Next Time, Consider A Rescued Pet!

          People love pets. To borrow the phrase, it’s American as apple pie. But in these troubled economic times, who can afford a purebred cat or dog?
 
          Do you even WANT a purebred? Oh sure, there’s a certain pride in being able to say "I own a registered lilac-point Siamese with bloodlines that go back to the Egyptian pharaohs." But the simple truth is, many breeds of cats and dogs have become sickly or temperamentally unstable from too much inbreeding. Sometimes this is due to a very limited genetic pool (especially in the case of rarer breeds). Sometimes it’s due to irresponsible "puppy mill" breeders, who turn out hundreds to thousands of low-quality pets without the slightest regard for their bloodlines or health. Many times, crossbreeds are healthier and more sturdy.
 
          Mind you, I’m not talking about the so-called "designer" breeds here. A poodle-pekinese mix may look cute, but it’s still a mutt, and it’s not worth $800-$1000. Calling it a Peekapoo or a Poodlese does not change that fact.
 
          Instead of indulging this insane fad of buying "designer" pets from people who are NOT registered breeders, and whose only purpose in breeding their questionable-quality pets was to make money...consider adopting a pet from your local shelter.
 
          Shelters are notoriously overcrowded and underfunded. The conditions are often appalling, because too many unwanted pets are being dropped off every day, and shelters have neither the space nor the money to care for them properly. This is the reason why so many abandoned pets are euthanized so quickly. Most shelters will evaluate a pet when it arrives...and if it’s old, handicapped, or just plain ugly, they’ll decide it’s not adoptable, and they’ll euthanize it immediately. The ones who are given a "second chance" have only a few days or weeks to live...and if they aren’t adopted in that short time span, they are also euthanized.
 
          Animals end up in shelters for a wide variety of reasons. Sometimes it’s because the animal was too aggressive for its original owners. But most of the time, it’s because the owners had to move, and couldn’t take their pet with them. Or they lost their jobs, and they couldn’t afford to feed it. Or it had an unexpected litter of babies, and they didn’t want to bother with raising them. Or a thousand other reasons, each sadder than the last. Times are tough, and no one understands that better than the poor animal sitting in a crowded shelter cage, hoping against hope that a loving human will see it and rescue it...before it’s too late.
 
          Whichever pet you decide to rescue, understand first and foremost that you are saving its life. And don’t think it won’t understand, and return your love and loyalty in full measure. Shelter pets can easily become some of the most loving, and lovable, pets in the entire world. All they need is that second chance.
 
          And hey, if you absolutely must have a "designer" pet...amuse yourself by trying to figure out your new friend’s checkered lineage, and pull a fast one on your pals by claiming that you have the newest rare...um...Peeka-pooki-boxinese!  LOL