Recycle a pet for the holidays!

December 4, 9:50 PMGreen Business ExaminerShawna Bohan

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Rescued animals come in all sizes, breeds and age ranges and tend to be more loyal to the family that embraces them.

OK...so 'recycle' may be a stretch here...but for anyone considering a new family pet this holiday season, consider rescuing one from a shelter - rather than visiting the breeder or pet store.

Petfinder.com currently has more than 320,000 dogs and cats awaiting adoption nationwide.  Purebreds, mixed breeds, young, old and in-between.  You can conveniently search for the animal of your choice by selecting the breed, the sex, and the desired age of the animal then inputting your zip code.  The shelters update their animal profiles hourly so there are new faces and pet options all the time.  

The adoption comes at a reasonable cost and most of the animals have been spayed or neutered, many are house-trained and their behaviors have been assessed to determine whether this new pet will love your children and current pets...or not so much. 

Shelters around the country see an increase in abandoned animals during the holiday season and the burden on shelters has increased recently due to folks who have to give up their pets because they are losing their homes.  You may even find that perfect pet, a breed you've always wanted to have but 'couldn't afford'...