Buying a Pet - Breeder, Pet Store, Or Rescue?

I am sure you have heard this before, but in the United States and Canada, every year there are millions of unwanted dogs and cats put to sleep because of lack of room at shelters, and not enough available homes for these animals. Even if you want a purebred puppy, you can usually find what you want at a shelter/rescue. Just go to petfinder.com, you can search by specific breed, age, region, etc. Some of the southern states are high kill shelters that euthanize if not claimed within 3 days; some still use the gas chamber and heart stick as methods of euthanization which are extremely inhumane.

Even if a pet store says the puppies available dont come from a puppy mill; 99% of the time they do; no reputable breeder would put their puppies in a pet store to be caged all day. Many of these animals at rescue organizations and shelters did start out as purchases from a pet store or breeder, but were surrendered due to lack of time, or the owners moving, lack of money, having a baby, children allergic, developing allergies, dog jumps up on children and they take the easy way out of giving the dog away or selling instead of investing time and energy that the animal deserves to train them to be a more balanced member of the family; or just a lack of time or desire to train, even for people without children, etc.

Most of the time people purchase a pet without giving it full thought and that pets are a commitment for the entire length of their lives. And, unfortunately, many people still do not spay or neuter their pets. A catch 22 with this is that spay and neuter surgeries cost a lot of money for most people; averaging $500 in most cases; and cities, vets clinics, etc; need to perhaps look at this dilemma and possibly offer reduced rates for lower income individuals and families somehow.

The best idea is to go to your local humane society or adopt from one of the many animal rescues that are in your area. You will be rewarded with a loving pet, that is house trained, altered and up to date on their vaccinations, and you will have literally saved a life. Many rescue organizations and local city pounds, shelters, spcas, have pure bred animals available for adoption. I know a young couple that found a beautiful pure bred Akita at the city pound and are very happy with their new family member.

So if you are looking at getting a pet, why not at least look into what your local rescue organizations have to offer?