Adopt-A-Shelter Dog Month

What Can An Adopted Dog Bring To Your Life?

For millions of dogs, there’s something special about the month of October. No, it’s not holiday sweaters or Halloween treats. It’s the promise of a better life. You see, October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, which means it’s the perfect opportunity to help homeless animals in shelters all across America find loving, happy homes.

If you’re thinking about getting a dog, be a hero and consider adopting a rescue animal or a dog from your local shelter. You’ll be saving a life and greatly improving yours. Dogs are amazing, supportive, and heroic companions who can make a huge difference in your world as a best friend, an exercise buddy, someone who can be trained to provide animal-assisted therapy and help those with challenges they may face, or simply be a fuzzy face to greet you after a hard day at work.

Your local shelter is the perfect place to find dogs of every type, size, age and personality — all waiting for a loving home. Or if you prefer a particular breed that isn’t currently available at a shelter, go online to find a legitimate breed-specific rescue group in need of adopters like you.

How to Celebrate

• Adopt from a shelter or rescue group: When you’re ready to open your heart and home to a new best friend, adopt from your local animal shelter or rescue group. Talk with shelter staff to find the perfect dog for you and your lifestyle, and remember that older dogs make excellent pets too.

• Fundraise. What better way to celebrate your love of dogs than to host a fundraiser in their honor? Start a Facebook fundraiser for your favorite rescue. Or, set up a #MonthofRescue challenge and ask your friends and followers to donate $1 a day to your favorite rescue. Just $31 can help provide food, shelter and the chance at a loving home for a dog in need.

• Spay or neuter your dog: Have your dog spayed or neutered, thus preventing the possibility of unexpected, and potentially unwanted, puppies. Spayed and neutered animals have been shown to lead longer, healthier lives and have fewer of certain behavioral problems than animals who have not been spayed or neutered.

• ID your pet: By putting identification on your dog, either in the form of a tag, a microchip or both, you will reduce the possibility that your pet will become one of the presumably “homeless” dogs that end up at your local shelter. Only 15-20 percent of dogs who enter a shelter are reunited with their owners. Make sure your dog is one of the fortunate few by outfitting him with proper identification!

• Support your local shelter or animal rescue group: Show the pets at your local shelter or rescue group that you care by donating time, money, or supplies like pet food, leashes, beds and toys. Call the shelter to see what supplies or services are needed most. Even the smallest effort can make a difference.

• Foster a homeless pet: It is so true when we say “fostering saves lives” because it does! We can’t rescue an animal in need without a dedicated foster home in place. For more information on fostering, visit our foster page at www.pawprintsinthesand.org/foster. It’s only temporary, but means a lifetime for a pet!