AMARILLO, TEXAS -- October welcomes ‘National Adopt a Shelter Dog Month.’ Shelters are reaching capacity and dogs of all types and sizes are looking for a loving family and a new home.
Three to four million dogs are euthanized throughout shelters every year. Due to inadequate resources, sheltered dogs are put to sleep after 72 hours.
Amarillo Animal Control and The Humane Society have been doing their best to find loving homes for the dogs but officials say there is always more that can be done.
Assistant Director of Animal Control, Shannon Barlow said, "We'd just like to see those animals given homes. They're not an expendable commodity they need homes and they make great companions. It's a scientific fact that animals help you have a heavier lifestyle. They lower your blood pressure, they help with depression they are just a happy component to a home.”
One Amarillo family decided to take advantage of the holiday. They could have adopted a healthy dog, but instead they decided to save a dog that truly needed a second chance.
Mother, Tish Byler said, "She was adopted before and she ended up getting sick from a tick disease and so they brought her back in to be put back down and we happened to see her right after they brought her in and I wanted her so we were willing to take over her vet care and we're going to take her home."
A common myth among sheltered pets is that they are either “damaged” or “misbehaved,” however; shelters provide all types of animals.
"A lot of people think that if they get a purebred dog they get a better dog or they get a dog that they're going to be able to breed and make money only they're going to be able to show, so we'd just really like to see more people, you know do a lot less breeding and get these pets. There are a lot of purebred pets out here there's a lot of really neat mixed breed animals that are out here,” said Ms. Barlow.
City Commissioner, Ellen Robertson Green also joined the cause.
"I hope that everybody remembers to the most important thing to do when you own an animal is to spay and neuter it and there are many options as to affordable ways to spay and neuter,” she said.
Adding a canine companion to your family has many benefits. For more information visit Animal Control http://amarilloanimalcontrol.com/ or The Humane Society http://www.amarillohumanesociety.net/
