Shania Bakes: What We've Learned about Human Food and Our Pets: Rescue Animals Versus Pet Store Animals

Millions of families welcome a four-legged addition to their household every Christmas. Taking in an animal is a big deal. If a new pet is on your Christmas list, you know that there are many places that the wish could become a reality. But what you may not know is that you have to be careful where you look. While some places may have an attractive facade and a friendly ambiance, there are too many that do not treat the animals they keep humanely. And most of those places are pet stores. Here are some compelling reasons to adopt a rescue animal.

Price:

You don’t “adopt” a pet from a pet store. You buy one. Pet store puppies can be priced at over two thousand dollars. On the other hand, shelter and rescue dogs can be adopted for drastically less. In the Trumbull County Dog Pound in Ohio, for example, adoption fees in 2009 were less than twenty dollars. That’s less than one percent of the cost at a pet store.

Breed:

While it is true that many dogs in pet stores are pure-bred and/or pedigreed and the dogs in shelters have more mixed breeds or mutts, it is likely that those pure-bred, pedigreed dogs have been bred in a puppy mill. The fact that they are bred the way that they are can also result in genetic diseases and other problems. Even though the dogs won’t be pure-bred, your best bet is to find a local shelter. If a pure-bred dog is important to you, do some research and find a reputable breeder.

Puppy Mills:

What exactly is a puppy mill? It’s a huge breeding operation that has no concern for the animals; the owner just wants to make money. The females produce litter after litter by force until they can’t have any more puppies, at which point they are euthanized. The puppies are taken from their mothers after only five weeks and raised in horrendous conditions. Most of the puppies born in these places have been in cages their entire lives and have never been petted or played with. By adopting a shelter dog, you ensure that your money is being used to help shut down these terrible, inhumane practices.

Euthanasia:

4,000,000-5,000,000 animals are put down each year in the U.S. This statistic includes perfectly healthy animals that were euthanized for reasons other than accepted scenarios such as terminal illness or fatal injuries: reasons like age, size, color or handicap. Many shelters have a no-kill policy: they do not use euthanasia on any pet under their care. Supporting shelters instead of pet stores brings down the number of animal deaths.

Health:

Another downside to buying a pet store puppy is that, due to the amount of trauma puppy mill dogs are put through, they don’t make good pets. They are, in fact, much more likely to suffer from genetic illnesses and other diseases that come from such poor living conditions, not to mention the possibility of anxiety or aggression.

Exceptions:

Not all pet stores get their animals from puppy mills or other inhumane companies. If there is a small, family-run local store, they may find their dogs from local breeders, breeders who do not support puppy mills. So before you buy a pet from the pet store, remember to do your homework, or, even better, make the choice to adopt a dog from a shelter or rescue house. Adding a four-legged friend to your home is rewarding for both you and your new pet. Just remember that rescue dogs need a home, too.