In a time of rising costs of living and decreased availability in pet-friendly housing, adoptions for large dogs have decreased. While there are benefits to adopting a larger dog, such as increased safety when walking at night, the cons may outweigh the pros for potential new dog parents.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean the number of large dogs looking for forever homes has decreased. Only 36% of dog parents have a pup weighing in over 40lbs.
Benefitting Oversized Pets and Their New Families
The slogan for Best Friends Animal Society is “Save Them All”. And, rescuing thousands of dogs, cats, and small animals yearly along with offering community services for pet parents, the organization certainly tries. But even with all of their efforts, the rescue has seen an increase in large dogs that remain in the shelter for months at a time waiting for their forever homes.
“Right now, there is a shelter crisis going on across the country, with many shelters at, or beyond, full capacity. It’s no small thing to adopt a big dog. And by adopting one, you are playing an important role in helping Best Friends reach our goal of making the country no-kill by 2025,” Julie Castle, chief executive officer of BFAS said in a news release.
The Love Large program makes adoptions for dogs weighing over 50lbs free throughout the month of October.
Are Large Dogs Right for You?
While it’s easy to feel for the heart-wrenching stories of dogs waiting prolonged times for families due to their size, it doesn’t mean you should jump at the chance to add a large dog to your home. Keep in mind that even if you are excited to add a new friend to the family, large breeds are more likely to be on restricted breed lists for apartments. They may also require more intensive exercise, or simply more room than your home can provide.
However, if you’re willing to do the research, there are also many large dog breeds that can be appropriate for lots of different lifestyles, even couch potatoes!
