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I am a volunteer at a local animal shelter...Please, please consider adopting over buying a puppy from a breeder. Many claim to be reputable but that is a far cry from responsible. No responsible animal lover would ever add to the problem of over population of dogs and cats. 4-6 million dogs, cats, puppies and kittens are put to death is shelters every year in the USA alone. For no other reason than that there simply aren't enough good homes available.
For every puppy that is purchased from a breeder (pet store), a dog or cat is euthanized. Please, have a heart..Pet adoption is always the humane option.
There is a place for me to attach a proof photo but believe me, you don't want to see them.
That's comparing apples to oranges here. A Puppy or dog in a shelter either way, is a shelter animal.
AND I do agree that irresponsible owners are a problem. But only part of the problem. I feel ( supply and demand) if there weren't SOO many puppies readily available, then a person would either HAVE to adopt or not have a dog at all. Plus given the number of complaints in this particular section alone, it would seem like buying a puppy is hardly a guarantee the health and well being of the purchased animal. The dogs and cats at most shelters are given $200-$300 worth of vet care before they are ever put up for adoption and that includes altering (reducing the supply). Not to mention many many purebreds. You say irresponsible owners, I say too many being bred in the first place.
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totally agree...
...My family and I volunteer at our local animal shelter. It's tough to see all the adoptable animals just lie in wait for people that never show. The most they have to look forward to are walks on a leash. It's incredibly sad to know some of them will spend the remainder of their lives there, undeservingly so. I am constantly on the look out for new and creative ways to raise money and/or garner attention for our shelter. We have hit the streets going door to door with a 'book' that we made up of dogs we have walked/bathed/loved during our volunteer time; we've gone to the shelter and videotaped the adoptable animals and set up a YouTube Channel for others to view their videos as well; we've got tshirts & bandannas for members of our family sporting the shelter's name & logo.
...It's an issue that has to be confronted on a daily basis, or else it's forgotten amidst the details in life. On a daily basis, your average person does not think of their local animal shelter--this needs to change, and as a family we are committed to changing this in our little corner of the world. Good luck and God bless all those who share that same passion, wherever you may be.
"For every puppy that is purchased from a breeder (pet store), a dog or cat is euthanized. Please, have a heart..Pet adoption is always the humane option."
Sorry, but this reasoning is absurd and lacks any real evidence that proves it. Someone who wants a healthy, well-bred purebred puppy is not going to adopt a mixed-breed adult dog with an unknown health history from a shelter. That's a fact. Wanting to have a dog with a specific look, behavior, or purpose does not make someone a bad person. It also doesn't make them responsible for the lives of the shelter dogs that they weren't going to adopt in the first place.
The overpopulation problem is not being caused by responsible breeders. Responsible breeders place their pet puppies on contracts that require spay & neuter and the return of the pup if the owner no longer wants or can no longer keep it. Overpopulation, where it exists, is caused by irresponsible owners. Irresponsible owners who let their dogs breed indiscriminately, owners who buy a puppy on impulse from a pet store then decide that they can't keep it any longer, owners who don't do their homework and end up with a puppy that does not fit into their lifestyle, owners who just want to make a buck by having puppies, and owners who don't train their dogs and dump them when they become uncontrollable.
If you truly want to stop the overpopulation problem, work on the irresponsible owners.
BTW, in reality, nationwide pet overpopulation is a myth. There are some shelters in the US that regularly import dogs from others countries because they have none of their own. There are also shelters who bring in dogs from other states for the same reasons. There are areas in the US that definitely have an overpopulation problem but that doesn't mean that it exists everywhere.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-10-21-dog-imports_N.htm
http://www.spanieljournal.com/33lbaughan.html
http://understandingdogs.net/prod/newsevents/news/64-shelter-dogs-in-kuwait-
So what about the poor puppy's sitting in a store with out owners? Also what pisses me off about adoption is the lack of privacy, past dog ownership and medical records are protected documents. My refusal of providing these documents has perhaps euthanized a awesome dog I wanted. Another problem is the old bait and switch, a person comes in to adopt a specific doc and the host refuses to release the dog. This is pathetic and should be illegal. So when you ask why people buy dogs from "the horrible puppy mills" look in the mirror and realize its because of your system. It sucks.
If you have been a responsible, loving owner who has give his past pets the best life you could provide, including euthanization when necessary to relieve future suffering, what is your problem in giving access to your veterinarian's records? They only want to know that you provide annual check-ups and vaccinations as any responsible pet owner would do. Accidents do happen, even with the best care. What is so terrible in your records that would necessitate you denying access and as such, denying you the dog?
Well said!
Dawniette,
I never said "People have a right to customize their "accessories", so to speak...Mutts are SO ugly. They deserve to be put to death!", that was you. Read it again - what I said was that people have a right to adopt/buy whatever type of dog they feel like - whether it be a rescue, a pound puppy, or a dog from a breeder. Choosing to buy a dog instead of adopting doesn't make someone responsible for the lives of the dogs that are not adopted. Would you make the same argument if someone did adopt from a shelter but chose a puppy instead of an adult- "Oh, they adopted a puppy from the shelter, now an older dog is going to die"?
"I feel ( supply and demand) if there weren't SOO many puppies readily available, then a person would either HAVE to adopt or not have a dog at all"
Do I understand this correctly? You would rather someone NOT have a dog if they don't want to adopt one from a shelter? Why should anyone be denied the love of a dog simply because they prefer a dog of a specific type or breed? Question for you, what happens after all the shelter dogs are adopted and no one is allowed to breed any longer? Where does the next generation get their dogs from?
Take a better look at the complaints in this section. 99% of them were made by people who didn't do their homework beforehand and bought a puppy from a breeder who was not reputable or responsible. When a puppy is bought from someone who doesn't care enough to do the suggested health testing, the chances of a getting a healthy puppy are greatly reduced. There are very few, if any complaints against breeders who do verifiable health testing, who require spaying/neutering, and who have a take-back clause in their contracts. These breeders have put hundreds if not thousands into the health and well-being of their puppies. They know the history behind their dogs and any particular quirks the breed might have. They carefully screen potential buyers and turn away any that they feel are not a suitable fit for their puppies. You talk about comparing apples to oranges - that is exactly what you are doing when you compare a reputable, responsible breeder to the breeders that are mainly featured on this site.
If you were to say that there are too many puppies being IRRESPONSIBLY bred, then I would agree with you.
A General Comment to No One in Particular:
A reputable, responsible breeder can't always take back a dog the buyer no longer wants, if the buyer just dumps the dog. Purebreds end up in shelters just as mutts do and the lucky ones get found by breed specific rescues. There are breed specific rescues for almost every breed of dog there is. You can find everything from puppies to seniors. They are just waiting for their new home. That home could be with you, couldn't it?
I have 2 adopted Labra-mutts that are the best dogs ever. Loyal, loving animals that I have the pleasure and honor of loving and be loved by for the rest of their lives. Both would have been put down if I or someone had not come along at the right moment. I believe they know this. I believe they would lay down their lives for me. Don't you want that feeling? It comes from rescue dogs, as much or more so as purchased dogs.
If you just must have that purebred puppy then please also make a donation to your local shelter in your new pup's name to help those who weren't so lucky.
2 standard poodles-jimmi and agos