Adopt, Don't Buy!

[kands2001]

You've all heard the horror stories connected to Puppy Mills and the poor animals who end up "for sale" in these retail outlets that came from Puppy Mills.

We're seeing a drop in purchases in pet stores and an increase in people who are interested in adoption. While this is a very good trend, it's just scratching the surface. Today, there are 10's of thousands of dogs who are sitting in shelters all across the country, and the worse part of it is, if they aren't adopted within a short period of time, they will be put down.

Just think about this for a minute. These poor animals are put to death only because nobody had adopted them and, the shelter must make room for the next abandoned dog who will also be put to death if not adopted. What really makes me sad and angry at the same time is many of these animals have been severly abused from the time they were born, and then left on the streets to fend for themselves before they are picked up and put into the life to death cycle at the shelter. What could they have done to deserve a short life of abuse and then, certain death.

Two years ago, I found the "South Florida Siberian Husky Rescue" who will never put a dog down regardless of how long they are kept with a foster home before being adopted. I went through a strong screening process and finally met "Jake", my best buddy. And this is the way it should be, giving one of these fur balls a forever home. If you live in south Florida, check out this organization. You may be glad you did:

http://rescue@sibrescue.com

If you or anyone you know, are thinking of getting a pet, please look on the internet to see what shelters are in your area so you can find the ideal pet for you and, you can give your new fur ball a forever home.

[sarallyn]

good post! :D

[notanattorney]

The best book I've read about shelters and dogs (and cats) is Nathan Winograd's "Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America." It only costs $11.50 on Amazon.com and libraries most likely have it too. If you've read it, let's hear what you think.

[qk9c]

Most shelter dogs have issues far beyond that of a normals persons ablity to fix, when you adopt a dog you are adopting the problems that dog has. Yo may not see the problems right away, but trust me they will come out sooner or later. Don't get me wrong some dogs in shelters are great, but some are not. Be careful when picking a dog and remember it is a life time deal.

[sarallyn]

Most shelter dogs have issues far beyond that of a normals persons ablity to fix, when you adopt a dog you are adopting the problems that dog has. Yo may not see the problems right away, but trust me they will come out sooner or later. Don't get me wrong some dogs in shelters are great, but some are not. Be careful when picking a dog and remember it is a life time deal.

Some shelter dogs do have problems, I'm not going to lie.
But many do not.

If you adopt through a rescue instead of a municipality, you're not going to find many problematic dogs.

People need to research their breed and know how to temperament test when they adopt through shelters.

[parrotparty]

Lets face it, most people who are "re-homing" or "Adopting out" an animal are in fact (not to mention under the law in every State) SELLING a pet. Please ask anyone you are buying from to see their business license. If they do not show it to you, YOU are participating in an illeagal act. The next time you hit a pothole, or notice the ruts in the road. hug your pet and say, "If I had purchased you from a reputable source, the tax I would have paid might have fixed that hole."

Keep smiling

:)

[livelychati]

You've all heard the horror stories connected to Puppy Mills and the poor animals who end up "for sale" in these retail outlets that came from Puppy Mills. ......... If you or anyone you know, are thinking of getting a pet, please look on the internet to see what shelters are in your area so you can find the ideal pet for you and, you can give your new fur ball a forever home.

Great post and a superb looking dog!!!! I love Siberians ... however, AZ is not really a place for them! I can't say I am a dog-person or cat-person, or a bird-person, etc. - I love animals, period. However, since I often travel for a few days at a time - that just would not be fair to a dog, having to go to a dog-sitter's home so frequently. So, I have my Kitty, an adopted girl from a local shelter. She's a joy to have around and displays a lot of "dog-traits," so I have the best of both! :) And, Kitty is happy at home by herself, although a couple of people come in to check on her daily - you could never do that with a dog.

[tangogirl]

You've all heard the horror stories connected to Puppy Mills and the poor animals who end up "for sale" in these retail outlets that came from Puppy Mills.

We're seeing a drop in purchases in pet stores and an increase in people who are interested in adoption. While this is a very good trend, it's just scratching the surface. Today, there are 10's of thousands of dogs who are sitting in shelters all across the country, and the worse part of it is, if they aren't adopted within a short period of time, they will be put down.

Just think about this for a minute. These poor animals are put to death only because nobody had adopted them and, the shelter must make room for the next abandoned dog who will also be put to death if not adopted. What really makes me sad and angry at the same time is many of these animals have been severly abused from the time they were born, and then left on the streets to fend for themselves before they are picked up and put into the life to death cycle at the shelter. What could they have done to deserve a short life of abuse and then, certain death.

Two years ago, I found the "South Florida Siberian Husky Rescue" who will never put a dog down regardless of how long they are kept with a foster home before being adopted. I went through a strong screening process and finally met "Jake", my best buddy. And this is the way it should be, giving one of these fur balls a forever home. If you live in south Florida, check out this organization. You may be glad you did:

http://rescue@sibrescue.com

If you or anyone you know, are thinking of getting a pet, please look on the internet to see what shelters are in your area so you can find the ideal pet for you and, you can give your new fur ball a forever home.
Kands2001, you took the words right out of my mouth, i agree with you 100% God Bless you for spreading the word!!! I am an animal lover myself and feel so sorry for the animals who are victims of puppy mills!!! GOD bless them all.....

[lifeislove]

While I fully agree with the sentiment of the original post, people in the rescue world are far more friendly to dogs then potential owners. In fact, I think that the application process for most rescues are used to make sure that people DON'T get the pet's they want. Most of the people I have interacted with in breed-rescues could use some serious human diversity training and a course in human compassion. Typically, they are know-it-all's who are more interested in talking about the hardships and challenges of pet ownership than inspiring people with the exceptional experiences people can have with companions.

What the rescues should consider doing is providing potential owners with EDUCATION on the breed and pet ownership so that they CAN adopt them and be good pet owners. There are so many people who want to help...but the gate keepers have to make it possible for the love to come through the flood gates.

[notanattorney]

To "liveislove":

And yours are the exact sentiments of Nathan Winograd, a director of municipal shelters and author of "Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America." If you haven't read this book, it's probably at the library and it costs less than $12 on amazon.com. I wish everyone would read it and help our well-meaning shelters and rescue groups meet the needs of adopters and adoptees.

[ViperAg]

For those that like Sheltie, try the Sheltie Rescue. We did that seven years ago and were so pleased that we gave $250 instead of the recommended $125.

[momof2dogs]

Hi I am new here but I just wanted to add..... I own 2 rescue dogs and they are the best dogs I have ever owned !!!!!!