By Olivia Pocat
“Adopt, Don’t shop” is a phrase initially used as a campaign slogan to promote the adoption of animals from pet shelters rather than buying them from pet stores or breeders. The reason that this movement has grown so big is because of what it stands for. The puppies which are found in pet stores usually come from puppy mills. Puppy-mills are based on profit, and don’t necessarily care about the welfare of animals. Most puppy mills are not regulated by law which leads to malnourished dogs as well as females that are bred past their capacity. Along with these conditions, the puppies that come from these “factories” develop serious health problems, as well as behavioral problems.
Another place where you could “shop” for animals is from breeders. There are hundreds of breeders that take care of their pets within humane conditions. However, many unlicensed breeders will breed their animals within the same conditions as puppy mills. They over breed both cats and dogs, trying to make a profit. The animals are often interbred with their siblings which leads to horrible health conditions.The ets are also not spayed or neutered which means that they can keep reproducing and creating huge populations of suffering animals. Breeders can often be bad news, which is why, if you want to “shop” for your pet from a breeder, do your research and check that they are licensed.
Adopting animals can be beneficial in so many ways. First, you’re saving an animal’s life. When you adopt an animal from a shelter, you are freeing up that place for another animal to be rescued. Second, most shelter animals are already trained and well behaved. Kittens are litter trained and dogs know how to walk on a leash. Third, shelter’s try to find a proper home for the animal, and give as much information about their personality as possible. Fourth, rescue dogs are less expensive than breeders or shops hundreds of dollars less.
6.5 million animals enter shelters each year, 3.3 million being dogs, and 3.2 million being cats. Due to the high amount of animals in shelters, and not enough adoptions or resources, 1.5 million of those shelter pets are euthanized. Shopping for animals rather than adopting promotes the birth of more and more animals to be killed. Already, 1.5 million pets are killed each year, with that number only increasing every year. Finally, “Adopt, Don’t Shop”, to save the lives of pets all over the United States.
Here are some resources if you are looking to adopt 🙂
https://www.caninejournal.com/how-to-adopt-a-dog/
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/pets/a32580905/how-to-adopt-a-cat/ https://www.petfinder.com/