ot all of us are made of the stuff that can pull a child from a burning building, give CPR to a severely wounded victim of a car accident… have the knowledge and administer vital medical care to a patient…the list goes on. But how many of us own dogs?…. There are atleast 78.2 million owned dogs in the United States alone. 21% of those dogs were adopted from animal shelters. I’d love to see that number increase and I ask all my readers to consider visiting your local shelter before you bring home your next pet. Consider this…. There are eight to 10 million homeless animals in shelters across the country and the cold, hard reality is that approximately half of them — four million — will not find homes and have to be euthanized.
My Dane Ben, was purchased at a Pet store. I have bought from breeders before…and I wasn’t looking for another dog at the time… I just fell in love with that face in the window and felt sorry for him, being in that pet store environment, searching faces of the people gazing in. Ben has a deformed toe, an injury to his foot when he was a young pup kept in a wire cage, in a puppy mill. How do I know this? When I bought the dog from the pet store, I asked if he was from a reputable breeder, not a puppy mill. They said oh yes, we only buy from breeders. That means nothing. On his papers, I saw his “breeder” name out in the midwest. I tried to contact the man. There is no listing, no e-mail no way to contact the “breeder” to ask questions. Not only that, there is no record of Ben’s lineage. Ben came from a puppy mill. I will never again buy from stores who sell puppies from puppy mills. This, below, is what you are supporting when you do.
I can’t help but notice there is a dog just like frasier in this picture below…bottom left cage. Not only that, there are dogs just like my Bailey in the bottom right cages. Bailey also came from a pet store. Yes, I did this twice, not knowing what I was condoning.
Responsible breeders do a wonderful job caring for their dogs. I personally wish there could be a moratorium on breeding dogs for five years so that we could find homes for the thousands and thousands of dogs that are euthanized each year for lack of an adopter. I know I’ll gain no friends in the dog breeding world for saying this. But it would be a solution to this horrendous problem.
• Get a complete history of the animal that you are considering.
• Age (Although sometimes there is no way for the shelter to know for sure), breed, gender
• Where the dog came from
• What was his previous living situation
• What is his medical history
• How has he behaved since being at the shelter
• Ask if the dog has any ongoing medical issues (cancer, diabetes, intestinal parasites, heartworms, etc.) and if the dog is on any medication.
• Ask what follow-up services that shelter provides, such as obedience training, consultation for behavioral problems, medical services.
• Ask about their return policy. It’s important to know if you can return the dog if the adoption does not work out.
Important to know – A good shelter is clean, smells good, friendly, and very knowledgeable. Often shelters will have a veterinarian on staff, as well as a staff behaviorist. In these cases, you can expect all the animals ready for adoption have received the proper medical care that they need and the behaviorist has evaluated his/her temperament and worked out any behavior issues.
Frasier, my newly adopted shelter dog… is the most loving animal I have ever owned. He’s housetrained, well-mannered, gets along with everyone, human or animal…. follows me everywhere. His gratitude for a better life is palpable. I’m as grateful as he.
Well said.
One more thing. Don't give up. If your heart calls for a specific breed don't give up they are out there. Better yet when you start looking one particular little face will pop out and capture your heart instead.
He is adorable. We have 2 dogs we got both as puppies one from a breeder and one from a shelter.
Everything you said hit home.
Kelly
Beautiful post, Karen.
It's sad that so many don't find good homes like yours. 🙁
Great post, Karen. The over breeding is horrible in this country. I have known people who just randomly breed their "whatever breed" to their "some other breed" just because they think it would be fun to have puppies. WTH? Then they work to try to find homes for all those puppies. It's insane and so irresponsible, it makes me angry. Thank you for doing what you can to help the ones that need homes:-)
thank you for this post and all of the questions you should ask before adopting. I love your pics showing Frasier's grateful heart. It truly shows in each picture. Thank you for being an advocate.
Love.
