Adopt Don't Shop; Saving the Innocent Puppies

Cover photo, Labrador Training HQ

 

According to the ASPCA, 3.1 million dogs enter animal shelters each year in the United States, but only 2 million dogs are adopted each year from those shelters. So what happens to the other 1 million? Most of them are euthanized, meaning they are humanely killed. This is awful, but there is a solution to this problem- Adopt don’t shop!

 

Adopt don’t shop means that when looking to bring a dog into your family, adopt a dog from a local shelter, instead of buying one from a breeder or a puppy mill. 

 

According to Paws, puppy mills are defined as “commercial breeding facilities that mass-produce dogs (and cats in cat mills) for sale through pet stores, or directly to consumers through classified ads or the Internet”. 

 

In 2019, about 23% of dogs purchased by families were adopted through shelters, whereas 34% were bought from breeders and pet stores, according to the ASPCA. 

 

34%, wow! That is a lot of dogs! Imagine how many more dogs could be saved from being euthanized if that 34% found their dogs from shelters instead of breeders and puppy mills.

 

Breeders and puppy mills have adult dogs mate, in order for new, cute puppies to be born. The breeders and puppy mills only do this, so that they can have the most puppies possible to sell to people. 

 

Therefore, if people stop buying dogs from breeders and puppy mills and only buy from shelters, it will put puppy mills/breeders out of business, and no new puppies will be born.  This would allow for not only more shelter dogs to be adopted, but it would also mean that no more dogs would be introduced to a world that already has more dogs than owners for them. This would save the lives of many innocent puppies. 

 

 

Adopt Don't Shop Dog Meme, Cheezburger

This concept of adopting from shelters instead of buying animals at puppy mills is especially important now, in the wake of Hurricane Ian which had a big impact on shelters in the southern states. 

 

As Scott Neuman explained in the article titled “Hurricane Ian's havoc is forcing some Florida families to give up the family pet”, Hurricane Ian has caused many more animals than normal to need care in shelters. Some animals were strays that were living on the streets when the floods hit, while others were abandoned by their owners who left to avoid the floods. Either way, these animals were all sent to shelters to be cared for. 

This has caused an even greater abundance of pets in already-full shelters, which is why, now more than ever, people should be adopting animals from shelters and not breeders. If all of these animals aren’t adopted, they are going to have to be euthanized or left outside to fend for themselves because the shelters don’t have enough money or resources to be caring for them. 

Another reason to adopt from a shelter instead of buying from a breeder is that all breeder dogs look similar. This is on purpose, as breeders know that people like (and therefore will buy) certain types of dogs, so they only breed those types of dogs. 

 

However, with shelters, you never quite know what type of dog you are getting. Each dog is unique, from their size to their coloring to their patterns. They are often mixes of many different breeds which makes them cuter, healthier, and more unique. You might even get more compliments on them and it can even be a great conversation starter! See the image below for some adorable dogs available for adoption at a nearby shelter. 

Examples of dogs available for adoption at a local animal shelter, ARC

 

 

In addition, it is better to get your next dog from a shelter than a puppy mill because puppy mills mistreat, and even abuse, their animals. Sarah Burke explains that when in puppy mills, puppies are taken very early from their mothers and are shipped in cages to pet stores, where they are sold. 

 

Burke also explains how dogs are bred as often as possible, in hopes of puppy mills having the most possible puppies, and therefore the highest amount of profits. This is insane and can have detrimental effects on the dogs, who are constantly pregnant and are not receiving proper pregnant care. 

 

Burke's article includes the statistic from a 2005 investigation, which states 

"44% of the [California] locations that were visited had sick and/or neglected animals, without food or water, living in cramped or unsanitary conditions."

 

Is this really the behavior we want to be promoting? Are these the types of people we want to make a profit? Do we think this behavior is acceptable if it means we get perfect puppies?

 

Bad Living Conditions and Overcrowding in Puppy Mills, Medium

 

In her article, Nichola Brooks also explains how dogs are mistreated in puppy mills. She mentions that “the dogs [in breeder mills] are treated like machines that are simply there to make profit, once they stop working there is no reason for the breeder to keep them alive”.  

 

Can you imagine? A perfectly good, adorable, living dog being killed simply because they aren't useful for making puppies anymore. How is that fair to that dog? It isn't their fault, they did nothing wrong. Just because they can't make puppies, is that enough justification for their life to be over? They still have so much life to live, and yet they don't get a chance because the owners of the puppy mills don't care. 

Brooks also points out how many breeder dogs "lack proper exercise, nutrition, and grooming, all in an attempt to cut costs". This is all because they want to make the most amount of money possible. Can you imagine? Being kept in a cage all day and only brought out to mate. 

 

This behavior is awful and shows that the breeders don’t really care about their dogs. By purchasing dogs from these breeders, people are (often unconsciously) promoting this animal cruelty. These dogs do not deserve to be treated like this, and therefore we need to stop encouraging this behavior. But many people still do encourage this behavior.

 

Some people might gravitate toward breeder or puppy mill dogs if they want a dog that looks a specific way. Breeders and puppy mills can breed dogs to be super cute, or the perfect mix of two breeds, which is very convincing for people, as they want to have the cutest dog. Or, some people might choose to buy their dog from a breeder, because they want a purebred dog, as opposed to the mixes found in shelters. 

 

But again I ask, is it worth it? Is having a designer puppy really worth looking past this atrocious behavior and allowing it to continue? Is this behavior accepted just because it means we get our perfect puppies? 

 Another thing the critics of adopt don't shop argue is that responsible breeders, who are licensed by the government to breed dogs, exist. These people treat the dogs they breed kindly and take care of them like they should. They don't overcrowd their dogs or shove them in crappy cages like is shown in the picture above. 

Many responsible breeders have also explained that they take their adult dogs to the vet to be tested and examined to make sure that they don't have any serious health problems before breeding them. This makes sure that the puppies are as healthy as possible, and that they don't get any serious diseases from their parents. 

Sure, getting a puppy from these breeders is better than getting one from a puppy mill, as these people actually care for their dogs like they are supposed to. But, these breeders are still adding puppies to the world, when there are so many puppies out there who don't have homes. 

Adopting a dog from a shelter helps make room for another dog to be rescued, and it gives dogs with an abusive past a second chance at love, happiness, and a good life. 

 

Everyone deserves a second chance, so let's work together to give these innocent dogs what they deserve. 

 

Adopt don't shop- It's pawsitively the right thing to do!!

 

My 2 dogs, Tinkerbelle and Zoe, both of whom we adopted from shelters