1. A shelter or rescue dog will be the most grateful, faithful companion you could hope to meet; these dogs really understand and appreciate what you did for them.
2. With millions of homeless dogs killed every day in shelters across the country just for lack of cage space, you are acting locally to help end the global problem of homelessness.
3. As the environmentally-conscious recycling trend has proven beyond a doubt, it’s easy being green – fun, too! – and dog adoption is the purest form of recycling.
4. A shelter or rescue dog usually comes in a basic neutral shade – black, brown, tan – that coordinates perfectly with any outfit or style of décor. Shedded hairs will be less noticeable on your fashionable clothing and furniture.
5. Shelter dogs tend to be mutts, and while purebred dogs are often genetically predisposed to certain health problems, mutts have hybrid vigor in spades. Properly cared for, your mutt will live a longer, healthier life, for the most part staying out of the veterinarian’s office.
6. Purebreds were created to do a specific job, which gives them certain intense behaviors that can make them hard to live with. Mixed-breeds, on the other hand, are by nature more laid back – their job description is to do what you want to do.
7. If you prize your Phi Beta Kappa membership, know that mutts are the Mensa members of dogdom – you couldn’t ask for a smarter pet.
8. Adopting a plain, brown (or black) dog proves you are a profound person of quality who values substance over style.
9. If you are a political animal with faith in the democratic process, a mutt is the dog for you: he’s the people’s dog.
10. No two American Shelter Hounds are exactly alike. Do you want a purebred that looks just like everyone else’s, or do you crave a totally unique pet? Are you a leader or a follower?
