The third week of September is a pretty important week for our animal companions: it’s Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week. If you’re looking for a new pet, don’t scroll past that sad-looking dog or cat no one wanted. Pets that have trouble getting adopted often turn out to be the best pets ever. You can also learn a lot by giving one of these unwanted pets a loving home. As your Marion, IA area veterinarian, I list some things you may learn when you adopt less-adoptable pets below.
Helping Animals Feels Great
It’s a very beautiful and rewarding experience seeing a sad, scared pet really thrive with love and good care. This is as true for small animals, like birds, ferrets, and Guinea pigs, as it is with dogs and cats. You may find that doing something good to help another living being has quite a profound–and possibly even life-changing–effect on you. It can be very powerful to experience that breakthrough moment when a scared, lonely pet realizes that they are now safe and loved.
Pets Get Misunderstood Too
Pets can have difficulty getting adopted for many different reasons. Older pets, for example, often just can’t compete with super cute puppies and kittens. This really isn’t fair, as they have some wonderful traits. For one thing, they’re much calmer than their younger counterparts. Pets with medical issues, such as deafness or missing limbs, also have a hard time finding homes, as people assume they require a lot of additional care. However, many of them don’t need extra care so much as slightly different care. Sometimes superstitions or misconceptions are to blame. This is often the case with black cats and dogs. Sadly, they spend much longer in shelters than their counterparts, because of myths tying them to witches and witchcraft.
Sometimes Pets Rescue Us
Animals definitely bring a lot of love and laughter into our lives, and they have a way of making special places in our hearts. Our furred (and scaled or feathered) companions know when someone has helped them and been kind to them, and they tend to be very loyal and loving to their saviors. Unconditional love is a great reward for simple TLC!
Do you have questions about your pet’s health or care? Contact me here at your Marion, IA area animal clinic, today!
