Why you should ADOPT and not SHOP for your next furry friend.​

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve grown up with animals. We had dogs, birds, bunnies and I always wanted a turtle, but I couldn’t wrangle that one with mum and dad.

I do remember, however, always having a really special bond with all my dogs. Rex the Labrador, Gordon the Beagle, Silje the Pomeranian and now my best buddy; Archie the Cocker Spaniel.

The difference between my three dogs growing up and Archie is where they all came from and the life they lived prior to joining our family. In Denmark dogs roam on farms mostly and are bred in good conditions. I was shocked to arrive in Australia to discover that you can actually ‘shop’ for a dog in a window. It blows my mind that this isn’t labelled as animal cruelty. Imagine being taken away from your mum and placed in a glass-box for hundreds of people to poke and prod you everyday until someone pays the (overpriced) price-tag for you?

When I wanted to look into getting a dog, my good friend Hazal instantly encouraged me to ‘adopt not shop’. It was such a strange concept for me, because it’s so different to Denmark, but nonetheless I took her advice and started the search for my next best friend. 

A few months later, I got a call from the pound telling me that and 8-month old Cocker Spaniel called Archie had become available because his family didn’t want him any longer. As soon as I saw him, I fell in love with him and knew he was meant to be by my side.

Archie was pretty traumatised from his last family, especially around hand-movements which led the Pound-staff to believe that his previous family had tried to raise him by hitting him. He was an extremely anxious dog and had severe attachment-issues. I worked with a Dog Behaviourist for a few months to settle Archie into a new space and get comfortable with me. It was like he had to learn to walk again, but a different walk. It took a while, but Archie is the most gentle-hearted and good-natured boy. He spreads so much love and is happy all day long. I’m so extremely happy that I went the adoption-route, because those animals will always have a sincere appreciation and love for you from rescuing them from death which is the reality of many left dogs in Australia.

If you are looking to adopt, then I wanted to share with you the amazing work that PETstock is doing across Australia in terms of adoption and saving animals that would otherwise be put down.

PETstock’s own charity foundation, PETstock Assist’s mission is to make a long-term difference and positive change in the lives of pets and humans. They do this through a number of initiatives including programs that assist abused, abandoned and neglected pets through rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming.

PETstock stores partner with local rescue groups to foster and adopt out animals in need. They also run adoptions days throughout the year, of which over 19,000 rescue pets have been re-homed to date

ALL pets deserve a safe and loving home and many pets enter the rescue cycle through no fault of their own. Working with PETstock, we hope to educate people to reconsider any biases or unfair stereotypes you might have about rescue pets and potentially give them a loving forever home.

Here are some benefits of adopting a rescue animal:

• • You are making a sustainable choice by choosing a pet from an existing population of animals needing a home. By choosing to adopt, you are reducing the demand for puppies or kittens bred by backyard breeders. 2020 estimated data indicates over 100,000 pets are killed in pounds annually – saving a life, what could feel better!
  • They comemicrochipped and desexed already.
  • They are generally socialised and have already received some training.
  • You get to find out about their individual personality, temperament, health,  and any special needs they might have up front. 

If you are serious about adding a furry friend to your own life or the life of your family, then the PETstock Adoption Hub contains loads of useful info for those looking to adopt or who have recently adopted.

It also has a section where you can search for adoptable pets ready to find their forever home.

I cannot encourage you highly enough to please consider adopting instead of shopping for a ‘new’ dog. There are so many loving animals out there that never got a chance at life and are simply waiting for you to grant them just that. 

To find your next forever-love please head to PETstock’s Adoption Hub here.