Mabel the Rescue Dog

4 min read (Articles narrated by Mabel)

This week (September 16th-22nd) is Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week! For those of you that are not familiar with this week, it is a great opportunity to encourage adoption and help out the dogs that have been searching for a home for a long time.

What is Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week?

It is no secret that certain pets get adopted much quicker than others. Fortunately, I was a young adorable Shih Tzu, so I was adopted right away. However, many dogs need to wait much longer to find their forever home.

Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week is a celebration that Petfinder launched back in 2009. They had some recent surveys that shared sad statistics about adoptable dogs.

About 95% of the dog rescues that were surveyed stated that they had dogs that would be considered less adoptable. 33% of the shelters surveyed stated that they had dogs that were up for adoption for 1 to 2 years, and 27% said that they had dogs up for adoption for over 2 years!

It’s heartbreaking to think of how long some dogs sit and wait for a loving family to come along. Many people just look at the puppies and popular breeds, which causes them to overlook the dogs that have been waiting the longest.

Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week encourages rescues and shelters to promote the pets that are the most in need of a home. It also helps those looking for a new pet to consider adopting some of the pets that are often overlooked.

This celebration happens on the third week of September each year. There have been plenty of success stories because of it, so that is why this exciting event continues each year!

Which Pets are Considered Less Adoptable?

Of course, all dogs are adoptable. All have a perfect family out there somewhere, but for some dogs it’s harder to find that forever family. Here is a list of some of the pets that would be considered “less adoptable.”

Senior Pets

Sadly, senior pets are often overlooked simply because they will not live as long. However, older pets are much calmer and likely already trained! They can usually settle down in their new home more quickly, and they will adore you for giving them a second chance at life. Plus, with proper care, than can live even longer than expected.

Pets with Special Needs

There are plenty of adoptable dogs with various special needs including pets that are blind, deaf, or missing limbs. Just because these pets act or look different than expected doesn’t mean they’re bad companions. Pets with special needs are usually just as sweet, if not more! They might have unique care requirements, but they are usually just as loving and well-behaved as any other dog.

Breeds with Bad Reputations

There are so many breeds that are left behind because people think they are a bad breeds. But we’re all just dogs! No dogs are just naturally good or bad. Don’t overlook a sweet dog just because of their breed. All breeds of dogs should be considered because we all can be great companions if properly cared for. If a dog acts out, it’s usually because of a sad past or mean family. It’s never simply because of the dog’s breed.

Pets with Behavioral Issues

No pet is perfect, and certainly no human is either! So, just because a dog has a behavior issue doesn’t mean that they’re unadoptable. With the right care and patience, dogs can be trained. Plus, wouldn’t you rather know about these issues ahead of time?

Pets with Dark Coats

For some reason, pets with darker coats don’t get adopted as often, especially if they’re older. I don’t really understand this, but for cats, I know they’re associated with bad luck. However, a dog’s appearance should not be the most important factor when adopting a dog.

Large Dogs

Small dogs are often adopted more than large ones because they don’t take up as much space. However, if you have a large dog, you don’t need to worry about accidentally stepping on them or having them hide from you. Even if you have your heart set on a specific size of dog, keep your options open. Don’t let size alarm you because many big dogs still think they are cuddly lap dogs.

How Can You Help?

If you’re not looking to adopt a dog at the moment, then that’s okay! You can still help out this week. If you see posts and articles about adoptable dogs near you, please share them or send them to a friend that you know is looking for a dog. Many of these dogs have been at a shelter or rescue for a long period of time, so they need all the help they can get!

Also, if you have free time, don’t hesitate to volunteer. Many shelters need people to spend time with the dogs and take them for walks now and then. By spending time with these dogs, you could help to make their life at the shelter much more enjoyable.

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