06/17/2025
🐾 Heartbreaking Truths
• Over 6.3 million pets enter U.S. shelters every year.
That’s 17,000+ a day.
• 920,000 shelter animals are euthanized each year —
many simply because there wasn’t enough space or interest.
Not because they were aggressive.
Not because they were sick.
Just… unwanted.
• 25% of dogs in shelters are purebred —
so even if you’re looking for a “specific breed,” there’s likely one waiting to be saved.
❤️ The Power of Rescue
• Shelter pets often show deeper loyalty and love —
because they know what it’s like to be discarded…
and what it means to be chosen.
• Adopted animals go through temperament testing, vaccinations, spay/neuter procedures, and often come house-trained.
• Rescuing a pet literally saves two lives —
the animal you adopt, and the one who now has a space at the shelter.
• Adoption fees are far lower than breeder or pet store costs —
and you’re not supporting unethical breeding mills.
⚠️ The Problem with Buying
• Backyard breeders and puppy mills often prioritize profit over care, leading to sick, traumatized, or poorly bred animals.
• Buying animals fuels overpopulation, while thousands die in shelters waiting for homes.
• Many people buy pets impulsively — and later surrender them,
adding to the very cycle they helped create.
🌎 The Bigger Picture
• If just 10% of people chose adoption over buying this year —
we could empty every shelter in America.
• Shelter animals aren’t broken.
They’re survivors.
They’ve been through loss and abandonment —
and they still have the courage to love again.
