Most everyone has had a pet at some point in their life, and if they haven’t, then they are guaranteed to have at least met a dog or a cat. Something that I’ve noticed throughout my life is the large emphasis put on where exactly a person got their pet. Dog and cat shows are full of people proud to own purebred pets bought at high prices, and those who got their animals from a shelter almost certainly will mention it if you ask them. But which is better?
Fig 2. My Grandmother’s Cat In the Shelter; Image Credit: Author
Fig 1. My Grandmother’s Cat Out of the Shelter; Image Credit: Author
Personally, I have a large bias due to my experience in a shelter, but I have had pets from both sides before. My past dog was bought from a breeder, but my cat and my grandmother’s cat were from a shelter, so I can see the appeal of both sides to an extent. Both can have good and bad aspects.
The upside to shelter adoption is that without being adopted, the pets most certainly will not live very much longer, as most shelters are kill shelters, but the downside is that you sometimes have no idea the background of the pet and how they will react in different situations. The majority of pets in shelters are adults as well. A lot of people feel the need to get a young puppy or kitten, as they are typically the most appealing, and there just are not many of them in the shelter, and if they are, they get adopted out fast.
Shelter adoption is incredibly important because otherwise more pets will either be homeless or die every year, but buying a puppy or kitten isn’t always bad. If you by a pet from a reputable breeder that you can assure is not abusing the animals, it’s not that bad. Just be careful when choosing a breeder, because puppy mills still exist despite harsh laws against them, and personally I don’t condone animal abuse of any kind.
Fig 3. Puppies from a Breeder; Image Credit
One last thing to note is that adopting from a shelter saves animals that are currently in trouble and buying from a breeder only encourages them to keep breeding more, increasing the number of pets while so many still need homes.
It would be amazing if everyone were to adopt instead of shop, but I can understand the appeals of buying from a breeder. I just hope that everyone buying is looking into where the puppy or kitten came from in order to prevent abuse and neglect from occurring. Adopting is important, as it saves many lives, but buying a pet from a reputable breeder is not the worst thing in the world.
I understand the way you are positioning your viewpoint. Although I myself have had show dogs, my family also has about 5 animals adopted from shelters around our local area. Of course we definitely check for the breeders reputability and such. I totally agree that there are an acceptable sides to both stories. Personally we were trying to adopt before receiving the dog I have now however locally there were not many dog shelters and the dogs just did not seem to fit well. Therefore we did not want a dog that would not thrive in our home. However, in my family we also have a lot of adopted dogs and cats that all seem to be living their best lives! I think the view of adopt or shop really depends on the person, but if the time is right to adopt and the animal will strive in the situation I think it is a great option:)
Your Grandma’s cat is beautiful! I know having a puppy of my own many people ask to see a picture and then ask where I got him. I think adoption is very important as each animal deserves a loving home. My puppy was a rescue dog as we knew the importance of making sure he did not end up without a home. There are many breeders that are not very ethical so therefore, I agree in making sure to do research before buying.