5 Reasons to Adopt a Singapore Special (and Celebrate with Exclusively Mongrels Limited)

“Mutt”… “Mongrel”… “Mixed Breed”… “Singapore Specials”: whatever you choose to call them, Singapore’s animal shelters are sadly overflowing with them.

Heard of Exclusively Mongrels Limited (EM), mama? It’s  a non-profit organization that aims to raise awareness of the plight of Singapore Specials while also advocating for their adoption in Singapore by rescuing and rehoming them from shelters. To celebrate all these wonderful dogs and help more find loving homes, EM has organized the first ever Singapore Specials Day!

As the mama to a Singapore Special whom we adopted as a puppy, this is obviously a cause that’s near and dear to my heart. I’m not sure anything compares to the unconditional love, loyalty and cuddles I get from my rescue dog (kids are so fickle in comparison!). There are SO many reasons to consider adopting one of these amazing dogs, mama! Here are five of the top ones:

• • Mixed-breed dogs are healthier and hardier. Just about any dog you would purchase in Singapore comes from a puppy mill. In addition to atrocious conditions for breeding animals, puppy mills are notorious for breeding dogs with serious health issues. Even purebred dogs that you might purchase from reputable breeders abroad are more susceptible to health issues than mutts.

• • Longer lifespans. In relation to the above point, mixed breed dogs tend to live longer since they have fewer health issues. This is nice to keep in mind when you’re adopting a family pet!

• • More intelligent and trainable. Mixed breed dogs tend to inherit the best qualities from their genetic ancestors, which generally translates into higher intelligence and common sense, which in turn makes them more trainable. This is another huge plus when you’re getting a family dog, mamas. Ironically, a lot of mixed breed shelter dogs are considered difficult or aggressive, but this is only due to a lack of love and consistent home environment. You’d be amazed to see what time, patience and love can do!

• • You’re saving a life! One of the reasons EM does what they do is because Singapore Specials tend to have a tougher time getting adopted compared to purebreeds and, sadly, this means that many of them have to be put down. You’ll marvel at how your heart will swell when you give one of these sweet furballs a second chance at life.

• • It’s cheaper. No matter how you slice it, owning a pet is expensive – there’s food, vet bills, and potential doggy daycare or boarding if you go away. Shelter dogs usually require a fee of just a couple hundred dollars (and this generally goes right back into covering expenses like food and care for other dogs!); compare that to the thousands of dollars you’d spend importing a purebreed dog, or even the $1,000+ you might spend on a dog from a puppy mill here in Singapore. Throw in the fact that they’re hardier and tend to have much lower vet bills over a lifetime, and it just makes smart financial sense, mama!

EM is an independent organisation that relies purely on donations to sustain its good work. Singapore Specials fostered out through EM have their food and medical provided for through the organisation.

So hopefully by now we’ve convinced you of the benefits of Adopt, Don’t Shop! If you’re even slightly curious about adding a cuddly furry friend to your fam, mama, Singapore Specials Day is a great place to start! Let your littlies get up close and personal with the pups, learn more about this fabulous organization, and do your part to help the plight of Singapore shelter dogs!

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