We’ve all heard the saying: saving one animal won’t change the world, but for that animal, the world is changed.

Millions of dogs and cats go through animal shelters each year. According to the ASPCA’s estimates, about 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized each year. For those who work closely with shelters, or even for those simply paying attention, the numbers can be overwhelming.

Surely, adopting one shelter dog is statistically insignificant. Why, then, do we rescue or adopt one pet, if they’re only a drop in the bucket?

Part of the answer, is, of course, the other half of the saying. Everyone who has adopted a shelter pet knows that the pet’s world is changed forever. It is a beautiful transformation. The cat who wouldn’t come out of the cage becomes ruler of the house. The dog who quivered in fear at an arm raised a bit too high becomes an outgoing lover of fetch. Fur grows in thick and shiny. Bellies fill out and ribs don’t look so prominent after only a few weeks in a loving home.

The rescue animal is not the only one changed by adoption. The human who adopts the shelter pet may find themselves more patient, kind, and gentle than before. They smile more, laugh at little things, and have more energy. Some studies have proven that dog owners live longer, healthier lives, and that children who grow up in homes with dogs have fewer allergies and a decreased risk of asthma. Dog owners also react better to stress.

Saving one animal can change both the adopted and the adopter. Could it also change the world? Maybe not, but it may have positive impacts beyond what is expected. Slowly, perceptions about pet adoption are changing. More animals are being adopted now than in 2011, according to the ASPCA. California has changed their laws to ban the sale of animals that aren’t rescues. This may reduce the number of puppy mills and in turn reduce the number of unwanted dogs euthanized in shelters.

Adopting one animal won’t change the world overnight, but the world is being changed because of rescue advocates. Every saved pet is a story that can be shared. Every story has the potential to change hearts and minds. Every changed heart and mind has the potential to cause policy change.

It may be time to update the saying: saving one animal is the first step to changing the world for all animals.

Resources

https://www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness/shelter-intake-and-surrender/pet-statistics

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-16118-6

https://www.today.com/pets/california-puppy-mill-ban-will-require-pet-stores-sell-rescue-t117511