Finding a Forever Home

Buster: available for adoption at aspca.org

Buster: available for adoption at aspca.org

Caroline McFarland, Writer / Pop Culture Editor

The saying goes, “Dogs are a man’s best friend.” It’s true. All domestic animals can be companions, but dogs have a certain quality that some other species don’t have: loyalty. No matter what situation a dog has been through, they always seem to be 100 percent loyal to their owner. Some have even saved their owners’ lives. So why is animal cruelty still going on in our country, and why are there so many homeless dogs?

Odds are that you know somebody who owns a dog. Where did they get the dog? They could have possibly bought it from a breeder, adopted it from a rescue group, or even adopted it from a shelter. Although all of the options have the same result, they are extremely different. Some breeders treat their dogs very well. Unfortunately, others get their dogs from puppy mills. According to the ASPCA, a puppy mill is a large-scale commercial dog breeding operation that places profit over the well-being of its dogs—who are often severely neglected—and acts without regard to responsible breeding practices. This is when animal rescue groups and shelters come into play.

Animal rescues are organizations that hold events once a week, usually in a pet store, allowing for people to look at rescued dogs available for adoption. They usually use foster homes for their animals instead of a single shelter. On the other hand, animal shelters are large institutions. One example is the ASPCA, also known as The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Shelters like the ASPCA not only provide a building of shelter to the animals, but also take action to fight cruelty. Both rescues and shelters take dogs from horrible situations, such as puppy mills, and adopt them out to people who will truly care for them.

Molly and Marty came from a hoarding situation. They are available for adoption by 3 Hearts 4 Paws.
Source: 3hearts4paws.com

There are countless animal welfare issues in our country. The ASPCA and HSUS, also known as The Humane Society of the United States, are committed to fighting the use of euthanasia to kill animals. HSUS states, “The HSUS is committed to zero euthanasia and the use of truly humane methods.” Some shelters still use euthanasia to kill animals that are not quickly adopted. It is an extremely controversial topic, as a few shelters use euthanasia to put animals to rest that are very sick, not just to make room for more animals. As reported by the ASPCA, “Of the dogs entering shelters, approximately 35 percent are adopted, 31 percent are euthanized, and 26 percent of dogs who came in as strays are returned to their owner.”

Animal rescue organizations do not euthanize animals. Most are non-profit, and are started by people that honestly want to help dogs and cats.

Evelyn King of Keyport, NJ, is one of the founders of the nonprofit rescue group 3 Hearts 4 Paws. The group was started by three women who wanted to continue rescuing, helping, and caring for dogs in need. King explained, “We get our dogs from all kinds of situations. Some are from high kill shelters in the south, and others are from hoarding situations. We have a network of people that will contact us if they find dogs that need to be rescued. The dogs will then be transported to us from wherever they may be.” King also stated that the dogs must be vetted before they can be placed in a foster home. In other words, they must be up to date with vaccines and be cared for properly if they are sick. “(3 Hearts 4 Paws) also recently worked with a program called Pilots N Paws, in which volunteer pilots rescued or transported dogs by plane. The organization is also completely nonprofit.”

Rescue groups like 3 Hearts 4 Paws not only change dogs’ lives, but peoples’ lives, too. They truly make an impact by caring for animals that have been neglected or treated horribly. Although there are many controversial animal welfare issues in our country, there are still people who care enough to dedicate their lives to saving these animals. At the end of the day, their mission is to help animals find their forever homes.

Leon is available for adoption by 3 Hearts 4 Paws
Source: 3hearts4paws.com