“Pick me, choose me, love me”–27 Reasons to Adopt a Shelter Dog

Ready to welcome a furry, drooling, four-legged pal into your home? Awesome–you are in for so much fun! But before you shell out a small fortune for a purebred Corgi or a French Bulldog, consider rescuing a dog from your local animal shelter. Need convincing?

Here are 27 reasons to adopt a shelter dog:

1. Betty White would approve. Honestly, what better reason could there be?
2. Every dog deserves a home.  Whether old or young, purebred or a mutt, all dogs lives matter.
3. The ASPCA estimates that more than 3 million dogs enter animal shelters each year.
4. 3 million dogs x 2 eyes each equals 6 million sad dog eyes.
5. Each of these dogs desperately wants a home.
6. Adopting a shelter dog opens up a spot in the facility for another desperately needy dog.
7. Rescuing a shelter dog makes you part of the solution.
8. Plus, adopting a homeless dog makes you feel like a really good human.
9. Every rescue dog comes equipped with an inexhaustible supply of love.
10. There’s no better feeling than watching her sad shelter dog eyes turn to joy when she realizes she’s finally home.
11. When you come home, sometimes your rescue dog will wag his tail so hard that his hindquarters will actually lift off the ground.
12. Every shelter dog is unique.
13. When you think about it, doesn’t their basic mutt-ness make shelter dogs more American? A mutt is like a doggie melting pot.
14. With a rescue dog, you’ll never have to remember where you put those pesky pedigree papers.
15. The adoption fee for a shelter dog won’t break the bank. Many shelters charge less than $100. Meanwhile, the average cost of that French Bulldog is around $3,000.
16. With a ”Heinz 57” shelter dog, you can get several breeds in one! This leads to hours of fun as you try to guess which breeds match the traits your pup exhibits.
17. We live in amazing times. If you truly want to know your dog’s genetic makeup, you can get a Doggie DNA test. How cool is that?
18. A shelter dog will always see you as a hero.
19. The way your rescue dog looks at you–he knows you saved his life and the loyalty is tangible.
20. If you aren’t a First Responder, how often do you get to save a life?
21. “Gotcha Day” celebrations! You may never know your pup’s birthday, but you’ll always remember the day she came home. And who doesn’t need a new excuse to throw a party?
22. Lonely? Rescue dogs can be a great way to meet people. They make irresistible conversation starters when you go out on walks!
23. When a stranger compliments your dog, you can reply, “He’s a rescue.” Stand a little taller when you say this.
24. Just like a purebred, your shelter dog will serve as an excellent emergency back-up doorbell.
25. Rescue dogs poop less. Just kidding!  Seriously, though, many shelter dogs are already house trained.
26. A rescue dog will consider you a superhero, even if you struggle just to keep up in your “everyday life”.
27. Don’t we all need to be needed? What will ever need you more than a shelter dog?

BONUS: All rescue dogs come with a story. Be their happy ending.