Adopt Don't Shop
Puppies aren't products!
If you are contemplating adding a pet to your life and are seeking out breeders or visiting local pet shops, consider hopping on the Adopt Don’t Shop train instead. The Adopt Don’t Shop movement is more than a current trend. It is a shift in current collective thought, an evolution of humanity, and thus something we need to be right at the forefront of. Beyond the well-known issues regarding pet overpopulation, there are a number of other notable reasons why we’re all about Adopt Don’t Shop, and hope you will be too:
1. Because adult pets can be easier.
Most of us are busy people, and young pets are hard work. Some of us don’t have the time (or perhaps the time to learn how) to house-train or obedience-train a puppy. By adopting an older animal, we have the chance to get a ready-made pet. Often, the staff of animal shelters and rescues can provide detailed descriptions of a pet's abilities and personality, letting you know ahead of time of any apparent issues. If you want a dog who’s already proven it can play nice with others or won't torment your beloved cat, adopting via a rescue or shelter is a great way to go.
2. Because shelters have purebreds and puppies too.
If you are set on a specific breed, there is a good possibility that your local shelter or a rescue nearby may have just what you are looking for. Thanks to sites like PetFinder.com, it is has become increasingly easy to track down just the type of pet you want, from all the shelters and rescues located within a specific distance of where you are. It may take a little extra patience, but yes, you can even adopt purebreds or puppy in need of a home.
3. Because they are there.
Perhaps the most basic yet poignant reason to consider adopting an animal from a shelter or rescue is simply because they are there and there are so many. Some shelters and municipal animal facilities can be extremely stressful environments for animals. Such places can be loud and overcrowded, causing some animals to become sick and/or develop behavioral issues (plus the whole ticking clock euthanasia thing). Shelter animals come from a variety of places, including people who originally purchased them from a shop or breeder. With rescues and shelters overflowing with healthy animals desperate to leave and become your perfect companion, why not save a life and help end the vicious cycle?
4. Because of puppy mills and backyard breeders.
Without getting into the horrific details, it is important for you to know the reality of puppy mills and backyard breeders. It is becoming more and more taboo, and in some cities and states, illegal, to buy a pet from a pet shop or online. We just know too much about the terrible conditions that most parents of those cute puppies in the window are made to live in. As pet lovers, this is one of the many social issues we can’t ignore, and one that we can easily help by simply committing an Adopt Don’t Shop approach to pets.
