There are so many animals in America and all over the world who need homes. So why not adopt?

Most local pet shops have animals you can adopt that may come from a hard place and need someone who can provide a great family for them. Most pet stores carry animals from companies that force breed, and they don’t treat their animals with care. This means that if you buy an animal, they may get sick very easily, or they won’t do well with human behavior.

But by adopting you are saving an animal’s life, and giving them love they haven’t been able to experience.

Not only is adopting a pet good for the animal, but its good for your bank account too. By adopting you are saving a lot of money, because before these pets were put up for adoption, they were most likely spayed or neutered before hand (unless they are babies), and since these pets were most likely brought to the pet store for free, that means it costs a lot less than just buying an animal

In New York state, a great aspect of adopting is that there are no kill shelters here. What this means is that shelters in New York State will not put down an animal if they are not adopted within a certain amount of days. Many southern states that have kill shelters send dogs and cats up to shelters in New York, like North Shore Animal League, and many others so they will live and have a home with a loving family.

Junior, Alison Nolan says that her favorite part of adopting her cat was, “Getting to interact with all of the animals in the shelter and when i eventually bring them home i love to see how their personality emerges after they get used to their new home.”

Nolan also states,” I know that there are many animals who need a home and i wanted to make sure that my other cat who is very needy and clingy had someone to be with during the day.”

You also won’t be supporting puppy mills, which is where a lot of dogs come from, and they are most certainly mistreated by the workers. Puppy mills usually house up to hundreds of dogs at a single time, which is most certainly harmful to health of any pup. Puppy mills have really horrible conditions for dogs. A female dog and a male dog are put in a room alone with no food or water until they mate. This is downright unnatural and abusive. Many pure and overbread puppies who are a product of this type of breeding usually have many abnormalities and health issues.

Freshman Esme Fromhart says that she adopted her dog, Rizzo for various reasons. She says, “I would rather save a dog who needs a home than go to a breeder and choose a dog that I like the ‘style’ of.” Fromhart also added, “I would rather adopt because a lot of dogs that are bought come from breeders and puppy mills which are places that force dogs to breed in order to get the ‘perfect’ looking dog. I adopted my dog and I love her so much and she is perfect even though I didn’t her breed.”

Freshman at the NYC iSchool Dylan Kilgore adopted his cat, “I chose to adopt my cat because she only had one eye because her mom abandoned her after her eye got stuck on a fence and it had to be removed.” He also claims, “My favorite part about adopting was that my cat got a home.”

When adopting, you may be the first human to show that animal real compassion and care. But not all pets up for adoption come from places where they were being harmed, sometimes they just come from families who may not have been able to care for them anymore, with no harm being done. This means that animal may already be trained and used to human interaction, which is a huge benefit for any pet owner. Training takes time, especially if your animal is still a baby.

Ms. Mangano, an English teacher at the NYC iSchool, adopted her cat, Precious.

“I wanted to save an animal that would potentially be put to sleep.” She also states, “She was around 7 years old when she was adopted. We knew she would be a great fit.”

Oftentimes most of your local pet stores will have multiple animals up for adoption if you ask, “Can I see your pets up for adoption?” They will most likely have quite a few for you to look at. But if you don’t find your perfect pet there, you can always look for local sellers online! The options are endless!

Remember, not only dogs and cats can be adopted,  you can adopt anything from a lizard to a hamster! With adoption, you also get the choice of a vast range of age. Most times when you shop, you’ll only get the choice of a hyper kitten or puppy, and while baby animals are cute and cuddly they are certainly a handful. When you adopt, you have the option of choosing a middle aged pet, or a puppy, you can choose whatever fits your lifestyle.