Sometimes, families who adopt pets from a shelter do so without giving it considerable thought, and wind up returning the pet to the shelter. When children are involved, this can be hurtful to them, and to the animal as well. It can even be dangerous if it is the wrong breed or personality of dog.
Also, even if you are getting the pet mainly for your children, the fact of the matter is that YOU are ultimately responsible for its vet’s bills and upkeep. It can be an expensive ‘plaything’ and it is supposed to be a commitment for life, not just for the holiday season.
You also need to make sure that you provide adequate adult supervision, and understand that a dog, especially a young one, can be very unpredictable, even if you think it is well-trained.
Our neighbor’s daughter went through the trauma of seeing her dog hit and killed by a car because he was a large labrador and she weighed about 80 pounds. It saw another dog across the street, and ran for it, and was hit and killed. At least she didn’t drag the child along with her into the path of the oncoming car, but still, this was an avoidable tragedy.
Everyone in the family needs to know their own limitations and role in the family. Above all, never ever try to soldier through with a dog that is literally ‘too much to handle.’
It’s important, therefore, that before you decide upon adopting an animal from a shelter that you weigh the pros and cons, discuss it with family members, and then go to a reputable shelter and choose a pet together as a family.
Choose one you know everyone can live with, and one that will fit in with your regular lifestyle. If you are all at work or school all day and don’t get home ’til seven every night, who will be tending to that pet in the meantime, or alternately, who will clean up the mess when the bored pet totally wrecks the house?
Yes, all shelters want to save animals. If you go to the shelter, you are bound to feel as though, so long as you’re there, and that dog is soooo cute, you might as well go home with one. DON’T. Not without thinking it through.
Keep in mind while there are many shelters available, some have to maintain more animals than they can manage, because they really don’t want to put down any animals that they think they might have a chance of adopting out to a good home.
But the reality is if they are not properly funded, they have no choice but to euthanize the older animals. Therefore, it is critical that you know what type of animal you prefer and save them from either death, or living out their lives in a shelter where they are kept in cages, and cannot receive the one-on-one attention they deserve.
But before you go the the shelter, do your research on what kind of pet you would like for your whole family, and what breed of dog is right for all of you. A little forward planning can save a whole lot of heartache.
FURTHER READING: