While many scroll through the numerous pages on Google, looking for dog or cat breeders, animals in your local shelter are waiting for their forever home. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, on average 7.6 million animals enter shelters nationwide every single year. The percentage for dogs and cats varies each year as it does for each state as well. Only 35 percent of the dogs get adopted and 31% are euthanized.

The animals stuck in the shelters often suffer. They are all looking for their forever homes. These animals do not want to spend their days sleeping on a cold floor. These animals deserve the warmth and comfort of a place that they can call home.

More people look for their pets through breeders, which can cost up to thousands of dollars. Compare that to the small fee you would have to pay just to take your new furry friend home from a shelter. Adopting an animal from a shelter is more humane than buying from a breeder. When you choose to adopt from a shelter you are choosing to give an animal a second chance at life.

Every year, shelters nationwide are faced with the problem of overpopulation. When overpopulation occurs, a high percentage of the animals are euthanized. The goal of adoption is to help prevent the unnecessary euthanasia of innocent animals.

Shelters always have a wide variety of breeds, including purebreds. Each animal is looking for a loving owner to take him or her home. Adopting a pet from a shelter can take a matter of minutes, with the longest adoption process only lasting an hour. When adopting from breeders it can take weeks, even months.

One thing you do not want to do is rush the process. You will know when your home is suitable for pet ownership. Just because the process to adopt a shelter animal can be short, does not mean you should walk in and just take one home.

When you are considering adopting an animal, make sure you’ve done your research. Some families walk into shelters thinking they are ready to bring a pet home, but in reality, it was too much for them to handle so they end up bringing them back to the shelter.

Animals are not playthings that can be tossed back and forth like a game of fetch. Make sure you and your family members are prepared to bring a new animal into your home and never make an impulse decision.

The perks of adopting an animal, rather than buying one are that the animals are more likely to be house trained. When you buy a puppy, you have to make sure they are potty-trained so they don’t do their business on your carpet. Another is that shelters also usually include vaccinations and micro chipping. You would need to contact your local shelter to find out whether or not they include vaccinations with the adoption fee. Doesn’t it make you feel good to know that you could be saving a life?

Shelter animals wait for months and even years to find their perfect owner. The majority of these animals are either strays or animals that their owners have given up on.

There are many shelters located in the Bay Area. Our closest shelter is the Antioch Animal Shelter. They can be reached at 779-6989. They are closed Monday, Friday, Sunday and all major holidays. The adoption center located at 300 L Street, closes at 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit its website at http://www.ci.antioch.ca.us/citygov/police/antiochanimalsvcs/.