If you’ve been toying with the idea of adopting a pet, this is your sign to do it.
Starting Monday, PetSmart locations across Canada will be hosting a week-long adoption event with the goal of helping 1,500 pets find a loving home before the holidays.
Running from November 8 to 14, National Adoption Week will see animal welfare organizations bring a host of shelter animals into nearly every PetSmart store.
While puppies and kittens are a natural—and adorable—draw, PetSmart is encouraging Canadians in search of a new best friend to consider adopting a senior pet.
#DYK that owning a pet has been shown to reduce stress, encourage regular exercise, help us socialize with others, and increase happiness?
Consider adding a pet to your life this #NationalAdoptionWeek (Nov 8-14) by visiting your local PetSmart Adoption Center!
— PetSmart Charities® (@PetSmartChariTs) November 5, 2021
Older pets are often already trained and understand basic cues such as “sit” and “stay.” They also provide a sense of comfort and help improve loneliness, especially for senior citizens.
According to PetSmart, senior animals typically spend the longest time in shelters, and in many cases are deemed “unadoptable.”
Would-be adopters tend to avoid them, believing they’ve been given up due to behavioural issues. But, PetSmart says, older shelter animals tend to have been the companions of elderly people who died or moved into an assisted-living facility that wouldn’t allow pets.
“Senior pets have so much love to give, and their calm, gentle demeanours make them ideal matches for many households,” said Aimee Gilbreath, president of PetSmart Charities.
“National Adoption Week is the perfect time to head to a local PetSmart store and meet some older pets. Your carpets and furniture will thank you, too.”
Source: https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/petsmart-national-adoption-week-november-2021