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Plenty of prospective pets are rescued and taken in by animal shelters every day, shielded from abusive and dangerous situations, and just waiting for families to give them Forever Homes. Almost every city in the United States has at least one animal shelter, so making the choice to adopt your next pet from one of these facilities is sensible, noble and necessary. Instead of getting in touch with a breeder, visiting the pet shop in your local mall or searching for a new pet on the Internet, here are 3 good reasons why your new furry friend should come from the shelter down the street.

Shelters Are Overcrowded

Despite the best efforts of animal lovers everywhere, there are always more animals in need of rescue than there are shelters. If loving families like your own opt to ignore the pick of their local shelters, these temporary homes quickly exceed their capacity. Though some shelters have an anti-euthanasia policy in place, most face the dilemma of farming some of their inhabitants out to other rescue centers or putting certain animals to sleep. The critters who are met with impending death are usually neither dangerous nor unlovable; their circumstances may just dictate that adoption is unlikely, therefore a stable future is uncertain.

A Local Adoption Allows For a Preview

If you want to add a new furry friend into your familial fold, it's imperative that you get to spend some quality time with him or her first. You wouldn't establish a familial bond with a complete stranger, after all, right?

Choosing a pet from a local animal shelter allows you to meet him first, something you might not get to do if you opt for an out-of-state adoption. More importantly, a local shelter would invite you to spend some time with your prospective pet so you can decide if he's the one for you. Maybe another pup in the same shelter might fit your family better. Those are all factors you can only find out with time and interaction.

You Can Adopt Rather Than Buy

When you decide to add a pet into the mix, the most logical starting point might be a trip to the local pet store. But wait before you buy.

First off, a dog or cat from a pet shop might cost you hundreds of dollars, especially if you opt for a pure-bred. Why spend the money just to obtain the pet if you can spend it more wisely on maintaining and caring for him instead? A shelter will only charge you a small adoption fee in most cases, and sometimes even that can be waived.

Secondly, animals from pet shops are raised in notoriously poor conditions. The shelter animal you choose may have encountered its own share of inhumane treatment, but by bringing him into your family, you are granting him a second chance. When you fork six hundred dollars over to the local pet shop, you are actively contributing to the overpopulation of pets in the U.S.

Open your heart and home to a new family pet. Allow him to offer you loyalty and love in return. Take a trip to your local shelter; you might just meet your new best friend for life.