5 Reasons to Adopt Your Next Dog #NationalRescueDogDay

National Rescue Dog Day is May 20th, and what better way to celebrate than highlighting reasons rescuing is so important?

Today (May 20th) is National Rescue Dog Day. A day to highlight the rescued pups who make our lives a little bit better. I happen to be the owner of two rescued dogs, and I can assure you, there's nothing sweeter than the love of a rescued pup!

Wrigley (tan) and George (brindle) are my two dogs and I have to say rescuing them was the best decision ever!

Here's 5 reasons to consider rescuing your next furry family member:

1) Two lives are impacted.

When you adopt a dog from a local shelter, you're opening up space for another dog to take their place in the shelter. More space = more room for dogs to come in. So essentially when you rescue one dog, another dog can get a chance at a loving home too!

2) You can choose from all kinds of ages!

Sure puppies are about the cutest things ever, but puppies are also really hard work! They have to be trained to go potty outside, they have a lot of energy that needs to be met with daily walks, it's a lot of work to care for a puppy. One thing about rescuing is they have dogs of all ages. Maybe you want the challenge of a puppy, by all means enjoy! But maybe you want an older, less energetic, more established dog. Nothing wrong with that, and with rescuing you have that option!

3) Adopting is cheaper than buying.

When you purchase a puppy from a breeder, usually that puppy needs their shots, plus that puppy will need to be spayed or neutered. When you rescue a dog it is one fee, and the dogs come fully vetted and spayed or neutered. My dogs adoption fees were each between $135-$180 but they were fully vetted and fixed. The surgery alone to get my dogs fixed would have been way more than that!

4) You'll help fight puppy mills!

When buying a dog, you need to be extremely cautious about where they come from. You may be supporting a puppy mill wihtout knowing it.  Puppy mills if you don't know, are large scale breeding operations where many times the dogs are living in horrible conditions, and bred repeatedly until the mama can't produce anymore puppies, then she is usually put down. When you adopt a dog rather than purchase your money is going to a local organization that is helping the pet over population crisis, rather than adding to it. It's a win/win!

5) Because you are literally saving a life!

According to the Humane Society of the United States, 2.7 MILLION adoptable dogs and cats are euthanized in the United States alone due to overcrowding in shelters.  Shelters simply can't keep up with the constant influx of animals coming in.  By rescuing your next furry family member you're quite literally saving a life!

These reasons sound pretty good right??

Well if adoption/rescuing is for you, here's some great places around the Tri-State to start your search for your next best friend!