Rescued dogs deserve all the love and care in the world, too. When you choose to adopt a pet instead, you are not just saving an animal’s life, but also choosing to discourage commercial breeding and selling of pets.
Getting a dog for yourself or for the family is an exciting and fulfilling process. However, the decision to get one should be made seriously. Owning a pet comes with responsibility. Lives will be affected, including that of your new companion. In most cases, first-time owners are not aware of the issues of breeding and why you must do your research in advance.
There are plenty of responsible breeders out there but more often than not, they are hard to find. This is why new owners, probably because of too much excitement, resort to buying a pup that is readily available in pet shops or puppy mills. In such places as the latter, dogs are usually treated badly.
Puppy Mills and Backyard Breeders — what are they?
A backyard breeder is an inexperienced animal breeder whose production is considered poor and inadequate. Puppy mills, on the other hand, is literally a puppy farm that massively breeds dogs without proper food and veterinary care. In both types of breeders, the dogs live in unsanitary conditions and do not follow ethical procedures which cause congenital and hereditary defects.
There are major issues like health and behaviour from dogs that are bought from such breeders. At first look, a pup in the pet shop may look healthy and cute. Eventually, they will develop congenital diseases, respiratory, neurological, and many more. In terms of behaviour, you will not be enjoying a lively and smart puppy that you can train, mainly because of the kind of environment that they were raised in before being sold.
Both issues can prove to be costly and heartbreaking for you as an owner.
And because of such issues, some owners abandon their pets after they realize that they are not ready to be in an inconvenient relationship with a dog. If lucky, these animals end up in animal shelters. Otherwise, they just end up dead on the street, suffering alone, and not understanding what went wrong.
How Many Pets Need Our Love?
Based on statistics, an estimated 70M stray animals are on the streets of America. 1.5M of these dogs and cats are being euthanized every year. Due to irresponsible ownership, roughly 6.5M of previously owned pets end up in animal shelters. Sadly, only 23% of dog ownerships are acquired from rescue homes while 34% are bought from breeders.
These numbers show that too many people rush into getting a pet. Without enough knowledge of the obligations (financial and moral) of owning a companion, we see more and more abandoned pets on the streets.
This infographic will show you some of the reasons why we should always consider adopting pets instead of buying one.
Raising Awareness — #AdoptDontShop
A global campaign was initiated by nonprofit animal organizations whose aim is to raise awareness on the impacts of adopting rescued pets instead of buying puppies bred from puppy mills. The slogan, “Adopt, Don’t Shop” has been used for promoting animal welfare advocacies and upholding animal rights.
Although it’s been a decade since we’ve started using the hashtag #adoptdontshop, there is still not enough recognition for our cause. As pet owners ourselves, we are more than excited to tell everyone how wonderful and fulfilling it is to have a dog, a cat, or any other pet in the family. It saddens us, however, that the first advice that most people ask from is “Where can I buy a pet?”
This is where we ask anyone who is planning to own a furbaby, “Why do you want to buy one?” Why don’t you just adopt a rescued animal instead? Pre-loved pets are eager to be loved and cared for. They provide you with the same amount of love and fun as bought pets, if not more.
Save a life. Give more and receive more love in return. Don’t shop, adopt instead.
