October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month

October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month making it a great time to fall in love with a shelter dog.

According to data from Best Friends Animal Society, a leading animal welfare organization working to end the killing of cats and dogs in America’s shelters by 2025, nearly 20 dogs are killed every hour in U.S. shelters.

At a time when shelters across the country are currently at or over capacity, it’s essential to adopt. Welcoming home a shelter dog is the most impactful way to end the shelter crisis and save lives. To clear up any misconceptions about these deserving animals, Best Friends debunked fact versus fiction about shelter animals.

• Fact: Adoption helps curb pet populations and reduces the demand for puppy mills or other inhumane commercial breeding facilities. Reducing the demand for puppy mills can also help fight pet overpopulation and saves homeless animals from being killed.
• Fact: It’s less expensive to adopt a dog than to buy one. Not only are adoption fees significantly less than the cost of buying a dog, but before going home, dogs in shelters are typically vaccinated, microchipped, and spayed or neutered. This saves adopters money and sets the pet up for a healthy and happy future.
• Fiction: Mixed breed dogs aren’t as healthy as purebreds. In fact, mutts tend to be healthier as they are often less prone to inherited disorders.
• Fiction: Only certain “types” of dogs end up in shelters. Dogs of all sizes, ages, activity levels, and breeds are in shelters. Click here to find your perfect fit at a shelter or rescue near you.

Not ready to adopt? Fostering is a great option that provides an animal with the space and time to decompress, while acclimating to life in a home. Foster homes are essential to no-kill as they provide animals a temporary home until they can be adopted.

To learn more about how to get involved and Best Friends mission of no-kill 2025, visit bestfriends.org.

About Best Friends Animal Society

Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization working to end the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters by 2025. Founded in 1984, Best Friends is a pioneer in the no-kill movement and has helped reduce the number of animals killed in shelters from an estimated 17 million per year to around 378,000. Best Friends runs lifesaving programs across the country, as well as the nation’s largest no-kill animal sanctuary. Working collaboratively with a network of more than 4,400 animal welfare and shelter partners, and community members nationwide, Best Friends is working to Save Them All®. For more information, visit bestfriends.org

Assets: BROLL/PHOTOS