5 Reasons Why Dogs End Up In Shelters

In America today, more dogs are finding themselves in shelters. People are increasingly getting rid of their best friends. There are hundreds or even thousands of dogs going to shelters every year because of their guardians either being unwilling or unable to care for them anymore. Statistics show that approximately a quarter of the dogs in shelters have behavioral problems while another quarter are simply unwanted. The remainder are given out for domestic or other reasons.

Here are the 5 main reasons why dogs end up in shelters.

Moving

This is the number one reason for dogs ending up in shelters. When the dog’s owner plans on moving, they will often find it hard to move with their pets. Sometimes you will find owners moving over great distances or to foreign countries where moving the dog may prove difficult. When they have exhausted the search for good homes or people willing to accept the dog, then they feel that all they can do is take the dog to the shelter.

New Locations not accepting pets

This is closely related to moving. Sometimes, the dog owner has the ability to move with their pets. However, the new location where they are moving to doesn’t allow pets. Some landlords are quite choosy when it comes to accepting tenants with pets. In case of such a landlord the dog owner has no option but to give up their dog to a shelter.

Too many pets in the household

Sometimes you will find dog lovers who have bitten off more than they can chew in terms of dog adoptions. These people will start struggling with the feeding and general upkeep of these pets. Eventually they will have to take their additional dogs to the shelter. Sometimes, the city council rules. or HOA rules may forbid keeping too many pets on a property of a specified size. When this happens the dog owner will have to part with some of the dogs to remain compliant.

Cost of Maintenance

Some people seriously underestimate the cost of maintaining a dog properly. They never seem to realize that cost is not just in terms of money but time as well. In terms of monetary cost there is the cost of food as well as the healthcare cost for the dog. When this seems too much, many people will opt for taking to the dog to the shelter to avoid these costs.

Personal problems of the guardian

People have all kinds of personal problems such as: job loss, divorce, and getting a new baby. Whenever any of these happens to a dog owner, it is the dog that ultimately suffers. When the dog’s guardian is going through a divorce, they might find it hard to care for the dogs. The same case applies to losing the job or having a baby.

In conclusion, these are the five main reasons why dogs end up in shelters. It is very disappointing and frustrating to see dogs in shelters. People should learn to take better care for their dogs so that they do not end up in this situation.

Do you need help getting your dog trained well?  If so visit us at Canine Behavior Specialists and give us a call, or for our out of town readers  .

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About the Author: Wayne Booth is owner of Canine Behavior Specialists in Nashville, TN.  Wayne has been teaching people how to become Professional Dog Trainers since 1990 and he is the Training Director of Canine Behavior Specialists Network.

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