German Shepherd Dogs are awesome! They are super intelligent, loyal, protective and a great family dog, especially when raised with children. However, many GSDs are handed over to shelters because some pet owners realized that they cannot afford the time and effort required to train and socialized their dogs properly.
If you are looking into buying a German Shepherd, it may cost you anywhere from $500-$3000, depending on your location. Adopting a German Shepherd could be less than $150 from animal shelters or $150 to $500 from rescue organizations. Here are 10 reasons you should consider rescuing one in your life:
1. Because You Will Save A German Shepherd’s Life
An animal from a shelter is more than one in a million – he’s one in 2.7 million. That’s the number of adoptable cats & dogs who are still killed (euthanized) each year in the United States, just because there is far too many pets who arrive in shelters and too few people to adopt.
The number of euthanized pets could be dramatically reduced if more people adopted pets instead of buying them. When you adopt, you save an animal and open up shelter space for another animal who might need it. And trust me, there is no better feeling than that!
2. Because You Will Get A GREAT German Shepherd
Animal shelters and rescue groups are brimming with happy, healthy German Shepherds just waiting for someone to take them home. Most German Shepherds in shelters didn’t end up there because they were bad pets – but simply because their owners moved, got divorced or some other issue that had NOTHING to do with the German Shepherd.
3. Bragging About You Being A Hero
No one needs to see another selfie – unless it’s a selfie of you with the adorable German Shepherd you just adopted, like the hero you are! Adopt a German Shepherd, post the pictures and let the love (likes) roll in.
4. Because You Will Actually Get A Great Bargain!
When you adopt a German Shepherd, the cost of neutering, first vaccinations, and sometimes microchipping is usually included in the adoption price, which means you’ve scored a major bargain – a fuzzy deal who will thank you with wet kisses and loyalty for the rest of its life.
5. Fighting Puppy Mills!
You’re too smart to get a German Shepherd from a pet store or online seller – you might as well buy one directly from a puppy mill. Puppy mills are like factories – they are breeding facilities that put profit above the welfare of dogs.
Dogs from puppy mills are housed in very poor conditions with improper medical care and are often very sick and behaviorally troubled as a result. The puppies’ mothers are kept in cages to be bred over and over for years, without companionship from humans and with little hope of ever joining a family.
And after they’re no longer profitable, breeding dogs are simply discarded – either killed, abandoned, or sold at auction. I get nauseous just writing this…
Most puppies in pet stores and online are from puppy mills. The dogs are sold to unsuspecting consumers in pet stores, over the Internet, and through classified ads. Puppy mills will continue to operate until people stop supporting them. By adopting a pet, you can be certain you aren’t giving them a dime.
6. All Of Your Stuff Will Thank You!
Many of the German Shepherds from shelters and rescues are already house-trained, which means you’re not only saving a German Shepherd’s life, you may be saving your rug.
7. You’re Environmentally Responsible
You recycle your everyday stuff like paper and plastic so it doesn’t end up in landfills. All of these recycled stuff ends up making a bunch of new stuff. A “recycled” German Shepherd can make something even better: He can make you happy.
8. Because All German Shepherds Are Good For Your Health – BUT An Adopter German Shepherd Is Good For Your Self-Esteem
Not only do German Shepherds give you unconditional love, but they also have been shown to be very beneficial for your psychological, emotional, and physical wellbeing. Caring for a companion German Shepherd can provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment and decrease the sense of loneliness and isolation for all ages. And when you adopt, you can also feel proud about helping a German Shepherd in need.
9. It’s Incredibly Easy
Who doesn’t want it to be easy to buy a German Shepherd or any pet? Go to the Shelter Pet Project to find pets near you, of every size, color, temperament, and breed. You want a white German Shepherd who likes ear-scratches on alternate Thursdays? You can probably find one.
10. Because You Will Change The Life Of A German Shepherd
And get a new best friend in the bargain. Seriously, what could be better than that?
Related post:
Before Getting a German Shepherd: 10 Questions To Ask Yourself
