Animal rescue shelters are facilities where animals of all sorts are kept on a temporary basis before they are adopted out or put to sleep. The animals come from many places and varied circumstances. They can be strays, pets that aren’t wanted by their owner any longer, puppy mill rejects, pet store animals, abused and neglected pets, etc. At animal rescue shelters you will find kittens, adult cats, puppies, trained dogs, small animals, big animals, birds and other varied types of animals.

The reason animal rescue shelters exist in the US is simple. Each day there are 10,000 humans born in the US and conversely each day 70,000 puppies and kittens are born. There simply are not enough homes for all the dogs and cats that are born, not to mention all the other diverse animals that people have as pets. Until spaying and neutering of pets becomes mandatory or practiced more widely there will always be an abundance of animals and the need for animal rescue shelters.

It is a real shame that many of the pets that end up in animal rescue shelters are euthanized. Some of the most loving pets people report to have adopted have come from shelters. The devoted staff at most animal rescue shelters do their best to keep these loving pets alive and healthy as they look for caring families to take a new pet into their home on a permanent basis. Sometimes they even have a list of foster families who are willing to take the pet into their own loving home until a real adoption family can be found.

Animal rescue shelters serve a valuable purpose in caring for nature’s most vulnerable creatures. They give pets a reprieve from the harsh reality of neglect, abuse, or loneliness on the street. Pets often get health attention, spaying or neutering, vaccinations, disease prevention medication, and other medical attention. The volunteer staff can help the pet get along with other pets and people in general by playing games. The aim is to provide a healthy, happy, and house-trained pet that would be a great new addition into any adoptee family. So before you think of getting your next pet from a pet store do yourself and the world a favor by checking with your local animal rescue shelters. You can bring joy to the life of an existing pet and save another animal from death row.