When you make the decision to add a new pet to your family, not only will it bring joy to your home, but it will also enrich the life of the animal, especially if you adopt your new pet from an animal shelter.

Only four percent of dogs and one percent of cats were purchased from an animal in 2017 according to a study. While there’s no denying we love our pets, there are plenty of options for adding one to your family.

Whether you want to adopt a dog, cat, rabbit, bird, rodent, or something else, there’s likely a shelter or rescue organization that has a pet in need. So if you’re thinking about adding a pet to your family, here are 14 reasons you should consider adopting a rescue pet from a shelter instead of buying one.

1. You’re Saving a Life – While euthanasia in shelters has dropped over the years, there are still animals that get put down. The Human Society of the United States says about 2.4 million healthy cats and dogs get put down each year. That’s one animal about every 13 seconds.

2. Teach an Abused Animal About Love – Many shelter animals come from places where they have been abused and neglected. These pets deserve to be shown that there are people in the world who will love them and care for them the way that they deserve.

3. Help Fight Overpopulation – Some 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. shelters each year, this means that there is a huge need for people to adopt pets and no need for pet stores to rely on puppy mills for breeding. Your pet will also likely be spayed or neutered to help prevent further overpopulation.

4. Help Stop Puppy Mills – There are 10,000 puppy mills in the U.S. according to the Puppy Mill Project. These mills often have horrible conditions and give little thought to the health of the animals. By refusing to buy pets from these mills or the pet stores that get their puppies from these places, you are refusing to support such conditions and treatment.

5. You Can Adopt a Senior Pet – While most pet stores only have young animals, rescue pets come in all ages. While younger animals are still an option, you could also opt for a more mature pet. These animals have outgrown their rambunctiousness already. The older the companion, the more likely they are to be laid-back.

6. Adopt An Animal That’s Already Trained – Training a pet isn’t easy, but with a rescue pet you can have a perfectly well-behaved pet without all the obedience training classes. Animals that have already had the training end up in shelters looking for a new home, which means that your new family member could already come home trained and well-behaved.

7. Your Pet Will Have Received Professional Care – Animal shelters always make sure your pet has been checked out by a veterinarian before putting them up for adoption. This means you’ll know if they have any health issues before you take them home.

8. Your Pet Will Likely be Spayed/Neutered and Microchipped – Shelters want to do everything they can to make sure their animals get a good start. This will often result in them being spayed or neutered and microchipped (to help them find their way home if they get lost) before being adopted to a new family.

9. Endless Options – While you likely have multiple options from shelters in your area, there are even more options if you still can’t find the perfect pet. Simply jump on the internet and expand your search. You can see pets all over the U.S. looking for new families.

10. Spend Time With Your Potential Pet – If you purchase a pet from a pet store, you will likely only get a few minutes with the animal before you have to make a decision. Rescue organizations, on the other hand, will likely encourage you to spend some time with your potential pet. They may even encourage you to take them on a short walk or play outside a bit before deciding if they are an ideal match.

11. You’ll Receive Resources and Pet Specific Advice – If you adopt from a shelter, they will likely provide you with a package of resources that includes how to care for you pet, feed them, healthcare tips, and more. They’ve also likely spent time with and observed your pet so they can offer tips about their personality and other specific information about your pet.

12. The Adoption Process is Fast and Easy – When you choose to purchase a pet from a breeder, you often have to wait weeks or even months for them to be mature enough to leave their mother. But when you adopt from a shelter, you can often head home with your new pet the same day you meet them.

13. The Cost Is Much Less and the Money Will Help Other Animals – Adopting a pet is much cheaper than purchasing a puppy from a breeder or pet store. Not to mention, the money will be used to care for other animals who still remain in the shelter. It’s hard to leave them behind, but knowing your adoption fee will be used to help them can make it easier.

14. Encourage Friends to Adopt Too – When you adopt a pet, you can let others know how wonderful and easy the process is, so hopefully they will want to add a new member to their family when the time is right!

Be sure to share these adoption tips with your family and friends. These shelter animals can use all the help they can get.