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As many of you know, we recently got a new addition to the house a 2.5 year old dog named “Cooper”. Rescued from a shelter in NYC, he has been a good fit for our household, and we are enjoying him. Many of you know that we are also avid animal “foster parents”, and usually have a critter or two (or more) that we are fostering for a local shelter or rescue organization. There just aren’t enough homes to go around, and too many animals are over-bred. Cooper was in a high kill shelter, where his days were numbered. As a matter of fact, there is a group that is pretty active trying to get pets out of there as fast as possible, and I’m sorry to say that many of the dogs we met while we were there adopting Cooper were put to sleep that same week, due to running out of room. It broke my heart- sweet dogs, whose lives were cut short because no one took the time to find them good homes and just dumped them at a high kill shelter, or in the street where they were found wandering, or a million other sad stories. The worst part is that it just didn’t need to happen. As the bumper sticker on my car says, “Don’t Buy Love- Rescue It!”
The Shelter Pet Project
Get true, unconditional, fierce, unforgettable love through shelter pet adoption!
Each year approximately 3-4 million pets are adopted from shelter and rescue groups, but 2.4 million healthy and treatable pets still need our help to find a home each year. The Shelter Pet Project is a collaborative effort between The Humane Society of the United States, Maddie’s Fund®, and the Ad Council.
The goal of The Shelter Pet Project is to make shelters and rescue groups the first place people turn when looking to get a new pet.
Actress Bellamy Young, who plays First Lady Mellie Grant on NBC’s “Scandal,” in partnership with the Shelter Pet Project, stars in a new online video featuring her adopted dog Bean and adopted cat Sadie. The video helps break down misconceptions surrounding shelter pets and spreads the word that pets in shelters are wonderful and loveable.
In the video, Bellamy says, “Adoption is very near and dear to my heart” and encourages those who are thinking about pet adoption to take the next step and experience a “love unlike anything you’ve ever known.”
Millions of people are looking to acquire a pet within the next year. Will you help us show potential adopters that they can provide loving homes for shelter and rescue pets?
Here are a few simple ways you can help:
- Check out the new “Meet My Shelter Pet” video featuring Bellamy Young: https://www.youtube.com/embed/
p4hhORQZTbE (share it on social media too- get the word out!) - Visit TheShelterPetProject.org, where you can “meet” shelter pets through an interactive experience, search for a dog or cat from a local shelter or rescue group, read adoption success stories, and learn valuable information about pet adoption.
- Did you adopt/rescue your dog or cat? Share your #shelterpetlove. Share a photo or video of your shelter pet . Tag posts with #shelterpetlove to encourage people to visit TheShelterPetProject.org to learn more about pet adoption. By sharing how your shelter pet enhances your life, you can show people who may be hesitant to pick a shelter pet just how rewarding it is to adopt.
- Follow on social media, and start sharing! Make sure you use #shelterpetlove when sharing.
https://www.facebook.com/ShelterPetProject
https://twitter.com/shelterpets
http://www.pinterest.com/shelterpets
http://instagram.com/shelterpetproject
Cooper has been awesome, and I have to say our Chaac (our previous dog whom we also adopted through a local shelter) was amazing as well. He was more then a dog- he was a true family member. We miss him dearly, his passing was hard on us, and it took us a while to be ready to get another dog of our own, besides foster pets. Shelter pets are not “inferior” to breeder or pet store dogs- in fact, they are loyal, loving, and healthy. And even if your heart is set on a certain breed, you can easily find a rescue group devoted to that breed and adopt from that group.
Please consider shelters and rescue groups when you are looking for a new pet- and remember, like kids, pets require training and patience 🙂
we got our dog from a shelter and will go there again to get another one soon
We used to be active with Shar Pei Savers. We adopted 3 dogs when my older 3 kids were little. Unfortunately, all 3 dogs had issues that were almost too much for us to handle and we quit after those 3 dogs. I do love rescues and all that they do, along with the foster families. I wish we could foster but it’s just not for us. We are waiting about another year and we will be ready for another dog and we will look for one in a shelter or rescue.
It’s the only way I think of to get a pet…and the best way. We’ve rescued a cat.
Cooper is adorable! He has such a sweet face!
completely agree.
everyone should check out their local shelter way before checking out the pet store
What a cute dog!