Why Shelters Giving Away Free Dogs Is A Very Bad Idea ... - Pets

A Shelter in Central Missouri is so full that they have started giving the dogs away for free:

?The shelter has started a new program giving away dogs?for free that have been in the shelter for a long time.

The ?Free Fur All? adoption special started out as a Fourth of July marketing event, designed to get people in the door. Certain?dogs, cats and small animals that the staff chose were marked ?Free Fur All,? meaning that with an approved application, the adoption cost was canceled.

All dogs and cats adopted from the Central Missouri Humane Society come with a spay or neuter, a microchip, the first round of shots, a five-pound bag of food and a free veterinarian visit.?

This story almost made me cry. The thing is ? I really understand the Shelter?s situation. What do you do when all the cages are full and no-one is adopting?

Just giving dogs away can be very tempting but I believe that it is profoundly wrong.

What is the goal of a dog shelter? It is to promote?responsible?ownership, not just to move the dogs out the door. Right?

And what kind of owner would want to adopt a dog just because that dog is free? You guessed it ? not a very?responsible?kind.

So at first glance it feels like progress is being made. But with no value placed on the dog, how many of those same dogs will end up in an animal shelter later?

We need to promote responsible dog ownership and with it the inherent value of each animal! There are many ways a Shelter can utilise to increase adoption rates. Contacting animal writers like this one is a good start. Every blogger wound gladly host ?Adoption? pages free of charge.

I know how frustrating it is to have great dogs passed over for adoption and that?s why i say to the shelter staff: Don?t sell yourselves cheap. Work harder at promoting adoption and the results will surprise you.

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Dr Vadim Chelom is a Registered Veterinarian, a writer and an educator

Source: http://doctor-pets.com/2012/07/16/why-shelters-giving-away-free-dogs-is-a-very-bad-idea/

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