Photo Credit: North Shore Animal League Facebook page
If you were to ask someone what their favorite dog breed is or what type of cat they like the best, most people are going to give you a pretty specific answer. From German Shepards to Maine Coon cats, everyone has an opinion on what types of breeds are their favorites. There are millions of animals sitting in shelters across the nation, so what are the chances of running upon your favorite breed at a shelter?
The National Animal Interest Alliance conducted a study in 2015 to determine the percentage of purebred dogs versus the number of mutts in shelters. The study concluded that only five percent of dogs in shelters are purebred. The number drops down to three percent if Chihuahuas and pitbulls are removed from the survey.
The chance of finding a purebred dog in the shelter system still exists. It’s harder to come by breeds, but it can happen. My family decided to adopt a dog from North Shore Animal League in Port Washington, NY. When we browsed the shelter (with the intention of adopting a dog that day), the space was overwhelmed by pitbull mixes with the occasional recognizable purebred dog thrown in. At the time, myself and my siblings were still young, so we were looking for a solid medium-sized dog for our family.
My family ended up choosing a black dog with some white markings under her belly, thinking we were getting some sort of Labrador Retriever mix. We ended up genetically testing our dog in her later years, with the test results coming back as a German Shorthaired Pointer, a total purebred dog.
Finding your favorite breed at an animal shelter may seem impossible, but you never know what will happen the next time you walk around the pound.
