Shelter Pet Project Promotes Shelter Animals as the First Choice to Adopt

The Humane Society of the United States has partnered with Maddie’s Fund and the Ad Council to develop the Shelter Pet Project, which will promote pet adoption from shelters and rescue organizations.

The focus is to eliminate stigmas attached to shelter pets, and to make them the first choice when people look to adopt a pet. (View the attached video).

According to The Humane Society of the United States and Maddie’s Fund, of the eight million pets that enter animal shelters and rescue groups every year, approximately three million of these healthy and treatable pets are euthanized due to a lack of adoption.

While there has been steady progress on the issue (in the 1970s approximately 24 million pets were euthanized), the continued euthanasia of our best friends and family members is a national tragedy.

Adopting a pet is a life-changing and enriching experience. When adopting a pet, people are obtaining companions that give them unconditional love, affection, and attention.

Adopting a pet from a shelter not only saves an animal's life, but is also good for our own well-being as research shows that owning a pet has many positive psychological and physical health benefits.

The animals rescued from shelters know you’ve saved their lives, and they typically treat their rescuers with lifelong loyalty and affection. 

Did You Know?

• Each year approximately 4 million pets are adopted.

• Of the 8 million pets that enter animal shelters each year, approximately 3 million healthy and treatable pets are euthanized.

• It is estimated that 17 million people will acquire a pet within the next year. 

• To save all the healthy and treatable pets that are euthanized, we just need 3 million of these people to adopt.

• In its 60 year history, this is the first non-human focused issue that the Ad Council has worked on.

For more information or to share your story on adopting a shelter pet, visit the Shelter Pet Project on Facebook.