Why do dog lovers buy pricey dogs from pet
stores and breeders, especially online breeders? In my opinion, I would rather
adopt from a shelter or a rescue group. It makes good sense all the way
around. Instead of paying thousands of dollars for a canine companion
that might have questionable health you can save a wonderful dog that life hasn't given a break from euthanasia.
Puppy mills promote endless
suffering for the dogs used for breeding by forcing them to live in close,
cramped, unclean cages, feeding them inferior food and breeding them
constantly. No attention is paid to genetic defects, producing pets with
inferior health who are sold with high price tags and high profits for those
involved.
I'm not saying you shouldn't get a
purebred if you want one but why not consider a breed rescue group as an
alternative? Most families are looking for a new family member not the
next winner of the Westminster Dog Show. Fourteen pages of paperwork, phone
calls to three references and $75.00 later we adopted Annie. Did I care
she wasn't a pedigree? No way - it doesn't matter to me, I love her.
How do you go about doing this? Visit the
dogs at the ASPCA, The Humane Society, Bide-a-Wee, and North Shore Animal
League. Check with veterinarians in your area; they sometimes have pets
for adoption. That's how we found Annie. The American Kennel Club lists
breed rescue groups for all breeds from Affenpinschers to Yorkshire Terriers.
In Brooklyn, you can contact BARC or Sean Casey Animal Rescue.
This weekend it was reported that
newspaper Magnate William Randolph Hearst's great granddaughter and heiress to
his publishing empire, Amanda Hearst has joined forces with
upper West-side Assemblywoman, Linda Rosenthal to introduce
legislation to expand the definition of puppy mills and
improve living conditions for dogs kept on breeding facilities in
upstate New York. While this is definitely a step in the right direction, we
can all do our part by thinking long and hard about what we want in a companion
animal then make the choice to explore the alternatives suggested above before
purchasing a puppy from a pet store or breeder, online or otherwise. Adopt
a rescue or shelter dog; make yourself and some unfortunate dog
happy.
If you are interested in adopting, please explore the links below (the first link listed is Sean Casey Animal Rescue):
If you want to adopt a specific breed check the American Kennel Club listings for breed rescue:
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