RSPCA launch new "Adoptober" campaign - aims to promote adopting pets

This month, the RSPCA are launching an initiative entitled “Adoptober” with their goal being to encourage more people to adopt pets, rather than purchasing them.

The slogan “adopt, don’t shop” is being heavily pushed by the charity for this month.

Many pets were given new homes during lockdown, to keep us company during those uncertain times. Thankfully, research indicates that most of these re-homed pets have been kept by their new owners now that we’re slowing emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic.

There’s a few reasons you should adopt pets, instead of buying them from a shop or a breeder – here’s a few examples as to why.

Why you should adopt, not shop

Generally, pets that are up for adoption are in more need than those that are up for sale. They’ve often been rescued from life-threatening situations, abusive households or from people who are simply unable to look after them any more.

It also helps to tackle the process of cruel genetic breeding. Many animals, including dogs and cats, are subjected to genetic breeding to alter their appearance to suit human preferences. This can have lifelong, irreversible consequences on their health if done irresponsibly.

By adopting a dog instead of shopping for one, you can also help to combat “puppy mills” where making a profit is the priority. The health and happiness of the animals they breed takes a backseat to this ultimate goal.

Buying a puppy from a breeder comes with other risks, too. With adoption shelters, puppies and dogs are often housetrained before you elect to take them home with you. Breeders do not always offer this guarantee – if you’re not sure how to train a puppy, it could end up causing chaos around the household. Kittens can offer the same problem and are more difficult to train.

Pet overpopulation is also current problem in the UK. Many potential pets have to be euthanised because of this, as there’s simply no home for so many of them.

Furthermore, adopting a pet is often free (or at least costs a relatively minimal amount) – whereas a “designer” dog, bred for its visual appeal, could potentially cost around £4,000. One of the most expensive commercial dog breeds, Samoyeds, cost roughly £10,000.

The adoption fees for cats tend to be considerably lower than those for dogs. Furthermore, cats are, as a rule of thumb, much cheaper and easier to look after than dogs (although this isn’t always the case). If you’d like to adopt a pet, but feel that lack of money or time could be a significant issue, maybe consider getting a cat instead of a dog.

It’s also much more rewarding to take in an animal in need than it is to buy a commercially bred pet. Without you, they’d likely have to be put down, which no one wants.

If you’d like to visit the RSPCA’s website, namely the Doncaster and Rotherham branch, follow this link.