Finding All Shelter Pets a Home
Many have heard of The Humane Society of The United States (HSUS). As the largest animal protection association in the country, the HSUS has not only been rescuing tens of thousands of animals each year, they have lead the mission in the prevention of cruelty to animals before it ever begins. They have been educating, advocating and creating hands on programs for communities since 1954. You may have heard of Maddies Fund. Maddie’s is the largest pet foundation with the mission to save the lives of dogs and cats in the United States. Since 1999 they have striven to create a “no-kill” nation where all animals in need of a family, whether they are sick or healthy, are guaranteed a compassionate home. Of course, you know the Ad Council. The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization which utilizes the talents of advertising and communication industries to improve the conditions for children, education, communities, the environment and families. Now all three of these monumental organizations have joined forces to create The Shelter Project.
What is The Shelter Pet Project?
The Humane Society, Maddies Fund and The Ad Council recognized a need in the United States. They knew that a person is the best thing to happen to a shelter pet. However, potential families are often deterred from shelters through misconceptions and fear. The Humane Society of The Unites States, Maddies Fund and The Ad Council have now created The Shelter Pet Project to debunk these long held misconceptions so all pets, no matter their health, injuries or conditions can find a home and where they can finally thrive through love.
What Can I Expect?
When families go to adopt a new pet from a shelter, they often have one of these three questions:
1). Are all animal shelters the same?
2). How long does the adoption process take?
3). What does it cost to adopt from a shelter or rescue?
When it comes to animal shelters, there are three kinds of organizations you should know about. Municipal animal shelters, private humane societies and of course, the SPCA and rescue organizations. Municipal animal shelters and private human societies are fall under “brick and mortar” organizations. (Brick and mortar meaning a physical building owned and operated by the organization) Whereas the SPCA and rescue organizations are often groups of volunteers who house and care for animals privately. How you decide to find your new best friend is up to you. The most important thing is you find an adoption organization that holds the same values as you.
The same applies to the adoption process. The length of time it takes to adopt your new pet is all dependent on where you decide to adopt from. Some organizations can complete the adoption process in just a few minutes. Other groups, have a longer, more complicated policies when it comes to adoption and so their process can take an hour or more.
While animal shelters and the adoption process can vary depending on where you choose to go, adoption fees are relatively consistent. The only true difference in fees is based on what pet you decide to rescue. Some shelters offer special promotions, others will give pets a new home free of charge. Generally, you can expect to invest anywhere between $25 and $250 for your new pet.
The Shelter Pet Project aims to make shelters the number one choice to acquire a new pet. When you choose a shelter pet, you are choosing life and making a promise to all animals they they can all find a loving home. We believe that once you meet our shelter pets, you will love them too.
Photo Credit: istockphoto.com
