What happens to abandoned dogs, or those who run away, or get lost? Many end up in pounds where it is only a matter of time before they are put down.

An alternative is an animal shelter, a much happier option as they care for abandoned dogs and attempt to find new owners, and they have been instrumental in encouraging spaying and neutering. This alone has resulted in a reduction of stray dogs reproducing unwanted puppies.

Still, some animals will end up in shelters, often through no fault of their own. Their owner may have died, or become unable to look after them, or worse, been unwilling to look after them.

On the other hand there are a few dogs who got a bit too rough, possibly due to lack of training or to circumstances, for example the arrival of children.

Adopting from an animal shelter is a really worthy way of getting a new pet. Why buy a new puppy when there are hundreds of animals wishing desperately for a new home.

There are some aspects to remember when you adopt from an animal shelter. The dogs rarely come with any medical history, so any future illnesses or conditions cannot be predicted.

Likewise the shelter can rarely vouch for the animal’s temperament, so caution should be exercised, especially if you are choosing a dog to be around your kids. In addition be prepared to have to do a little dog obedience with your new pet to iron out any bad habits his former owner allowed him to have.

You will have to be patient as the dog settles into your home, and be prepared for the odd accident, as it can be very stressful for an animal to change locations to unfamiliar circumstances.

The Humane Society is the largest organization for animal protection in the USA. Its central offices are based in Washington DC. It works on a local level with many regional branches across the USA. It is funded by donation.

The work of the Humane society includes looking after the rights of both wildlife and domestic animals. It carries out its wok through legislation, litigation, investigation, education, advocacy and field work.

Both domestic and wild animals are in the remit of the work of the Humane Society. It defends animals through the courts, the classroom, the senate, the authorities and more. You can find many unwanted pets at regional branches, which should be your first place to look for a new pet.

You might feel you want to support the Humane Society; if so there are three ways you can do it. Offering a home to an abandoned pet is an enormous help. You can support the Society by giving a regular amount of money to their fund raising efforts. You might also consider lending a hand in a shelter.

These are all valuable contributions. The Humane Society and shelters are a ray of hope for abandoned and injured animals. Please don’t remain complacent about the fate of unwanted animals; the truth can be very sad.