they get better results that way. It is pretty heartbreaking, though, my local humane society used to write out how many dogs and cats were euthanized each month on a board at the entrance.

[Ksandra]

I think dogs may have a harder time getting adopted from shelters than cats (no statistics to back that up mind you). Logic seems to be that most people don't care too much about a breed of cat, but when people get dogs they tend to want specific breeds though shelters usually have mutts.

So that's probably why they focus on them.


Sad to say though, economy isn't good enough for most people to afford taking in a dog this year.

[Outlaw]

I think dogs may have a harder time getting adopted from shelters than cats (no statistics to back that up mind you). Logic seems to be that most people don't care too much about a breed of cat, but when people get dogs they tend to want specific breeds though shelters usually have mutts.

So that's probably why they focus on them.


Sad to say though, economy isn't good enough for most people to afford taking in a dog this year.

This. I would really like to have a dog but being realistic I know I couldn't. I remember one time my mom told me that when I was a kid it cost more to take the dog we had to the vet than it took to take me to the doctor.

[Ksandra]

mom told me that when I was a kid it cost more to take the dog we had to the vet than it took to take me to the doctor.

This is completely correct because pet insurance still sucks balls. My cat recently went through an operation that cost us $1200. They give out a payment plan, and our monthly payment is about the same as pet insurance, difference being that once the $1200 is paid off we don't have to pay anymore, yet we'd keep paying for the insurance so....really not that worth it.

[MaachaQ]

I think dogs may have a harder time getting adopted from shelters than cats (no statistics to back that up mind you). Logic seems to be that most people don't care too much about a breed of cat, but when people get dogs they tend to want specific breeds though shelters usually have mutts.

Actually I've heard that as much as 50% of shelter dogs are purebreds >.> Of course, the breeds usually have rescue groups who make the rounds of shelters every week and pick up their specific breeds of dogs, so the number that stay in regular shelters long enough to be adopted is probably much lower.

I've always been a cat person myself, but I did have a dog a few years back who was a shelter dog, he still lives with my parents. Big wooly beast, Chow/Shepard mix, all bark no bite. So many of the dogs they had were Pits or Pit mixes, no little dogs save one old Beagle. I had very young kids and lots of poultry at the time (Chickens, Ducks, Geese), so I needed a dog that would keep the racoons & possums away, but not eat the birds and not be too rough with the kids... "Wooly" was the youngest dog they had in the place at the time, about 6 months old, and the only one that seemed to have the temperament that we wanted.

I guess it all depends on where the shelter is located as to what dogs they'll have. Lots of people are having trouble making ends meet, so even purebred well mannered dogs are probably ending up now there simply because their owners can't afford the food and care anymore. I wouldn't mind having a dog again over here, but we already have 4 cats in a pretty small apartment ^^;

[Bluegill!!]

I already deal with enough bitches in my life to make me not want to adopt one.

[Cesaria]

One of my dogs is a shelter dog and he's utterly fantastic (when he's not farting) - the most amazing, gorgeous, well-behaved (unless there's a squirrel around) stereotypical mongrel street dog around - the other is a retired racing greyhound who's a total pain in the arse (but I love her anyway).

If I could find the bastards who threw him out on the streets mid-winter leading him to ending up in the pound - I'd bloody kill them cos he's such a fab dude. I do get fucked off when people disregard the shit outta him cos he ain't a fancy pedigree.

[richardd]

i was thinking of getting a german shepard when i get my own place around feb. They make good security alarms, and amazing friends. But the only concern of mine is the financial stability of getting it's shots updated, and other medical shit. Is there any sort of plan, or pet insurance that seem more reliable than others. I did a google search, but my knowledge in stuff like this is ass.

[Dantrag]

i was thinking of getting a german shepard when i get my own place around feb. They make good security alarms, and amazing friends. But the only concern of mine is the financial stability of getting it's shots updated, and other medical shit. Is there any sort of plan, or pet insurance that seem more reliable than others. I did a google search, but my knowledge in stuff like this is ass.

How old is the dog? Most shelters will update all the shots/spade/neuter etc the dog before they give them away. Some pets marts have Banfield(sp) in them that can do a full year plan for your dog for something around 200 bucks. But do the research as these can very from store to store as far as the quality of work and the vets inside.

[richardd]

How old is the dog? Most shelters will update all the shots/spade/neuter etc the dog before they give them away. Some pets marts have Banfield(sp) in them that can do a full year plan for your dog for something around 200 bucks. But do the research as these can very from store to store as far as the quality of work and the vets inside.

i plan on getting a dog around 5 months old lol. or maybe a year, i really haven't decided. but i'll be sure to ask about those plans they have in store for them when i approach the final decisions towards this. thanks man!

[Dantrag]

i plan on getting a dog around 5 months old lol. or maybe a year, i really haven't decided. but i'll be sure to ask about those plans they have in store for them when i approach the final decisions towards this. thanks man!

If it's 5 mo. old you wont need a whole lot of shots. Bordetella at around 6mo and maybe again around 9mo and then rabies at 1 yr. Then rabies again at 3. Croix hasn't been to the vet in a long time, he'll be 2 in December.

[isladar]

i was thinking of getting a german shepard when i get my own place around feb. They make good security alarms, and amazing friends. But the only concern of mine is the financial stability of getting it's shots updated, and other medical shit. Is there any sort of plan, or pet insurance that seem more reliable than others. I did a google search, but my knowledge in stuff like this is ass.

Please make a really harsh/honest assessment of how many hours you'll be away from the dog during the day. When it was just my father and me, we decided to get a dog because I wanted to get over my fear of them (so we got a German Shepard! Clearly!), and while he was the most incredible, intuitive, gentle and steadfast animal, because he'd had to be alone for most of the day when he was young due to school and work, he was never acclimated to other dogs or small children. Even if you have to leave the little guy for a workday, try to compensate by getting him around people and other dogs as much as possible. Shepards have a tendency to bond to only a few people to begin with, and not getting adequate exposure to other people/animals can really compound this.

[Dantrag]

I'm a big advocate of doggy daycare if you can afford it if you are going to be out of the house 8-10 hours a day.

[Amelya]

Honestly if you're concerned about the cost of shots I would not get a dog until you have an good sized emergency fund saved up, or at least have enough reliable credit in case of emergency. A blown ACL or surgery for an obstruction (for example) can easily run you $1000+.

[Aksannyi]

I would love to get a pet, but I won't until I get a house. Fuck paying $400 pet deposit plus a non-refundable $100 per year I have the animal.

[Dantrag]

I would love to get a pet, but I won't until I get a house. Fuck paying $400 pet deposit plus a non-refundable $100 per year I have the animal.

It's worth it if you can afford it. <3 mah dogs.