Second Chance Animal Rescue founder Marisa Debattista says adoption from an animal shelter should be people’s first option, rather than buying from a dog breeder.
Data from a RSPCA 2018-2019 report showed 33,863 dogs were received by the organisation and 76.72 per cent of them were rehomed or reunited with their owners.
The data showed that 1941 dogs were left in care, 1391 in transfer, and 4308 euthanised for various reasons, including for their behaviour.
“Adoption should be people’s first option when adding a family member to their homes, especially when there are animals dying in pounds,” Ms Debattista said.
“There’s no need to be breeding them and adding more animals to these shelters when people don’t buy them.
“There’s a common misconception with rescue animals that breeder dogs are better.
“Some shelter dogs might require some extra training and medical work, but so many of them come through and they’re perfect.
“Like people, every animal has bad traits, but each has a great character and finding the right animal for the right person is still possible when they adopt.”
Ms Debattista said breeding wasn’t something the rescue organisation agreed with.
“Not all breeders are bad, but if they continue breeding, the health of their animals is important and they should be having full veterinary clearance and making sure they’re suitable,” she said.
“It’s not something we agree with, when animals are dying everyday in pounds in Australia. There’s no need to add to the cycle.
“Just because you’ve purchased a dog doesn’t mean they’re better than an adopted dog.”
Ms Debattista said while volunteers were currently not spending time at the shelters due to COVID-19, the organisation was always in need of support from the community.
“To keep these animals safe and happy before they find their homes, we need to keep our doors open. We’re always accepting donations and happy to accept new volunteers after COVID-19,” she said.
