A: For many people a family is simply not complete without the addition of a dog. It is estimated over 43 million households have a dog as a pet.

But where do these dogs come from and why do people choose the dogs they do? Sadly, not nearly enough dogs come from animal shelters or rescue groups. In a country where every single day thousands of dogs are put to sleep simply because there aren't enough homes for them, it really is a shame that more family pets don't come from shelters.

Of course there are all kinds of reasons someone may have for not adopting but we have found that the more people know,the more likely they are to head to an animal shelter for their next pup.

Some people wrongly assume that shelter dogs are somehow "damaged goods" or that you don't know what you'll be getting. This couldn't be farther from the truth. The reality is that at many shelters you will find out more about each individual dog's health and personality than you will from practically any other source. A breeder is in the business of selling dogs and if a dog is purchased through an internet site it may be that the dogs were bred in a puppy mill, the very worst kind of place to get a dog. The owner of a puppy mill has no motivation other than money, and you will in no way get an accurate representation of the dogs they sell.

At the Durham shelter every dog is evaluated for health as well as temperament and behavioral characteristics. Beyond that, the dogs are walked and socialized by a number of volunteers so we are often able to provide a wealth of information.

Still, many potential adopters are looking for specific breeds. While certain breeds do have predictable tendencies, most dogs will have their very own individual tendencies and personalities. We love mutts, but it is a myth that all shelter dogs are mixed breeds. There is an amazing variety of breeds available at shelters or through "breed rescue" groups. One of my jobs at the shelter is to contact breed rescues if we have a purebred dog in need of a home. Many breed rescue groups that I contact are often full themselves, which of course means that there are pedigree dogs of a variety of breeds waiting for homes.

The last and best reason for someone to consider adopting is that you are saving a life and that life you save will reward you endlessly! The very best advocates for shelter dogs are those people who have themselves adopted a shelter dog. It is so exciting to see research that shows most people who have adopted a shelter dog would only ever go back to a shelter to adopt again. Some people even swear their shelter dogs show them gratitude for being adopted. It may be true but whatever the reason, most adopters of a shelter dog will proudly tell you that they made the right choice!