Why Adopt – Johnson County Animal Shelter

Adopt Don't Shop!

“Adopt, Don’t Shop” is a national campaign to raise awareness about the benefits of adopting rescue pets instead of puppies from pet stores that buy from puppy mills.

Many people believe that only major cities like Houston have problems with pet over-population. Unfortunately pet over-population is a worldwide issue! Here are some numbers for our little part of the world.

Johnson County Indiana

11th Largest County in Indiana totaling 321.79 square miles.

2017 Population of 153,897

In 2017 our facility placed a total of 1650 domestic animals including the following:

839 Cats

11 Ducks

4 Hamsters

709 Dogs

4 Guinea Pigs

4 Pigs

2 Hybrids

21 Rabbits

4 Chickens

3 Birds

Fun facts:

In 2017 38% of the dogs that came into our shelter were purebred.
Indiana is ranked 9th in the U.S for states with the highest percentage of households owning a cat!

'Isla' found as a stray on 6-13-18

does it matter
where I get my pet?

yes!! it really does matter!

There are many reasons why you should adopt a pet instead of purchasing one from a breeder or pet store. However, if you are confident that a shelter or rescue isn’t the best choice for you, feel free to read on. Maybe some of the important information below will help you see the benefits of adopting a homeless pet!

5 reasons why adoption is always the best choice

You Will Save Lives

When you adopt a pet you are saving it’s life. Not only due to the number of pets euthanized every year in shelters, but also by giving the pet a home to live in. Many dogs and cats are left to live on the streets where they are hit by cars, attacked by other animals or even die of starvation and/or illness. Adoption not only provides a home for your newly adopted pet, but also opens a spot for another pet to fill. Giving that pet a chance at finding a home.

You Will Save Money

The cost to purchase a pet versus adopting is a lot more than most people realize. You will need to take into account not only the actual purchase price, but also the initial vetting costs. When purchasing a pet from a pet store, you should expect to pay anywhere from $500 to well over $1,000. These amounts might be slightly lower if you purchase directly from a breeder. However, the cost to adopt a pet from a shelter or rescue will usually range between $50 and $250.

When a shelter or rescue adopts out a pet, they will make sure the pet is up to date on vaccines and spay/neutered. Depending on where you live, a spay or neuter could cost as much as $300.00. Not to mention the cost of office visits, vaccines and other test that might need to be preformed. These are things that you will likely get as part of your adoption fee.

Help Fight Puppy Mills

The primary goal of animal shelters like ours is to improve the life of pets in their care. Unfortunately, puppy mills have a very different goal and that is to simply make money, regardless of the impact it has on the dogs. Females are bred from a very young age, litter after litter, until their body can no longer produce a profit. You have seen the photos on tv, and you are aware of the conditions in which puppy mills keep their dogs. However, did you know that the cute puppy at the pet store didn’t come a ‘reputable breeder’ like the worker said. U.S laws

Many Shelter Pets Are Already Trained

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Variety Of Breeds To Choose From

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