Karen- What a wonderful post- but one that left me in tears. I cannot stand the heartache that comes knowing so many of these poor babies will never find earthly homes. Keep spreading the message- xo Diana
my last 2 were shelter adoptees. 3 before that were rescues/abandoned. we purchased 1 from a breeder but i will not go that route again. too many homeless…
We adopted our dog Kaja when she was seven years old…and that was 10 years ago! She did have some behavior issues but living with just two adults in a quiet environment was exactly what she needed. She was lucky and we were lucky:) At 17years old she is still going strong and finally lets me brush her without shaking:)
This so touched my heart. My son has always gotten his dogs from shelters. Our two came from people whose dogs have had puppies. If I ever get another dog, it will certainly be from a shelter.
I agree with all you've said. There is no need to go through a pet store or breeder to find the right dog. So many are looking for homes and loving families. Have you read "Redemption" by Winograd? Interesting book about the state of shelters in this country. Eye-opening. Thanks for writing what you did.
Great advice and I wish I was able to take it. I know you know what I mean!
Well, this post totally speaks to me for sure! So glad we adopted our shelter dog Ella as it's all working out… and she follows me EVERYWHERE just like your Frasier! Such loyalty…XO
Out of our 6 pups over the past 15 years we have had 3 purchased as puppies from private breeders and 3 adults adopted from the Humane Society. All have been great dogs, but I have to say that the adopted ones have more soulful eyes and are better snugglers. 🙂
Well, it is plain to see that this boy was meant for you. YOU!
I don't thing dogs should be bred at all…….I think there should be a fine for people who breed dogs.
There are too many pups out there needing homes, to be breeding more just to make money.
We bought our dog from a responsible breeder, and I'd buy another dog from them in a moment, but I'd also look in a shelter too – since I'm allergic to dogs (can you believe it) I have to be selective.
Puppy mills break my heart, they need to be regulated. The also need to understand that dogs aren't just animals – they are living breathing beings!
Looks like Fraiser is in love with his new momma! That is just the sweetest thing!
Karen – heartbreakingly beautiful post. Frasier was meant to be in your life and you in his. I love the picture of him snuggled up with you.
When the time comes that we are without a dog and are looking for another we will definitely go to a shelter.
In Arizona they have at least made it illegal to sell pups in parking lots…which is mostly puppy mills. The one thing I wish to see changed is that the Humane Society charges so much to adopt. That really doesn't mean that the animal is going to a good home. In Wickenburg Az. it is $125.00 to adopt…and yes that includes the first shots etc. but that is donated by the local vets. There would be lots of people willing to adopt and would give super homes if they didn't have to come up with the intial fee…
In Arizona they have at least made it illegal to sell pups in parking lots…which is mostly puppy mills. The one thing I wish to see changed is that the Humane Society charges so much to adopt. That really doesn't mean that the animal is going to a good home. In Wickenburg Az. it is $125.00 to adopt…and yes that includes the first shots etc. but that is donated by the local vets. There would be lots of people willing to adopt and would give super homes if they didn't have to come up with the intial fee…
It's easy to see that Frasier was totally meant to be a member of your household. Make him black and Lab-shaped, and everything you said about him would apply to our Ruby … the reigning queen of shelter dogs. Never has there been such an instant love-at-first-sight like I felt with Ruby, and it has gotten even stronger since then. I can tell that she feels the same way … and she hugs just like Frasier does. I am blessed.
Karen – I LOVE you for spreading this message! I popped over from Mockingbird Hill because I saw that you had mentioned adopting/rescuing today as Claudia did – and I mentioned it, too! We must have all been picking up some signals from somewhere, which hopefully means that many people will see the message on our blogs!
And Frasier is just too cute for words!!!
All my best,
Donna
At least 3 of us wrote posts about adopting from a shelter today! I'm so glad. You know I totally support you on this one. Breeding should be stopped for a time. We should do everything we can to get homes for all those animals who are languishing in shelters, in danger of being euthanized. It breaks my heart to see this. I will never adopt any way but from a shelter or reputable rescue organization.
