America is a society that claims to love its pets. In fact, this nation has the highest percentage of households with dogs and cats when compared to 20 other highly industrialized nations. Yet, as many as 10 million dogs and cats are reqlinquished to shelters each year, and of these, about 65 percent are euthanized because there aren’t enough homes.

October has been designatyed Adtop a Shelter Dog Month. Shelters across the country are joining forces to make people aware of the wonderful benefits of adopting a shelter dog. Too often, people assume shelter dogs won’t make good pets. “They’re not trained,” or “It’s better to start with a puppy” are just some of the misconceptions people have about shelter dogs. Or people mistakenly believe dogs that come from breeders are move lovable than dogs from shelters.

But, as shelter dog owners know, you don’t need champion papers to have a lovable dog. Often, shelter animals are perfectly suited for homes. And with proper training, dogs from shelters can be a loyal and loving addition to a family. But before bringing any animal home, a person should consider these five questions: Am I ready to make a long-term commitment? Is the animal right for my household? Who will be the primary caretaker for the animal? Can I afford the animal? Am I ready to commit to making this dog a good canine citizen through proper training?

If someone wanting to adopt a shelter dog can honestly commit to answer “yes” to all five questions, he or she is likely to be a responsible pet owner. This will save the animal from being returned to the shelter to face an uncertain future, and will offfer both the dog and new owner a long and satisfying life together. Deb Melnikas Bangor Humane Society