Be a Hero to Dogs Young and Old this Adopt-A-Dog Month® – American Humane

We love October for the pumpkin spice lattes, fall temperatures and colorful leaves, but it’s also an opportunity to find a new best friend! For more than 40 years, American Humane has celebrated Adopt-A-Dog Month® each October in an effort to help the millions of dogs waiting in shelters for the loving, forever homes they so deserve. This month, we urge you to be a hero to dogs young and old!

Throughout October, the public can visit www.AmericanHumane.org and follow American Humane on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to find resources and advice on preparing a home for a new canine companion. Pet owners are also encouraged to post their adoption stories to their own social media, tagging @AmericanHumane and using #AdoptADogMonth, to share how they found their perfect rescue or shelter pup and inspiring others to adopt a new furry friend of their own!

Here are a variety of ways to celebrate Adopt-a-Dog Month:

• Adopt from a shelter or rescue group: When you’re ready to open your heart and home to a new best friend, adopt from your local animal shelter or rescue group. Talk with shelter staff to find the perfect dog for you and your lifestyle, and remember that older dogs make excellent pets, too.
• Spay or neuter your dog: Have your dog spayed or neutered, thus preventing the possibility of unexpected, and potentially unwanted, puppies. Spayed and neutered animals have been shown to lead longer, healthier lives and have fewer of certain behavioral problems than animals who have not been spayed or neutered.
• ID your pet: By putting identification on your dog, either in the form of a tag, a microchip or both, you will reduce the possibility that your pet will become one of the presumably “homeless” dogs that end up at your local shelter. Only 15-20 percent of dogs who enter a shelter without ID tags or microchips are reunited with their owners. Give your dog the best chance to make it back home!
• Support your local shelter: Show the pets at your local shelter or rescue group that you care by donating time, money or supplies like pet food, leashes, beds and toys. Call the shelter to see what supplies or services are needed most. Even the smallest effort can make a difference.
• Consider adopting a senior dog: There is a great need to provide safe, loving homes for the thousands of older pets who often face the highest risk in animal shelters. Many potential pet adopters overlook senior animals — but there are so many reasons why dogs over the age of six or seven make ideal furry family members and friends: They tend to be less rambunctious than younger dogs; they’re often already house-trained; they’re a great fit for people with busy lifestyles; they’re so grateful for a second chance and will give you lots of love and thanks.

Be a hero this month and adopt a dog (maybe a senior dog!) from your local shelter or rescue group. You’ll be saving his or her life and greatly improving your own as dogs are amazing, supportive and heroic companions. For more information, visit https://www.americanhumane.org/initiative/adopt-a-dog-month.