There are people who would NEVER take a dog from a shelter. But why is that?
Myth 1: Shelter Dogs Are All Behaviorally Disturbed
Walking through the corridors, the reception is anything but friendly. Dogs bark, some bare their teeth, and menacingly jump at the kennel doors. Are these supposed to be family dogs?
Many of them are large, black, old, or a combination of these traits. And for the few dogs that still look somewhat appealing, the profile states “not suitable for children.”
Who knows what they’ve been through. Surely, the time spent in the shelter must have left them with issues, right?
And who knows if they might snap one night and attack us…
There are people who genuinely think this way. In their minds, there’s no room for the fact that dogs can innocently lose their homes due to allergies, separation, relocation, or career changes.
And even less space for the certainty that dogs are incredibly adaptable, living in the present moment and leaving much of their past behind after a change in ownership. They need their puppy from the breeder, a clean slate without a significant history.
Myth 2: Shelter Dogs Are Expensive
Those who want to give a home to a shelter dog usually need to pay an adoption fee. Most shelters charge between $150 and $500.
Quite audacious, isn’t it? You open your heart, want to give a home to a poor soul, and then you’re asked to pay.
Is that a lot? Sure. Is it expensive? Not really.
Shelter dogs are vaccinated, treated against parasites, and microchipped. Many are also spayed or neutered, and they may have been X-rayed for hip dysplasia or received other veterinary care.
Anyone who calculates this will realize that shelter dogs are often a bargain.
You’re not buying a dog. You’re giving a home, making room for the next emergency at the shelter. The money you pay for your dog helps care for the next one in need.
Myth 3: Shelters Don’t Want to Rehome Dogs
- “You should be happy to get rid of your dogs.” This sentence has probably been heard by every shelter worker multiple times. Yes, every shelter is happy when any animal leaves to move to a loving home. But get rid of? No, certainly not at any cost. Having one less animal and the feeling that it might not be as well off there as you’d wish for it? Nobody wants that.
- However, sometimes even nice people get affected because, after all, shelters are run by humans. Humans who scrutinize every potential adopter, assess them, and sometimes unconsciously judge them. “Is it the smell of mouthwash, or is it alcohol?” “But they let their kids run around in a messy way. Can they manage to give the dog its vital medication regularly?” “God, they’re not very athletic. It took them almost half an hour to cover the 20 meters from the parking lot here. How will they walk the dog?” And suddenly, the shelter worker makes the dog consciously or unconsciously appear a bit worse and less suitable for the person than it might actually be in reality.
- And sometimes it even affects people who not only are nice but could offer a fantastic home to a shelter dog. Just not THIS one. Because it simply doesn’t fit. Because they have children, and this dog doesn’t like children. Because they live on the fourth floor, and the chosen dog needs to live on the ground floor due to its hip dysplasia. Because they have cats that the dog would kill. And amid advising visitors, cleaning kennels, feeding animals, a sentence is forgotten. That one crucial sentence that would be so important! “We would be delighted if you could give a new home to one of our dogs. It’s just that, precisely THIS dog, isn’t the right match for you.” Forgotten or no time. And people leave the shelter with the feeling that “those people there” don’t want to rehome animals. Or they take it personally that they are not trusted with the chosen dog. But the suffering out there is immense. There’s no shelter that doesn’t want to rehome animals. And there’s no reason not to want a dog from the shelter.
