Sharing your home with a dog or cat can bring so much joy, humor, and love to your life. If you are thinking about pet ownership, please check out one of these shelters or rescues today!
Adopt a Dayton Pet
Did you know that there are close to 80 million dogs and 96 million cat owners in the United States? Sharing your home with a dog or cat can bring so much joy, humor, and love to your life, you'll wonder why you didn't have a pet sooner.
Many people believe that adopting a dog or cat is less desirable than buying a puppy or kitten from a breeder or pet shop, because the idea persists that there must be something "wrong" with a shelter pet, otherwise why would someone choose to get rid of them?
The truth is, shelter and rescue pets are normally perfectly healthy and the people who give them up have many of reasons for doing so. Sometimes these reasons are perfectly good, sometimes they are more telling of the previous owners than the pets.
According to the American Humane Association, the most common reasons why people relinquish or give away their dogs are because their place of residence does not allow pets, and "not having enough time for them". Other reasons include divorce or death, behavior issues and allergy problems.
The ASPCA reports that out of the 7.6 million animals that enter animal shelters nationwide every year, 2.7 million are euthanized. The good news, however, is that around the same number of dogs and cats are also adopted.
ADOPT, DON'T SHOP!
Dayton also has its share of adoptable pets just waiting for their 'forever homes' to come along. My own doggie soul mate, Julia, (above right) was rescued from the Southern Ohio Flying K9 Rescue in January 2010. She's a beautiful example of the great dogs you can find at shelters and rescues!
If you are thinking about pet ownership, here are some more local shelters and rescues to consider:
SICSA, 2600 Wilmington Pike, Kettering, OH 45419
SICSA (The Society for the Improvement of Conditions for Stray Animals) is a no-kill animal shelter that has adopted out thousands of pets and warranted national attention for their efforts. They host the "Lift Your Leg Run & Walk for Strays" 5K and 10K each summer as well as several events throughout the year to raise funds for their facilities and services. If you can't adopt but want to get involved, there are other ways to help the animals. You can become a member at SICSA, donate your time by volunteering, or register your Kroger rewards card to donate to SICSA. Visit website.
Montgomery County Animal Resource Center, 6790 Webster St, Dayton, OH 45414
Located right next to Bark Park, the ARC provides shelter to around 10,000 pets each year in addition to investigating around 1,200 animal cruelty complaints and responding to nearly 15,000 requests for service in our community. Every second Sunday of the month they host a Mingle with Our Mutts event from 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm for people to visit with the ARC's adoptable pets. If you can't adopt but want to help the animals at the ARC in other ways, first and foremost they ask that you be a responsible pet owner (spay/neuter, license your pet each year, keep your pet tagged at all times, don't let your pet run loose or unattended). They also have an Amazon wishlist that you can shop and ship directly to the ARC. Visit website.
Miami Valley Pit Crew
This rescue specializes in rehoming pit bulls and pit mixes, a misguidedly maligned breed these days. There are no bad dogs, only bad owners and the Pit Crew helps to challenge the stereotypes surrounding pit bulls. If you can't adopt but kind of want to shop, take a look at their store. Also, they have an Amazon wishlist in case you're feeling generous. Visit website.
The Humane Society of Greater Dayton, 1661 Nicholas Rd, Dayton, OH 45417
With a focus on building loving relationships between people and pets, The Humane Society hopes to serve as not only an animal shelter, but also an educational resource for the community. They have introduced proactive spay/neuter programs, helped to eliminate animal abuse and neglect, and initiated collaborations with other community organizations. The Humane Society hosts several events each year to raise money for their cause including the annual Furry Skurry 5K Walk/Run (Saturday, May 9, 2015). If you're looking for other ways to help, consider participating in their events, donating, or volunteering your time. Visit website.
Luv4K9's Dog Rescue
This local animal rescue group is run entirely by volunteers. They do not have a shelter, but instead place their pets in foster homes. The group began by saving unwanted dogs from puppy mills and puppy mill auctions and giving them a chance at a loving home.
Luv4K9's also take in dogs that are not deemed "adoptable" by shelters to give them a safe haven until approved homes are found. They have regular adoption events around Dayton. In fact, it was at an adoption event last December that the owner of Dayton Local found Woody! (photo right) Visit website.
Robyn's Nest is owned and operated by Robyn McGeorge, a registered veterinary technician, Another local no-kill animal shelter, all animals at Robyn's Nest are kept until adoption. Visit website.
Petfinder is a website has all sorts of filters which make it easy to find available pets in Dayton and the surrounding areas. What I loved is that when I was looking for a dog, I lived in an apartment that allowed cats and dogs but only up to 30 pounds. I was able to use Petfinder to select for dogs up to 30 pounds and happened to find my doggie soul mate, Julia, in the process.
If you want to help but can't adopt, keep an eye on social media to see if you can help to spread the word about dogs who need homes. One account that has the whole country learning more about senior dog adoption is Susie's Senior Dogs, a facebook and Instagram account that showcases one deserving senior dog in each post. Since the beginning, Susie has shown a few dogs close to the Dayton area. Sharing a story and a photo to your facebook friends could help a dog in need find the family of its dreams.
And while you're looking on social media, follow Dayton And Surrounding Area Lost & Found Pets on facebook. This is a group that helps to reunite lost and found dogs and cats with their owners.
You can't buy love. But you can adopt it.
Pets are pretty amazing in that they probably have the best ROI of any purchase you'll ever make. Adopted pets will often already be spayed/neutered and be up-to-date with their shots too, meaning less initial expense for you. So for the cost of food, a couple toys, and maybe a bed they give you all of the love in their hearts.
