10 Reasons to Adopt an Animal

Owning an animal (or, letting an animal own you) is one of the most rewarding experiences we can ever have. There’s a bond between owner and pet that doesn’t exist between people. It’s completely and totally unconditional, and there’s nothing like it. If you’ve been on the fence about adopting a cat or dog, here are some reasons that may push you to find the perfect companion for you. The joy of adopting an animal is endless, and bringing a cat or dog into your family is a great way to teach kids compassion for animals, too. Your family just isn’t complete without a furry friend!

1. Unconditional love!Animals don’t care if you had a bad day, got sick, or simply feel cranky. They are thrilled to see you every time that door swings open, and they are ready to love you with their every being. Being loved like that feels amazing, and it’s the best feeling in the world knowing that no matter how your life goes, you always have a loyal friend who cares for you throughout every struggle.
2. Coming home!
   
   
   Every time you leave and come back, your dog treats you like a VIP celebrity walking down a red carpet. He or she is SO HAPPY to see you, it’s like you’ve been gone for days! You are so important to them! You can’t help but smile and laugh when you get that reaction from your pet every day.
3. Save a life!
   
   One of the most compelling reasons to adopt an animal is simple. There are over two million animals euthanized each year, solely because of lack of space in shelters. Make room for another pet by adopting a pet from a shelter, and know that you saved a precious life from a senseless, unnecessary death! He or she will spend the rest of their lives thanking you for your kindness.
4. Having an animal keeps you active.
   
   Playtime is fun! Take your dog for a walk or to play Frisbee in the park. Grab some cat toys on strings and watch your cat freak out trying to grab them. Interacting with your animals gets you off the couch and keeps you healthy and happy.
5. It’s been proven that pet owners have lower blood pressure.
   
   Petting a cat or dog instantly calms and soothes you, creating less anxiety and stress. We all live in a fast-paced, stressful world, and it’s easy to get caught up in stress. Calmly stroking a pet’s fur, kissing a pet, and cuddling with a pet creates positive emotions and feelings that stick with you and lift your spirits. Pets are the best antidepressants!
6. Life gets lonely for all of us sometimes.
   
   Pets provide constant companionship, and most pet owners refer to their animals as their ‘best friends.’ Having an animal to keep you company throughout the day, sleep with you at night, wake up to, and spend the days with provides a strong bond that may be hard to come across in the real world. Pets don’t talk back, yell at us, get mad, or go without speaking to us (well, if you don’t refill the food bowl on time, you may hear about that!) so you always have a built-in best friend nearby.
7. Adopt, don’t shop.
   
   Instead of heading to a pet store, head to an animal shelter instead. Adopting an animal from a shelter not only saves a precious life, but is usually cheaper than shopping for a pet. The all-inclusive adoption fee generally covers shots and/or spay and neuter. It’s easy, hassle-free, and won’t cost a fortune to adopt a shelter pet. The rewards are immeasurable!
8. Avoid supporting puppy mills.
   
   If you choose to adopt a new friend from a puppy mill, a shelter dog loses his chance at a new life. Puppy mills are dangerous, unsafe breeding grounds where dogs are treated poorly just so breeders can make a profit. Sometimes, these dogs end up in pet shops, so avoid them and head to the nearest shelter instead.
9. You don’t have to do the legwork.
   
   In most cases, shelter dogs and cats have already been housebroken or litterbox trained, so your pet is ready for play as soon as you head home. Shelter animals are socialized by volunteers, so you don’t have to worry about dealing with the basics when you bring home a pet from the shelter. It’s normal for a pet to be afraid at first, but once she gets used to you, she’ll be thrilled to be going home!
10. Emotional benefits.
    
    Opening your home to a dog, cat, or both, can open your heart, too. It may touch you in a way you hadn’t expected. It’s also a good way to meet people if you’re shy, especially fellow pet-owners when you’re at the dog park or out on the sidewalk. Pets are an amazing conversation starter!

Adopting an animal is a commitment for life, so it should be considered carefully. That being said, once you bring your new companion into your home, you won’t regret it! There are immeasurable opportunities for adoption in Volusia County, and plenty of animals in need of a loving, forever home. If you have questions about adopting an animal, we have answers! Contact us at Sophie’s Circle and we’ll help you through the process.

5 Ways to Help Your Local Animal Shelter or Rescue

If you love animals, you likely want to help your local shelters and rescues. There are several shelters and rescues in Volusia County you can help and there are plenty of ways to do so. While connecting with the shelter and asking what they need is always a good place to start, you can use these 5 guidelines to help local shelters and rescues save animals.

Donate Food – Most shelters are always in need of pet food, but places like Sophie's Circle actively run pet food drives to help animals stay out of the shelter. By providing food to needy families and seniors who cannot provide food for their pets, we keep animals safe at home with the families who love them. This kind of donation is affordable, often tax deductible and allows you to pitch in whenever you have enough money for a space bag of dog or cat food. Most shelters actively accept pet food donations, but you can call in to ask if they need them before making the purchase.

Volunteer Your Time – Many shelters and rescues operate on a volunteer or semi-volunteer basis, which means that most people working there are doing so for free. If you have extra time, one of the best things you could offer could be your time. This is especially important if you have skills like social media, photography, dog grooming, animal care, or are just good at cleaning. There are hundreds of tasks surrounding animal rescue including feeding, caring for, cleaning up after and grooming animals, but also handling social media, promoting and marketing animals to ensure that they are adopted, handling questions, paperwork and even taxes. If you think you can help, call your local shelter or rescue and ask.

Donate – Whether you have money, old blankets and clothes, dog food, or anything else, your local shelter or rescue may be able to use it. While a cash donation is the most versatile donation you can make, you don't have to have money to contribute. In most cases, old blankets are perfect for keeping dogs and cats warm in shelters, old dog crates and leashes can be used for transportation, etc.. Some shelters maintain a list of items they accept as donations, but you can also call in or contact their Facebook page to ask.

Ask What They Need – Some shelters will need specific items and you can help a great deal by calling in to ask. For example, if a shelter has recently rescued puppies, they might need formula for the pups, if it's cold, they might need blankets and if they're running low on food, they might literally need a food donation. You can always ask how you can help to make the most of every donation.

Educate Others – If you can adopt, it's always better to adopt and get an animal out of the shelter.

However, you can also work to educate friends and family, get them to adopt when necessary and share animals on shelter pages to help them find homes. By actively participating on shelter pages, you can greatly improve their reach and make sure that more people see every animal on the page. You can also help by ensuring that friends and family are educated on the difficulties of raising animals, that they know the responsibility of getting a pet and ensuring that no one you know blindly jumps into getting a pet, which will then end up in the shelter.

If you have more time and resources than most, you can consider volunteering to foster animals. This can be a great way to offer a lot of help to local rescues, who often need temporary homes for animals to socialize them and to keep them out of crates and kennels. However, most shelters will want to establish a relationship with you and this will include considerable screening to ensure that you can care for special needs animals on a regular basis.

If you want to help, there are dozens of ways to do so and these 5 are just a place to start. Thank you for caring.