By Allison Roesser

May 17, 2017:  You might be tempted to get your pet from a breeder or a pet store. However, there are compelling reasons to adopt a pet instead.

1. Each year more than six million dogs and cats enter animal shelters.

2. Eight to twelve million healthy and sweet dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens are euthanized every year simply because there are not enough homes for them.  

3. Every animal adopted from a shelter or rescue group frees up space for other homeless animals in need of care, especially special-needs pets that will most likely live out the remainder of their lives in the shelter. 

4. Every dog or cat purchased from a pet store or breeder helps add to the overpopulation.

5.  Animals in shelters come in every age, shape, size, and color. You can find purebreds in shelters as well. In fact, many breeds have their own specific rescue organization. 

6. Buying a pet can easily cost $500 to $1,000 or more. Adoption costs range from $50 to $300. Plus rescue pets have already been spayed and neutered and are vaccinated and usually microchipped at the time of adoption.

7. A mixed-breed animal is likely to live longer and cost less in vet bills than a purebred.

8. Adopting an older pet allows you to skip over the time-consuming, often frustrating puppy or kitten stages of development. Additionally, you will avoid the guesswork of wondering what your pet will look like fully grown.

9. If you have kids, adopting a rescue pet can open a young person's eyes to the plight of homeless animals. It can teach them compassion and responsibility, as well as how wonderful it feels to provide a forever home for a pet that might otherwise live life in a cage or be euthanized.

10. When you adopt a pet, you are saving a life. Buying a pet not only denies a homeless animal a much-needed family, you will, without a doubt, get endless unconditional love from your new best friend. It is an act of love and all around just the right thing to do.

Now let me introduce you to Chewy.

Chewy is a stunning one-and-a-half-year-old medium-sized Russian blue mix. 

He is as sweet as he is beautiful. This handsome guy gets along great with both dogs and other cats and would make a perfect addition to any home. 

He once had a family to call his own, but when his owner became pregnant, she decided one baby in the family was enough. Now he finds himself in search of a new home and someone to love him forever. Could that special person be you? 

The donation for Chewy is $100. To meet this charming feline, please contact Pet Rescue at 914-835-3332 or 914-835-4133 or visit www.NY-PetRescue.org.