The gift of adopting a pet
FOURWAYS- Animal shelters want to remind and educate the public on the importance of adopting unwanted animals and why this is such an unselfish act.
According to Candice Scorer, the general manager at SPCA Sandton and Eastern Metro, the public forget about those who cannot speak for themselves and who are left alone.
Merinda Brits a representative from FourPaws Animal Shelter in Fourways, said adopting from shelters is an unselfish act. Due to over population, many animals are put down. FourPaws aims to improve the quality of life of underprivileged animals in urban surroundings such as squatter camp.
In addition, Ark Animal Centre, another animal shelter in Fourways, is a non-profit organisation that specialises in puppies, pregnant mom’s and small breed dogs. Brits went on to say that adopting a pet is life changing and is a choice. The public cannot change their minds after a few weeks of adopting the pet. Additionally, children need to educated and informed about pets before adopting. She said adopting a pet is so much more satisfying than buying or purchasing one.
“You get to save a life and give these deserving animals a warm loving home,” she said. Cats should have their litter boxes cleaned at least every two days, puppies need undivided attention and need someone to be with them all the time said Brits. Dogs kept outside need necessary shelter during bad weather as well.
Scorer went onto debunk some of the myths of adopting animals from shelters, “There is a misconception that shelter pets are obviously not good pets as they would have not been placed in a shelter,” she said “Secondly, animals from abusive homes will never be good pets because they have been mistreated for so long and all animals in rescue shelters are sickly or unhealthy,” said Brits.
