Many people interested in buying a pet consider a local breeder or a pet store as the first stop in their search for a pet, but the local animal shelter ought to be placed at the front of their list. You will find reasons big and small to support your nearby shelter, all of which provides future owners an excellent experience in every way. From a big picture point of view, embracing a shelter animal is a solid step in solving the animal overpopulation problem that our society has brought upon itself; it’s believed that 12 Million healthy animals are killed in animal shelters every year because nobody will adopt them. But the benefit of adopting a rescued animal isn’t just that it preserves a life, it’s also because rescue animals offer genuine benefits to the new pet owner. Let’s consider a few of these rewards that new owners will appreciate.

A Knowledge of Personality

Although there are many positives to getting a pet from a commercial source, the new pet owner is taking a chance about how that animal’s personality will develop and whether it will be favorable to its living conditions. Sure, all puppies are lovable and playful but nobody can say exactly what the grown dog’s temperament will be until it is 24 months old. Therefore owners may be rolling the dice to see if they receive a constantly energetic, sluggish or aggressive dog. Each time a rescue dog is picked, it has typically made it through the necessary developmental period and had developed its personality. Hence it’s easier to select a pet that an owner can actually evaluate.

A Special Devotion

Ordinarily most rescue animals haven’t gotten off to a smooth start in life, so after they have become used to their new living condition shelter animals often demonstrate remarkable loyalty and devotion. Most of this behavior in dogs is usually related to their innate tendency to become a member of the pack and owners as well as their families are valued members of the dog’s group. A dog that has been mistreated or abandoned once is normally eager to become part of a loving pack, where she feels safe, reliable and is likely to act accordingly. While cats don’t have ties to pack behaviors, their loyalty and affection are equal to that of dogs even though they may express it differently. Clearly, a shelter animal’s incredibly loyalty is a great benefit.

A Jump Start

When bringing a pet home from a breeder or pet store, many new pet owners tend to pick a puppy or kitten without fully understanding the amount of work required. Effectively they are bringing a baby into their home that is fully dependent on them for care, not forgetting untrained and un-socialized. The result is often a busy period when an owner must regularly keep track of the young animal to make sure that they are cared for as well as trained. Those that adopt a shelter animal will discover that the pet has been fostered and socialized by a volunteer to ensure that the pet has the necessary skills to make it a good adoption, such as being housebroken. So adopting a shelter animal gives owners a head start.

No Bad Medical Surprises

Unfortunately there are many dishonest people who breed and sell animals with undetected health conditions, but this is less likely to occur when one adopts a rescue animal. Although many animals that come to the shelter may have had a health issue, on arrival they receive an extensive physical examination, are spayed or neutered, have been tested for heart worm and even brought up to date on their required shots! When one purchases a puppy from a commercial source, these steps are hardly ever taken, which leaves the new owner with the risk of a potential medical condition, let alone the cost of the medical care. So a big benefit of adopting a shelter animal is the lack of nasty medical situations.

Adopting a cat or dog ought to be a fun experience for both the animal as well as its new family, however possible owners will find that by selecting a shelter animal as opposed to an animal from a commercial source has considerably more benefits.

Regina T. Roby is an avid pet owner that has encountered firsthand buying pets commercially and adopting them from a local shelter. Regardless of the source, she still ensures the ability to treat her pets: her dog Golden Retriever Paco is protected a dog insurance policy dog insurance policy and her accident-prone cat Mr. Whiskers regularly depends on his cat insurance policy to prevent unpleasant financial surprises.