Thanks for all the work you do.
xo
Claudia
I'm a new follower and I cannot tell you how much I agree with you regarding pet stores. I have never bought an animal from a pet store . . . All of my "kids" have been rescued and the future ones will be rescues as well. I personally would love to see pet stores outlawed. I live in Las Vegas, NV and we have a pet population problem like most other cities, they recently passed a law where you have to have your pet spayed or neutered after a certain age or be fined (with exceptions for age and health issues), and if you want an exemption for breeding purposes you must get a license. Kudos to you and all you do for animals!
Great post Karen, heart-felt but with key information on choosing a pet. Regardless of breeder, pet store or shelter our hearts make the connection and decide for us who comes home! Our daughter just adopted from the shelter, Lebowski is the perfect fit. He's a 7 month old Tabby who had spent his entire life in a cage, coming into the shelter as a newborn kitten. He had never had the opportunity to take a nap in the sun, watch birds from a windowsill or walk from room to room. Lowell is a less than 1% kill shelter, Lebowski was lucky to have had this amount of time to find the right family for him. I have just added them to my sidebar and hopefully it might help them find a home. Look at those faces♥♥♥
I couldn't agree with you more Karen! I could not even bring myself to look at a couple of those pictures because they make me sad. The Frazier pics are awesome!!! I am so very happy that you both found each other!!! I can see the love you have for each other! Beautiful thing to see!! Let's all advocate for these shelters…so many dogs out there need homes!!! I may need one of I bring home another dog though…my husband just doesn't see it the same way!!
Puppy mills are so sad. We get our pets from rescues now, but at one point I wanted a pug puppy. I went to a breeder and was horrified by the conditions. She had an older pug that seemed so sweet that was in awful condition. I wanted to rescue her so badly. It took me 3 visits to talk the lady into letting me buy her. Yes, I had to buy her even though she was so old. Then I poured a good deal of money into her to get her healthy – luckily the vet was so horrified by her condition they gave me a break. She never learned how to play with a toy, but I like to think it gave her some happier years of life.
My heart just wrenches when I see those pictures. It's so awful. I'm so glad you found Frazier, or that he found you!
The last bw pic of the shelter dog looks so much like my Trooper. He was a shelter puppy that I got the day he was dumped at the shelter. Dumped because his people didn't even bother to fill out forms for him. My pug, was a rescue in a sense. His first people bought him from a 'pet store' but then kept him in a crate 20 hours a day because they were to busy to spend time with him. They finally told their vet (who was also mine) that they couldn't handle him anymore, he was unable to be housetrained and they wanted someone to take him. I got him when he was six months old. It took Trooper and I just two days to house break him. He hasn't spent time in a crate since. Recently a neighbor who is a backyard breeder offered me one of his puppies for $300. I'd rather spend that money on a shelter dog or a rescue. I know it would cost me that much to get his backyard puppies healthy and parasite free.
What a wonderful, powerful post~
Two thumbs up to all who recognize that adoption should be your first consideration.
The law(s) should be strengthened to punish all those involved with puppy mills.
They are responsible breeders out there. They shouldn't be punished.
Dogs and cats should be spayed or neutered accordingly.
We adopted a black Cocker Spaniel a year and a half ago. He was four years old. The agency brought him by so they could interview the family and see the home. He walked in, basically dropped his bags and said, "OK I am home". It was the best thing we have ever done. The most lovable, kindest dog around. If only I could like up to the image he has of me.
You are a good woman!
I love my adopted pets. I've adopted for years and years. Many different pets over the years.
Our cocker spaniel that we had as a family dog for years I took from my auntie. She was tired of her and we gladly took her. She was an awesome girl.
I bought one cat from a pet store back when I was 18. I was lucky and she was fine and healthy.
There are so many stories and my heart cracks into pieces if I think too hard about what I can't do. I like to concentrate on what I can do.
Thanks Karen.