Covering Everything You Need To Know About Shelter Dogs And The Month-Long Holiday That Raises Awareness About Them
October is jam packed with pet themed holidays such as National Walk Your Dog Week, National Reptile Awareness Day, World Animal Day, and more! However, one of the most important pet-themed holidays in October is Adopt A Shelter Dog Month. Here we will go over what Adopt A Shelter Dog Month is, why adoption is so important, and how you can observe the holiday.
A Holiday For Shelter Dogs
Adopt A Shelter Dog Month is a very important holiday for shelter dogs everywhere. Many people don’t realize that animal shelters have a limited amount of space, resources, and staff. To make matters worse, there are far more shelter animals that need adoption than there are people willing to adopt them. This overpopulation of shelter animals puts a serious burden on most U.S. animal shelters. Promotional campaigns, like Adopt A Shelter Dog Month, are helping to lower the amount of animals in shelters and raise awareness to adopt instead of shop.
A shelter dog
How The Holiday Started
This amazing awareness-based holiday was founded by the American Humane Association (A.H.A.) in 1981. This non-profit organization is committed to ensuring the well-being, safety, and welfare of all animals. The A.H.A. are often the first to arrive and help animals in times of need such as earthquakes, floods, wildfires, etc. They offer protection, rescue, shelter, and security to animals in need across the U.S.
Additionally, they also help animals in need through promotional campaigns. Adopt A Shelter Dog Month is one of those programs. The A.H.A. noticed the dramatically high volumes of puppies & dogs in animal shelters across the U.S. As a result, they founded Adopt A Shelter Dog Month in hopes of drastically lowering the number of dogs in U.S. animal shelters. This holiday not only promotes shelter dog adoption, but also raises awareness about shelter dogs and the struggles they endure.
Shelter Dogs Statistics
Adopt A Shelter Dog Month was created because of the staggeringly high numbers of dogs entering U.S. animal shelters. Around 3.1 million dogs enter animal shelters in the U.S. every year, according to the A.S.P.C.A. What’s even more alarming is the number of shelter dogs that are not adopted and are inevitably euthanized every year. The A.S.P.C.A. also reports that around 390,000 shelter dogs are euthanized every year in the U.S.
These statistics reflect just how serious the overpopulation crisis is when it comes to shelter dogs. Animal shelters have a limited amount of resources, space, and staff. Combine that with the overpopulation of shelter animals and the results are truly tragic. For many of these shelter dogs, the odds are stacked against them. However, Adopt A Shelter Dog Month aims to tip the odds in their favor by raising awareness about the struggles of shelter dogs and promoting shelter animal adoption.
Animal shelter volunteer
How You Can Help Shelter Dogs
There are many different ways you can help shelter dogs find their forever home. One great way to help the cause is by adopting a shelter dog! Adopting a shelter dog is an amazing and rewarding experience that gives a deserving animal a loving home. However, caring for a dog is a huge responsibility and should not be taken lightly. Therefore, make sure you’re fully prepared for that kind of commitment & responsibility.
Additionally, you can also observe this incredible holiday by volunteering at a local animal shelter near you. Animal shelters are almost always looking for additional help and often rely on volunteer work. Lastly, you can also help shelter dogs everywhere by promoting them. A simple post on social media about Adopt A Shelter Dog Month can help educate people about shelter dogs and the importance of adoption.
Need A Dog Walker Or Pet Sitter?
If you or someone you know is looking for pet sitting or dog walking services, then look no further than Paws & Claws Pet Sitting and Dog Walking! We service the Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Santa Clara, and West San Jose areas. Click here to contact us or give us a call at 408-752-2997. We hope to hear from you soon and happy Adopt A Shelter Dog Month!
