Why Adopt?

“When I held her in my hands, I decided to treat her as my baby. She is now two years old and my family has also learned how to love and treat her,” said Harshita, a proud mom to an indie breed dog she adopted from a shelter home. While Harshita’s friends and family cautioned at first against letting her ethics get the best of her but with time they came around and couldn’t stop themselves from pouring their heart on Harshita’s dog, Eva.

Deciding to be a dog owner is in itself a tough call since animals come with their own burden and needs. Then comes the harder part when we start to look for a dog that would fit right in our homes. Going for adoption is often seen as an impractical decision and solely about being the do-gooder. While it is a responsible step if we take the plight of stray dogs into consideration, it is also a lot about our convenience.

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More familiarity

Most pet shops have little time to assess the behaviour of dogs so they don’t know how the dog will adjust at your home. On the other hand, shelter homeowners take in dogs to care for them so they are not only aware of the dog’s behaviour but also have proper knowledge about their medical issues. Dogs suffer from several unnoticeable ailments like weak lungs, enlarged hearts, ticks and something as serious as dislocated hips. In case you set your heart on a puppy, the rescue groups can tell you about their mother. Being aware of your potential pet’s issues can help you take better care of them and also give you enough information to decide if you are ready to take that responsibility. The rescue groups also help in the initial stage of familiarization because they take responsibility for the pet’s wellbeing.

Convenient for your pocket

So many dog rescue groups across the country let you adopt free of cost. Even when they charge money, it is much less compared to what the pet shops demand. The money you give to an animal shelter or rescue group is invested on needs of other dogs of the shelter and it also compensates for all the money spent on important vaccinations like spaying and neutering of your adopted pet during his time at that place.

Most people hold a prejudice that dog shelters don’t have pure-breed dogs. That is not the case and is not even relevant. Being fixated on a future pet’s breed is like deciding your child’s race. Moreover, according to the principle of hybrid vigour, mixed-breed dogs are much more healthy than a pure-breed one hence less money spent on medical bills.

For the animal lover in you

There are about 35 million stray dogs in India that face the risk of death and abuse every day. They become cheap meat in restaurants, get run over on roads, mutilated for nothing and get thrown down from sky-high buildings just for someone’s sadist pleasures. Even the polished image of dog breeders is flawed. In order to earn money for fancy pure-breed dogs, some of them forcibly impregnate dogs. Too many litters from the same mother make for unhealthy animals, which don’t live very long. This kind of in-breeding also amounts to genetic defects in lot puppies. Rather than buying and being party to such practices, you can adopt a dog and save his life.

The whole idea of taking responsibility for another being is rooted in goodwill. While it is wise to weigh your options, it is also necessary to be aware of some sacrosanct lines, which are not to be crossed. Bringing home a furry friend has proven to be the happiest life decision for many people, its time you adopt your share of happiness.

From the August 2020 issue of FHM India.