- Lower stress
- Being more social
- Being more active
- Pain relief
- Heart health boost
- Each year, approximately 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized (they're involuntarily killed by injection or gas chamber). Sometimes only due to overcrowding.
- You're saving two lives: the pet you're adopting and the one that can take the open space in the shelter.
- Mixed breeds tend to have less genetic health problems.
- Most shelter animals are vaccinated, spayed or neutered and microchipped.
- Rescue groups usually want the pet returned to them if you're no longer able to care for the pet.
- You can still adopt "purebreds" in shelters.
- Not all shelter dogs are unpredictable and have behavioral issues. Many end up in shelters due to living situations, divorce, losing a job, unplanned litters, or not having time to care for the pet.
- Breeding pets contributes to the existing pet overpopulation problem.
- Puppy mills (which sell to pet stores) breed dogs commercially, putting profit over the health of the dogs being used as breeding machines.
- Female dogs are bred at every opportunity with little to no recovery time between litters. When they are physically depleted to the point that they can no longer reproduce, they're often killed.
- Dogs can spend most of their lives in cramped, filthy cages, sometimes with contaminated food and water, and with no room to play or exercise.
- Adopt - don't shop!
- Volunteer at the shelter or at adoption events.
- Foster an animal
- Donate $
- Donate the needed Wish List items on a rescue's website.
Mimi was a stray living on the streets of Puerto Rico with four puppies. A local rescue there took them in and cared for them. She was spayed, vaccinated and microchipped. There are many stray dogs in Puerto Rico and local rescues will transport them here where they have a better chance of being adopted. Her puppies were transported over first, and all adopted before I even knew her story. It was January 2013, the holidays were over and I was ready to make the commitment. I knew I wanted a smaller dog and I was told that the transport would be in on Wednesday that week. On January 9th, she was flown from Puerto Rico into JFK Airport, then transported upstate to the shelter where I finally met her. I had no information about her yet, about her personality, if she had any behavior issues, or if she was going to get along with my cat. 
When I took her home, I expected to have a transition period with her, but to my surprise she settled in perfectly and has been that way ever since. Her quirky personality makes me laugh, and I'll be forever grateful for her unconditional love.
Our emotions affect our health on a level far greater than we know. Have you ever “worried yourself sick,” or “felt so happy, you could fly?” This is why our mental health should be considered as serious as our physical health. They both come hand-in-hand.
How do animals play a role in this? They open our hearts and touch our souls. They give us a purpose to wake early and go for a walk, as they anxiously wait for us to get out of bed. They make us laugh and smile and live with purpose. They love us unconditionally and treat us like their heroes. They are easy to please and wag their little furry tails when we play with them or speak to them. And who couldn’t be happier to see us when we come home?
If you are ready to make the commitment to having a pet and to accept an unlimited outpouring of gratitude and love into your life, please consider rescuing your future dog or cat. When you rescue an animal, you are taking them away from a horrible situation and giving a homeless dog/cat a forever home.
At NuSpecies, we love working with and supporting our local communities, especially our local animal rescue organizations. These nonprofit animal shelters provide temporary homes for local dogs and cats, rescuing them from unfortunate situations such as domestic abuse or neglect. Many dogs and cats are euthanized in your local municipal shelter, simply because there isn't enough room for all of these homeless animals. Nonprofit animal rescue organizations take these perfectly adoptable animals out of municipal shelters and save them from being killed.
It’s also more compassionate to stay away from pet stores and breeders. Pet store puppies come from puppy mills, where their mother and father are in extremely inhumane circumstances. Breeders are producing more dogs and cats, when there are already so many homeless animals that need homes.
Want to know the best part? There are so many different personalities to choose from! With dogs, you can choose from a variety of ages and temperaments. Looking for an active dog? The staff at your animal rescue will direct you to the perfect dog that loves to go for runs! Want a more mellow dog or one with a laid-back personality? They've got them too! If it's your first pet, you can adopt a dog that is already house-trained and knows its manners. Are you desperately seeking a puppy? Guess what....they have those too!
If you think you’re ready for a new furry bundle of joy, discuss it with your family to see if you are all ready to make a team-effort in caring for this new life. Some responsibilities include daily walks, conscious training, including bi-annual veterinary visits and dog food in your budget. The rewards are endless!