Image: elmhurstanimalcarecenter.com
A graduate of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Joel Todd Leroy Prince has more than 25 years of experience as a small-animal veterinarian. Dr. Joel Todd Leroy Prince is a partner at the Elmhurst Animal Care Center in Elmhurst, Illinois, which offers pet owners a wide array of services, including a free initial examination, parasite check, and rabies vaccination for pets they have decided to adopt from a local animal shelter or rescue center.
There are a number of reasons to consider adopting an animal. One of the most compelling reasons to adopt rather than purchase through a breeder or a pet store is that an adopted pet represents a life saved. Breeders often line up prospective families prior to the birth of animals, ensuring they will be taken care of. On the other hand, more than 2.7 million cats and dogs are euthanized every year simply because shelters do not have the resources to keep them. Every adopted animal is an animal that has escaped this tragic fate.
Similarly, pet stores and online breeders often receive animals from backyard breeders, who frequently breed and raise animals in an unsafe and unhealthy manner. Rescuing an animal is a great way to fight against these operations.
Adopted animals can provide their owners with a number of economic benefits as well. For instance, older animals are often house trained, reducing the likelihood that the animal will cause damage to carpets and furniture. In addition, many shelter animals have been spayed or neutered, received important vaccinations, and may even be microchipped.
Finally, shelters are full of loving, social animals that have been displaced, not because of bad behavior but because previous owners have been forced to give their animals up, due to a move or another life change. Adopting one of these animals allows them to live the life they deserve.
Joel Todd Leroy Prince 