Each year, hundreds of thousands of pets are abandoned in high-kill shelters all across the United States. One can only imagine the pain and confusion a dog, a cat – or any pet – must feel after their owners leave them behind in the hands of strangers.

The numbers of surrendered pets are only increasing each year – especially after Christmas when people get puppies and kittens as gifts only to give them up a few months later.

There are plenty of excuses for why people give their pets up. Some are not prepared for the responsibility of taking care of a pet; some have health-related issues, etc.

No matter what the reason may be, we believe it is highly unethical to leave your pets behind. In most cases, unadopted cats and dogs are put down by shelters after a few months.

These abandoned animals do not deserve to die just because their previous owners didn’t want them.

Ask yourself what did these loveable pets do to deserve a lethal injection? The answer is nothing!

And yet, each year thousands more puppies and kittens are purchased from pet stores, ignoring the perfectly healthy and perfectly adoptable pets who are in shelters.

If there is a silver lining in this horrifyingly ugly situation is that people are now becoming more and more aware of the benefits of adopting a pet from shelters.

The state of Ohio is one of the first states to take a step in the right direction. It did this recently by officially naming shelter pets as their state pet.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, this is to help raise public awareness for shelter animals. It is also a great way to get these shelter pets a new and forever home.

There is nothing wrong with the pets you can find in pet shelters. The majority of these pets in shelters are there not because of their wrongdoing – they were just wronged by their previous owners.

Don’t you think it’s the right thing to do to give them a chance at a happy life instead of being put down?

The next time you or anybody you know wants to buy a new pet, please consider visiting one of the nearest pet shelters around you. You just might find your new best buddy and give them a second chance at life.

Please SHARE this post to help raise awareness of shelter pets. You can also use the hashtag #AdoptDontShop

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