Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
They are places that those with tender hearts stay away from — the wagging tails, echoing barks and sorrowful eyes staring out from cages and kennels at an animal shelter can be too much for some people.
And rightfully so, because if you’re an animal lover, the experience of walking down rows of wayward pups in need of homes can be overwhelming and heart wrenching, not something you subject yourself to needlessly.
Yet the elation that exists if such a venture is taken on in search of a new pal is another feeling entirely. Going cage by cage to pet the damp noses that jut out eagerly, reading information cards and trying to imagine which bedraggled pooch is the best fit for your home, lifestyle and personality, can be incredibly exciting, tempered only by the knowledge that you can’t take them all.
Adopting a pet can be a wonderful feeling. Not only is it fun to welcome a new critter to the family, it comes with a sense of satisfaction to know that you’re providing an opportunity to an animal that has been without stability, and, has very likely run out of chances.
Even those fortunate enough to find their way to no-kill facilities or rescue organizations, though they may have their lives, still need people that will take them into their homes and share with them the safety and stability that they have been without.
Started 36 years ago by American Humane, October is National Adopt a Dog Month, a rescue initiative aimed at raising awareness about the plight of homeless dogs and increasing adoptions from shelters and rescue groups.
As it turns out, people are generous and welcome animals into their homes often, with most dogs taken in either through adoption from shelters or from friends and family.
Nearly half of pet dogs, 44 percent, were adopted from shelters or rescues according to a 2017 survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association. A further 4 percent were taken in as strays and 25 percent were acquired from friends or relatives.
However, with between 6-8 million animals entering the nation’s estimated 3,500 shelters, about 3 million dogs and cats are euthanized each year, so there’s a long way to go, according to the Humane Society of the United States.
As the weather turns colder, making life harder for strays, it’s a great time to think about welcoming a needy pooch into your home.
American Humane recommends that when ready to take the plunge, talk to a shelter or rescue group about your lifestyle and dogs they have that might be a good match. If a young dog seems like too much to handle, remember, senior pets need homes too. You never know, you might luck out with a pooch that’s already trained, calm and just wants someone to lounge around with.
If adopting is out of the question, consider volunteering or donating money or pet supplies to a local shelter, rescue organization or national group you believe is doing good work.
Another option, if the time is not right for a new pet, is to spay or neuter and/or microchip any critters that already belong to your household. Reducing breeding and taking precautions to keep pets from becoming strays is just as valuable, perhaps even more so, as adopting.
Whatever you choose to do, whether it’s October, or any other time of year, extending your home, or your time and generosity, to an animal in need is always a worthwhile investment.
Sharna Johnson is a writer who is always searching for ponies. You can reach her at: [email protected]