It is preferable to buy a pet from a breeder than from a shelter

INITIAL REFUTATIONS "I am willing to concede that, if one looks at an animal as an investment, then investing with a reputable breeder is the better choice. However, investing in a competition animal does not fit the definition of buying a pet. A pet is not for competition, but for companionship."  I would argue that buying a pet is also an investment. It's an emotional investment. "There are so many animals already alive that need loving homes that it is much more humane to bring one home from a shelter than to pay someone to bring more into the world." At first glance, I would agree with you. On an individual level, you'd be right. But breeding isn't about the individual. It's about the breed.  I think it's more humane towards future generations to ensure that they have the best genes possible. This minimizes suffering later on by ensuring that they are free of disease. "Inbreeding reinforces not only the desirable traits in a breed, it also reinforces the undesirable traits."  The entire purpose of breeding to do away with these traits. It is a slow process, as evolution always is, but the breed is improved with each new generation. "The cost of a shelter pet is minimal in comparison to a bred animal." Now, if you're lucky enough to have purchased an animal free of disease, then you are correct. The cost is much lower than buying from a breeder. But there are reasons that breeders cost so much:   a. When purchasing a pet from a breeder, you are not only paying for the knowledge that the animal is pedigree. You're also paying for a pet that has already been spayed/neutered, has all of it's shots up to date, and is guaranteed free of genetic disease. b. Breeders invest a lot of time, money, and emotion into their animals. When they give you the animal that they raised as a baby, they want to be sure that it will continue to receive the best care possible. The logic here is that, if you can afford to buy the pet initially, then you can afford to feed it, too. And as it grows up, you can afford to take it to the vet for shots. And if something happens, you can afford to take care of that as well. c. Another reason that breeders charge so much money is that, by giving it a high monetary value, pet owners will be more willing to take it to the vet if needed. As I said before, when you make a purchase, you are making an investment whether you profit financially or not. Furthermore, in the long run you could end up paying much more than a breeder would charge you.  For instance, say that I buy a pet-quality Bengal (since we are both avid cat-lovers.)  This is an exotic breed, so for the sake of argument, let's say that I'm spending $700 on a cat. He has all of his shots, and is pet-quality. Now let's say that I buy a mixed cat from a shelter. Let's go with a Persian, because I like fluffy things.  Now, when I say "Persian" I mean that he looks like a Persian. He could be any number of things, but that squished nose is unmistakable.  He costs about $150 [1]  But, because I don't know what else he is, I have him tested. This costs another $70. [2]  Turns out Mr. Fluffy here is a Burman, Maine Coon, Persian and Scottish fold. This means that you have to screen for: [3]  1.Diabetes  2.Feline infectious peritonitis  3.Feline leukocyte antigen DRB restricted polymorphism  4.Glaucoma  5.Hypokalaemic myopathy And that's just because he's part Burmese.  You also have to screen for... 6.Gingivitis 7.Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy 8.Laminin alpha2 deficiency 9.Chediak-Higashi syndrome 10.Corneal sequestrum 11.Dystocia  12.FIP 13.Progressive retinal atrophy 14.Osteodystrophy Now let's say he's clean of genetic disease. Yay!  However, it costs anywhere from $60 to $400 to screen for a single disease. Even if you choose the cheapest possible, you still have to pay that amount fourteen times. This process alone has already cost you more than a breeder would. And your cat isn't even sick! Now let's say, that you chose not to screen for disease.  If he ends up sick, your vet gets to play a guessing game, taking shots in the dark in the hopes that he can discover what's wrong with Mr. Fluffy. Depending on the severity of his symptoms and the body part in question, you may or may not need to see a specialist. You may even need to see multiple specialists, because you can't pinpoint exactly what part of Mr. Fluffy is malfunctioning.   Let's say that one day, Mr. Fluffy goes potty, and there's a bit of blood in his urine. The next day, the same problem reoccurs. So you take him to the vet. The vet says, (without really looking at him- that costs extra) that it's a common UTI, and gives Mr. Fluffy antibiotics. The problem continues, and you start talking to different vets. Each of these vet visits cost about $50- which doesn't sound like much, but after the third or fourth time, it begins to add up. This is, of course, assuming that you have time to take him to multiple vets. The true story that Mr. Fluffy is based on ends in tragedy. He died less than a month after he was taken to a loving home, due to the fact that the shelter had neutered him too young. The procedure was done incorrectly. I'm sure the professionals working on him had the best intentions; A shelter's job is to have these cats and dogs adopted as soon as possible, and if that means neutering a 1-year-old kitten, then the ends justify the means. The vets had no way of knowing from the symptoms that it was anything other than your average UTI. Considering his age, and the uncertaint of exactly when he was neutered, the possibility probably did not even occur to most of them.   It was only in retrospect, and due to my friend's experience as a breeder that she was able to pinpoint the cause. And I say with utmost certainty and conviction that this would never have happened had Mr. Fluffy been born to a breeder. "On the contrary, breeders increase the amount of animals in the world and they generally do it on spec, meaning they have to sell the animals to make their business profitable. And make no mistake, breeding is a business. It is done for money."  While I would never argue that there are no people in the world who breed for profit, I will note that there are many who do not do it for profit, but simply wish to better their favorite breed. These people who do it as a hobby, who wish only to make a positive impact in the world. These people are lucky if they financially break even. Breeders who are in it for the money are in the wrong business. The only way to make a profit is to become a mill- and we both agree that those are abhorrent (and off-topic). I hate to say it, but I find your statement to be a caricature of breeders. Having personally known three, and wanting to become one myself, I can say with total certainty that reputable, well-meaning breeders exist. These are the ones I am defending. Any pet-quality pedigree is spayed or neutered. Overpopulation is a serious issue, but the problem isn't breeders. It's careless pet owners who are too lazy to take their pet to a vet.  I would even say that breeders are part of the solution by making the next generation of pets more desirable. "Even with hybrid animals, major genetic characteristics shine through, so it is easy enough to select a pet based on expected personality traits." Actually, the more mixed a breed is, the more difficult it is to know what to expect. Some people can handle any animal. But most people who purchase a pet do so with a purpose in mind. They want a dog to play with their children. Some people need companion animals. I think it's important to find an animal that best suits your needs and the best way to do that is through a breeder. SOURCES [1] http://answers.yahoo.com... [2] http://www.dog-dna.com... [3] http://www.dr-addie.com... [4] http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com...;(foxes)