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Why You Should Adopt Instead of Shop

Rescue animals often change your life more than you could ever change theirs.

By Bailey JohnsonPublished 6 years ago 2 min read
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Kinley is a beagle mix who was abused by her family and left on the streets. She was adopted August 28, 2017 and is now thriving in her new home. 

You always hear people use the phrase "adopt, don't shop." I never truly understood why people said this so much because I never understood why there was any problem with purchasing dogs from breeders. It turns out the problem wasn't with buying from breeders, it's the amount of dogs in shelters who need loving homes to make up for where they came from.

A breeder will have no problem selling all of his puppies because everyone wants an adorable little puppy that they can raise. However, dogs in shelters have a tougher time finding a home because people don't know much about the animal. You don't know where it came from, how it was raised, what kind of temper it has. You don't know anything other than the fact that it's in a shelter and if you're anything like my parents, you automatically think animals from the shelter are diseased or have fleas or other kinds of issues that make the animal less appealing.

The reality of adopting your fur baby from a shelter is that the shelter animals need you more than any animal a breeder can offer you. Animals in the shelter have come from bad homes or even no homes at all. My rescue dog was abused by her family and then left on the streets. When she was found, she was so scared that all she could do when being approached by a person was roll over on her back and cower. The fear she had of people broke my heart and I knew I had to have her so that I could show her that not every human hand is harmful.

These animals need you and you learn so much from them in return when you provide a loving home for them. When I first got Kinley, my fur baby, I was irresponsible and had very little patience for a lot of things. In the short three months that I've had her, she has made me an all-around better person. Being as scared and timid as she was, it took a lot of time to get her to understand that I love her and am not here to hurt her. She would yelp at the rise of a hand or the lift of a leg. It took encouragement and a lot of hours just sitting with her and gently loving her for her to finally understand my love for her. As a result, I developed a lot of patience because of the time I had to invest in her. Seeing her growth and transition over the last three months has made me more compassionate.

I could go on and on about all of the benefits of adopting an animal who needs you, but I would rather wrap this up by encouraging you to go out and experience these benefits for yourself. You will learn so much about yourself and you will gain the love and trust of an animal that will always be by your side. The love of a rescue animal is the most fulfilling and rewarding feeling that I have experienced this far in my life and I know that it will be yours too.

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About the Creator

Bailey Johnson

I'm a senior at Ball State University where I'm studying photojournalism. I love showing the world the way I see things through my passion for photography. I'm in love with my Marine and I'm a dog mom to a sweet little rescue pup.

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