Adding a furry member to your family is a big decision to make. Furry friends come in all shapes, sizes and personalities. So whether you’re searching for a loyal companion or someone to play Frisbee with, there’s a fur kid out there for you. Now, before you make a decision on the pup of your dreams, be sure to consider all of the benefits of adopting a shelter dog. Shelter dogs are often overlooked because of their past, however, these past experiences often contribute to their wonderful personalities and the amount of unconditional love they offer. Before deciding on the fur baby of your dreams discover these five amazing reasons to adopt a shelter dog.

You’ll Save a Dog’s Life

Be a part of a cause, adopting a shelter dog helps end animal homelessness. Every year thousands of animals are abandoned, lost, and picked up on the streets, only to end up in a shelter. While shelters promote dog adoption and rescue, the sad truth is that there are just too many fur babies for shelters to handle. Even the biggest of shelters have a set amount of space when it comes to how many dogs they can take in. Once the kennels are full, shelters are not able to take in any more animals. Because shelters don’t have the time, money or resources to care for large amounts of animals, they are forced to turn homeless pups away or euthanize dogs whose chances of getting adopted are slim. By adopting a dog from a shelter you are not only saving their life, but you’re also saving another dog from the streets and giving him the chance to find his forever home.

You’ll Give a Dog a Much-Deserved Second Chance

Each shelter dog has a past. There are many reasons why dogs end up in shelters. For some, it’s because their owners passed away or a new baby meant no time to care for a dog, while others were mistreated or found on the street. Either way, shelter dogs often experience feelings of abandonment that can cause emotional problems and stress. Despite the sadness they may have experienced, surprisingly most shelter dogs exhibit very little behavioral problems and are fully prepared to enter a new home. A dog who shows signs of behavioral problems can be rehabilitated with the right amount of time, care, and patience. No matter the case, dogs who end up in shelters deserve to be given a second chance and a better life, full of love, happiness, and companionship.

You Don’t Have to Worry About Potty Training (Most of the time..)

Puppies are adorable, sweet and oh so fun! That is before you realize all the care and training they need to become a fully functioning member of your family. As cute as puppies may be, coming home to find your floor soaked because he had an accident or two (or three or four) is never a nice surprise. Because most dogs at shelters are adult dogs, oftentimes they’ve received some form of training which means less work for you! Not having to potty train your fur kid means that you can spend more time doing things you both enjoy!

You’re Standing Up for What’s Right!

While you may not know everything about a dog’s past through adoption, purchasing an animal through a breeder is not much different. Most breeders or puppy mills place profit over the well-being of animals, meaning that they will over breed or inbreed a dog just to produce puppies for profit. Oftentimes this large scale breeding can leave dogs with birth defects and health problems. By adopting an animal from a shelter rather than a breeder not only are you saving a life, but you're also supporting a cause and standing up for what's right. Plus, the adoption fees will go to the care and rescue of another dog instead of into a breeder’s pocket.

You Form a Special Bond

When you rescue a shelter dog, you not only become their owner, you become their best friend. Most shelter dogs have experienced sadness, hunger, injury, even loss. Because of this, they appreciate love and companionship tremendously. Rescuing a shelter dog will not only provide them with a happy rewarding life, but you’ll end up feeling overjoyed as well! This sense of fulfillment on both ends of the relationship with creating an unbreakable bond that only you two share.