It is your choice

Recently, the animal rights movement has gained momentum in placing guilt over how people obtain their next pet. Obtaining a pet should be a choice made on research and determining what is best for you. Most dogs and cats will be expected to live at least a decade and require veterinary care to keep them in happy and healthy. Purchasing a pet should never be done in an impulse buy.

Currently there is a smear campaign saying “Adopt don't shop” sure it is catchy but the real phrase should be “Adopting is still shopping.” The phrase is supposed to place guilt on buying an animal from a breeder. However, that campaign is doing absolutely nothing to educate the public regarding responsible pet ownership and thrives on impulse buys which will require people to make choices that they are not able to follow through on once their animal is home. The phrase originally was a way to tell people to avoid purchasing animals at pet shops and therefore supporting puppy mills and commercial breeding operations.

Would it surprise anybody that is it is becoming rarer and rarer to find purebred puppies from commercial breeders in pet stores? Instead it is commonplace to find dogs and cats from privately owned rescues available for immediate purchase at every single big box pet supply store such as Petsmart and Petco. Is it better to buy a dog as an impulse buy from a private rescue that has absolutely no government inspection requirements in some places as they have been purposely exempted from basic animal care laws? I say that it isn't, those animals are no healthier or better than puppies sold at a flea market. It is actually better to buy a dog from a commercial breeder because those breeders and brokers have to follow federal laws, inspections and even must follow state lemon laws. Buying a dog from a private rescue means that you could be fueling illegal dog trafficking and importing across state lines and even into the country. Private rescues in many cases are 501(c)3 non-profit organizations but all that means is that they must not show a profit so they can make a LOT of money on animal sales as long as they do not have an operating profit for 3 out of 5 years then they are fine. Private animal rescues can even pay their staff salaries that in some cases are six figures a year.

If a person buys a sick dog from a rescue where the rescue knew that the dog was sick puts 100% of the responsibility on the new owner. If a person buys a sick dog from any breeder where the dog was already sick, in many cases 100% of the responsibility is on the breeder. Buying from a breeder means that the new owner is protected from adopting a dog with communicable diseases, buying from a rescue means that the rescue can sell dogs for hundreds of dollars with absolutely no oversight at all. Also, some rescues will follow this model, adopt out a dog as fast as possible, hope for it to be returned as often as possible and continue to collect multiple adoption fees for the same animal. So some rescues can easily make thousands on just 10 dogs or less.

Rescues can and will import dogs from various locations to tug at the heartstrings of the general public. In actuality, these rescues may be stealing dogs that have owners and profiting on dog theft. Rescues hope and pray for natural disasters so that they can benefit on people not being able to have the resources to find their animals if they are lost. Recently, some Golden Retrievers have been imported from Turkey at a staggering rate but a watch group found out that the majority of those dogs imported were actually stolen dogs or dogs reported missing. Another case is the case of Piper the champion sheltie that a rescue held hostage for a year while the legal owner fought to get their dog back after the rescue illegally and knowingly stole the dog.

A new report done by the NAIA showed that 85%+ of all dogs in America have been spayed or neutered. That fact alone means that we are at an all time low for dogs being euthanized. The more disturbing side of that fact means that there are less than 15% to maintain the growing demand that Americans have for puppies. We are looking at a massive dog shortage in the next 5 to 10 years, many urban locations are already seeing that shortage. With this shortage means that rescues are becoming more desperate to find dogs to adopt, some rescues are even using dogs that come from commercial breeders to adopt out, they are patrolling lower income neighborhoods and liberating or harassing people who have different views on animal care to get new dogs to adopt, they are even trying to contract with substandard people/breeders to breed puppies to adopt. Many rescues are exempt from lemon laws so they just want dogs to adopt as fast as possible. Rescues are getting in more and more trouble for adopting out animals with behavioral issues where they will bite, attack and sometimes kill their new owners. Rescues need the same oversight as breeders.

Buying from a responsible breeder means that you are getting a valuable source of expert advice, a healthy puppy, and the comfort in knowing how your puppy will be as an adult. Some responsible breeders will also rescue (I list available rescue Hamiltonstovare on my site and we have fostered before), breeders will also have the knowledge of generations of dogs to explain why a puppy looks the way it does. I can look at Raven, Selene, Griffin and Henry and see elements of their parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and beyond. Responsible breeders will make sure that you are obtaining the right animal for your needs and at the right time. Some people will say that it is impossible to obtain a dog from a responsible breeder or to contact one, but the key is email us detailed and thoughtful emails that show you have done research. I get LOTS of emails that say “I want one, when can I pick one up?” My waiting list is full of people who I have built up a relationship with, know what they want out of their next puppy and know when they are ready for their next puppy. Responsible breeders do not cater to impulse buys, they cater to people who have done their research on which breed is right for them and why. Responsible breeders support responsible pet ownership, responsible pet ownership does not cause animals to end up in shelters, impulse buys and catering to the irresponsible does.

Do your research, find the dog for you that fits you as it is your choice. Buy an animal that you know will suit your needs, no guilt trip needed.