Adopt Don’t Shop
By: Yatika Chawla
Tags: Dogs, Adoption, Adoptdontshop, Animals, Adopt

“Adopt Don’t Shop” is a campaign slogan encouraging people to adopt dogs from shelters or rescues rather than purchasing a dog from a breeder or puppy mill. Now, let me just tell you why buying animals from a breeder or puppy mills is terrible.

Breeders

Some breeders are very educated about dog breeding, and they have extremely high standards and know how to breed for health and temperament. They care about the dogs they mate; often they are their beloved pets.

However, there are lots of unethical breeders out there. Some breed dogs just to make money and have no concern about the welfare of the dogs they are breeding or the health of the puppies they are selling.

Why you shouldn’t purchase dogs?

There are many reasons. First of all, almost all dogs sold at pet stores comes from puppy mills. This type of commercialized breeding needs to stop and the fastest way to make it stop is to avoid getting your dog from pet stores.

Dogs at mills often live their entire lives in cages that are filthy, many don’t receive enough food, water or veterinary care. They can’t play or exercise. Females are bred as much as possible without a break and they are sometimes killed when they are done having litters. The males may also be killed when the puppy millers are done breeding them.

Once the puppies are born, they don’t receive proper care. Due to the poor breeding conditions, these dogs often wind up with lots of health and behavioral issues, leaving new pet parents with high veterinarian bills. A study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association found that when compared with puppies from noncommercial sources, puppies from pet stores were more aggressive and fearful and they had more separation anxiety and difficulty housetraining. So, why support puppy mills when millions of great puppies and adult dogs enter shelter every year?

Over a past few months, I’ve seen numerous posts in my social media feeds from friends who used their time in quarantine to purchase dogs from breeders rather than adopt animals in need. I am sure the pups are going into a wonderful, loving homes but knowing all that I know about the dog breeding industry, it’s a little bit heartbreaking to see. Of course, the dogs they’ve purchased are cute and lovable but so is every single adoptable dog in a shelter or rescue. No matter what breed, size or age you’d like, you can find one in need of adoption. All it takes is a bit of research and patience. And I promise, you posting your newly adopted dog or cat on Instagram will generate just as many likes as posting a purebred or “designer” dog that cost you 10k.

If you really care about dogs or other animals or if you really mean that you LOVE animals then show it by doing the right thing that is by adoptiong instead of purchasing them. If you ever decide to get a dog in the future, stick with a shelter or a rescue group.

You guys know that a dog costs so much when you buy it from stores. So why not just adopt a dog and save that money to go on some adventures, try new things or explore the world? Knowing that you’ve saved a dog from an unhappy background will bring eternal gratitude from your new loyal companion.