Adopt a Dog Month, also known as Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, is celebrated annually in the month of October. Adopt a Dog Month is a time when multiple animal welfare organizations get together to encourage people to adopt a dog from the shelter. Sometimes, the month is also called Adopt a Shelter Dog Month or Adopt a Dog from the Shelter Month.
The month is recognized and supported by organizations such as the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and the Humane Society. The month is also observed by local municipal animal shelters. It is a really big deal across the animal welfare and rescue communities.
As Dogster reports, millions of dogs end up in shelters each year in the United States. These dogs can be lost, strays, or seized from terrible situations. The goal of each animal shelter is to pair a dog with a suitable owner or family. While this is a continuous and ongoing effort, every year, special attention is paid to this goal during Adopt a Dog Month.
During October, some shelters will waive their adoption fees in a bid to get people in the door and adopt dogs. October also has features on the local news highlighting the state of the local shelters and profiles on adoptable dogs. Everyone works together to try and reduce the number of dogs in shelters by getting healthy dogs adopted to willing families.
If you don’t feel strongly about animal shelters or if you have always gotten your dogs from breeders or puppy stores, here are some statistics to help illuminate why Adopt a Shelter Dog Day is important and championed by multiple organizations.
- Approximately 6.5 million animals enter shelters each year in the United States. (ASPCA)
- 3.1 million dogs enter animal shelters each year in the United States. (ASPCA)
- Only 2 million dogs are adopted from shelters each year, leaving 1.1 million dogs homeless. (ASPCA)
- Roughly 390,000 dogs are euthanized every year in animal shelters due to overcrowding and other issues. (ASPCA)
How to Celebrate Adopt a Dog Month
The best way to celebrate Adopt a Dog Month is to adopt a dog from your local shelter! Getting as many dogs as possible out of the shelters and into good homes is the goal of Adopt a Shelter Dog Month. However, not everyone can adopt a dog, especially not once per year. So, what else can you do to celebrate?
You can always volunteer to help your local shelter or rescue groups. Many shelters take volunteers to foster dogs. Fostering dogs helps give them a cozy place to live while they wait to get adopted instead of sitting in a kennel at the shelter.
You can also help spread the word about Adopt a Shelter Dog Month and encourage local friends and family to check out the shelter, especially if they have been considering getting a new pet. Adopt a Dog Month also comes with some adoption events that you can volunteer to help organize or run.
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