MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. -- National Puppy Day encourages pet adoption. Before Ruff Life Animal Rescue stepped in, 11 puppies were at risk of being sold to the first bidder.
“They were listed on a Facebook yard sale site when they were only about two days old. People get them for bait. They get them for fighting. They get them for breeding. It doesn't really matter,” said Kristen Marris, the founder of Ruff Life.
Ruff Life brought these puppies on Sunday to Camp Bow Wow in Matthews for the Homeward Hound Adoption Event.
Alison Ridenhour from Camp Bow Wow said many dogs end up at shelters because families surrender them after getting impatient with training.
“People get the wrong kind of dog for their family. Temperament may be wrong, so we want to encourage people to not only adopt from shelters, but to educate themselves a little bit about different breeds and temperaments and things like that because there's always a dog that will fit a family,” said Ridenhour.
In Mecklenburg County, the number of dogs being euthanized in a public shelter has gone down from 47.5% in 2012 to 32% so far in 2015, but that is still nearly one out of every three dogs.
Shelter volunteers hope with more education and training, that number will eventually reach zero.
“I'm a younger rescuer so it could potentially be something I see in my lifetime, but without the commitment from people for spay neuter and responsible breeding, it's not going to happen,” said Marris.
For more information about pet care:
*Reported by Yoojin Cho