It's Mutt's Day! Mutts deserve their day in the spotlight, as much as a pure breed.
We are not sure how PC the word mutt is, but by definition a mutt is a dog that is of mixed breed. Almost all of the dogs in a shelter are of a mixed breed. Pet adoption is also a great way of taking care and proving homes for pets and animals that have been left or sometimes even abused by their previous owners.
Animal shelters provide great choices for adoptable pets. Shelters not only have adult animals, but they also have kittens and puppies that a pet parent can choose from. However there are some myths about animal shelters and why it is not a good place to adopt from, that the dogs there are mainly pit-bull mixes, they are all sickly, or that they have behavioral problems. There may be some animals that fit those stereotypes, but it's not true for the majority.
Many animal shelters are overpopulated and if the shelter is a kill shelter, it means that plenty of adoptable animals may be euthanized to make room for others. Also, many shelter animals were put there by their former owners who made an impulse buy, didn’t do proper research, had unrealistic expectations of the breed, and did not want to put in time and effort to train them. Some animals were abused, and need to find loving homes. Whether you adopt from a shelter or a breeder, you are going to have to train your animal, so either way you are going to have to root out potential problems like barking, possible dominance, etc. It’s estimated that 3-4 million cats and dogs are euthanized in shelters every year, animals which might have been some lucky family’s new pet.
Don’t be upset if your local shelter doesn’t have your dream mutt. Finding a pet that will match your needs takes time and shelters get new animals in every day. Keep trying, and your patience will be rewarded.
To all mutts and mutt owners, we hope you thoroughly enjoy Mutt's Day. Spend the day relaxing and doing all the things you and your dog like to do. Do so with both of your chins held high. For your mutt is worth a million bucks!
