T-L Photo/SHELLEY HANSON and Photos Provided ABOVE: “CC,” a coonhound mix dog settles in at her new home after being adopted from the Ohio County Animal Shelter.

CADIZ — If you adopt a dog from a shelter you save not only that dog’s life, but make room for another canine to be saved as well, said Cindi Yanez, a dog warden with the Harrison County Dog Pound.

Most of the dogs found at shelters or pounds are mixed breed dogs, which Yanez said make for great pets. A mixed breed dog often contains all the best traits from the breeds it is mixed with. This often makes for a happier, healthier dog in the long run.

“You get the good qualities of both breeds,” she said. “You really are saving a dog’s life and you’re making room for another to take its place” and be adopted.

According to the Best Friends Animal Society, Saturday, July 31, is National Mutt Day. A mutt is a mixed breed dog. Veterinarian Erin Katribe, who works as Best Friends Animal Society’s medical director, has two mutts that she loves.

“As an adult, the first dog I had was a rescue mutt that I encountered at the local non-profit clinic where I was volunteering before vet school. Akasha and I were immediately connected, and we spent the next 16 years together. She was my ‘heart’ dog,” Katribe said.

Yanez said one of her mixed breed dogs is a combination of airedale and basset hound. Airedales, she noted, can often be “snippy,” but combined with the laid-back basset hound it is not.

“It’s a much calmer dog than if it was all airedale,” she said.

Yanez said depending on the breed most purebred dogs have a trait or condition they inherit. For example, she said, cocker spaniels are known for having problems with their eyes and blindness, and boxer dogs are known for sometimes developing lymphoma. With mutts such medical issues or traits are lessened because they are mixed.

For those who are on the fence about trying a mixed breed dog, Katribe said people should visit their local shelter and meet the dogs there.

“If you aren’t able to adopt right now, consider fostering or even taking a dog on a short outing to get them out of the stressful shelter environment for a night or a few hours,” Katribe said. “If fostering is not an option, then volunteer or donate – shelters can’t save lives without the support of their community.”

The Harrison County Dog Pound features photos of its adoptable dogs on its Facebook page called “Harrison County Dog Pound Volunteers.”