Challenge #18: Help animals!

Visit an animal shelter and pet an animal of your choice.

“Each and every animal on earth has as much right to be here as you and me.”

-Anthony Douglas Williams

Hi, guys!

We don’t know about you, but we really love animals. They are what they are, there’s no pretending or lying when it comes to animals. They are 100% honest and genuine. Since we are the most evolved creatures on this planet, it is our obligation to make sure every inhabitant feels as good as possible.

We don’t know if you are aware of the fact that each individual is allowed to visit an animal shelter. In most local shelters they let visitors pet most of the animals that are located there. In some shelters, you can even take a dog for a walk.

People working in shelters are usually too busy to devote enough time to every single animal there. As such, many animals feel the lack of care and love. We know it’s bad enough that they found themselves in a shelter in the first place, but quite often, for many of the animals, being in a shelter is actually a step forward.

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

-Gandhi

Know that your visit to a shelter could really make some pet’s day. We sincerely urge you take some time (if possible this week) to pay a visit to a shelter of your choice. Find a pet that you’d like to devote some of your time to and do it.

Animal shelter facts

Many of us know very little when it comes to animal shelters, that is why we have decided to write down some interesting facts about animal shelters. Hopefully, those will give you the basic idea. And maybe they will give you an additional reason to take on this week’s challenge.

Moreover, when it comes to animal shelters the statistics are rather poor, so the numbers given here should be treated as ballpark figures. As usual, we’ll take a look at the USA statistics.

1.) Concerning facts:

• Around 10 million companion animals enter animal shelters in the US each year.
• Sadly, around 50 % of those are euthanized.
• Animals are either brought to shelters by the owners who can’t take care of them anymore or they are picked up by animal control. On average, shelter intakes are about evenly divided between those two.
• About 30 % of dogs and less than 2 % of cats are returned to their owners.

2.) Good to know facts – if you’re thinking about adopting an animal:

• Around 25 % of dogs that enter animal shelters are purebred.
• There are other animals besides dogs and cats in many shelters – you can find rabbits, hamsters, rats, mice, guinea pigs, and even some others. 
• If you’re looking for a new pet, you can save a lot of money by adopting it from the shelter. Moreover, in many cases, animals in shelters are already trained to a certain degree, which will make it a lot easier for you.

• Animals in shelters are checked by veterinarians. In case you’ll adopt an animal from the shelter, you’ll know about their health condition. 

We must all agree that a lot of progress has been done in the field of animal rights over the last decade. Of course, things are far from perfect, but we believe we’re on the right track. That’s when we talk about the developed world.

“Compassion for animals is intimately connected with goodness of character; and it may be confidently asserted that he who is cruel to animals cannot be a good man.”

-Arthur Schopenhauer

When we take a look at third world countries, the conditions for animals (especially dogs and cats) are really very poor. In those countries, there are usually no animal shelters or only a few of them. So there is a lot of room for improvement in the area of animal rights in this world as a whole.

Visiting an animal shelter

Since we’re not trying to bring you down, let’s focus on your visit to a shelter. It can be an amazing experience. Especially if you don’t own a pet, it can really make you see animals completely differently. You might realize how much they know, how much they feel, …

Animals in shelters lack human companionship, that’s why their reaction to your attention towards them can be overwhelming. Your time to pet them and take some time for them can mean the world to shelter animals.

As such, they tend to make incredible sounds of gratitude for your attention. Trust us, it will really warm up your heart. And who knows, maybe you’ll come home with your new pet.

There is one thing you should prepare yourself for – since many animal shelters are crowded, there can be a strong smell present. Not all shelters have a problem with that, but some do. But you’ll get used to the smell in the first couple of minutes. It’s totally worth it!

Adopting an animal

Those of you that we’ll be willing to take this challenge to another level and adopt a shelter animal might really want to take a closer look at the content prepared by fellow animal-helping folks at the HomeoAnimal. By reading their Ultimate guide to pet adoption, you can find out basically all the information needed to successfully adopt your new pet. They created an entire series of 12 articles, which cover topics like the benefits of adopting an animal, myths that are all-too-often associated with adoption, considerations one should take before and during the adoption process and tips for taking care of a new pet.

In case you decide to adopt a dog, we recommend you check out this ultimate guide to adopting a dog.

Deep thoughts

We’d also like to ask you to do as much as it is in your power to help stop animal cruelty and to help protect animals all around the world.

Warn those that seem not to treat animals the way they deserve, report (you can use this link) on those who are abusing animals, and most importantly, teach children to treat animals with respect and care.

“Animals cannot speak, but can you and I not speak for them and represent them? Let us all feel their silent cry of agony and let us all help that cry to be heard in the world.”

-Rukmini Devi Arundale 

Take-home points:

• Visit an animal shelter and pet an animal of your choice.

• Over 5 million animals are euthanized in animal shelters each year in the US alone.

• Animals in shelters lack human companionship.

• Visiting an animal shelter can be a great experience.

• If you’re thinking about getting a new pet, consider adopting one from a shelter.

• Teach children to treat animals the right way.

Have a beautiful week!

With love and care,

Good Earthlings