ADOPT A STRAY, DON’T SHOP!

Helping animals in need and alleviating them from a life of misery, struggle, pain and abuse to one filled with lots of love and happiness in a safe and secure environment can be very fulfilling and enriching to the soul.

Often, when people go looking for pets, they don’t mind spending exorbitant amounts on getting a pet of their choice. Though money can buy you pedigreed dogs with chiseled bodies and shiny coats, the love of a stray comes for free! They are born into challenging environments and deserve a shot at a loving, safe and secure life.

In India we have a large number of four-legged, two-legged and winged strays, abandoned animals at every nook and corner of our streets. Some of these animals are in need of immediate medical care and attention but many, in fact most of them, just need loving and furever homes.

Most dogs of exotic breeds aren’t suited for and cannot adjust to Indian climatic conditions. They have certain special needs which make them very high maintenance. When you buy a dog of an exotic breed you are not just denying a beautiful life to a stray who could adapt and live with you much more easily but also meting out cruelty towards that exotic pet who shouldn’t be here in the first place.

People need to realize that there are huge numbers of stray animals already offering their undying affection, loyalty and companionship in return for a little shelter and love. If you are looking for a domestic pet, a watchdog or animal companionship, you must consider adopting an animal instead of buying one.

Why adopt? Here are some points to ponder about! :-

1. Stray dogs are as loving, affectionate, friendly and loyal as those belonging to any exotic breed.
2. Stray dogs don’t require much in terms of maintenance, other than a good bath frequently and a visit to the vet for their annual inoculations.
3. Many vets and pet handlers are of the opinion that bringing up stray mongrel and pariahs is a lot more easier than having an exotic pet at home, owing to their steel strong immune system and their ability to adapt to Indian climatic conditions.
4. Strays are extremely agile, intelligent and sensitive to their surroundings and so training them to look after your homes is also not a difficult task. The fact that strays are born into a competitive, dangerous and difficult environment and yet manage to survive speaks volumes about their adaptive qualities.
5. Strays make great pets for families who prefer to feed their dogs an only veg diet. These dogs can adapt to vegetarian meals better than exotic breeds.
6. For first time pet owners, adopting an adult stray dog or cat can save them time and effort on toilet training.
7. The most important point that weighs in favour of adopting as opposed to buying is simply that you will make a small but significant difference to this world!

People speak of performing good karma, helping society, making the world a better place to live in by raising children who grow up to be compassionate and responsible human beings. Parents read their children bedtime stories about superheroes, help them fight evil forces in video games and read them quotes from famous world leaders to evoke positive emotions of courage and empathy in them. It is a reasonably good effort but very few families looking for a pet think of opening their homes to abandoned animals as a way of demonstrating social responsibility. Firm moral values can be established through these small but significant decisions and actions too. You can instil a sense of care and responsibility by sharing your home with a homeless animal. You can live and tell a real life story of generosity and love with your kids, a story in which your family will play the role of the rescuing hero!