Posted on 05/12/2010 7:16:43 AM PDT by JoeProBono
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Remember that old song, "How much is that doggie in the window?" For most Americans, it seems it's no sale. More than half of people in an Associated Press-Petside.com poll said they would get their next dog or cat from a shelter, nearly seven times the number who said they would buy their next pet from a store....
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
Or showing up in your backyard. Oh wait! That one doesn’t always happen?
We have a cute little Dalmatian that we found at the shelter. He’s a handful, but he’s our newest little handful.
This article is continued proof that there is a great deal of misinformation circulating. It actually depends on what you are looking for. Your local vet can be a great help in helping you to find a good, healthy dog.
If I am looking for a particular breed...I would definitely go for a reputable breeder. If the breed is not so important...then the shelter or the family down the street with “accidental” pups can be good options.
Have you checked out the prices for the doggies in the window? They seem to range from $800 - $1,600. Unbelievable!
The shelter needs to lay off the paper work they make you sign and quit forcing sterilization of pure breds. Just let me pick out my animal and pay some nominal fee. Why do I want to give a municipality legal authority over me with what I do with my pet? - and it’s micro chipped to trace back to me as well.
Pet stores are micro-chipping the animals too.
Either way, the only “pets” you should ever consider buying from a store would be things like gheckos or hamsters. Dogs and cats should only be bought from reputable breeders (verify from a good vet that the breeder is a reputable breeder and not just a back yard breeder akin to puppy mills) or adopted from shelters or rescue organizations.
When you buy a dog or cat from a pet store, you are buying an animal that was bred in a puppy mill or its feline equivalent. The breed registration papers for that animal might be valid, but they do not ensure that you are getting a healthy or quality stock animal.
Shelter or Rescue. Never a store.
Rescues are a great source. We adopted our Golden Retriever through GRREAT, and he really IS great! He’s now a certified Therapy Dog, visits the local Childrens’ Hospital, is on call for special cases at several local General Hospitals, and visits a local elementary school for their Reading Buddies program for disadvantaged kids. Our next dog will DEFINITELY come from a breed rescue program.
You are correct....and obviously use the common sense God gave you. ;-)
We have three wonderful dogs from the local shelters. All
“composits” of some sorts.
I agree with getting a from the pound or an animal rescue facility because the animals are very loyal to their new owners.
I have had two dogs that we got from a rescue facility a male and female.Though both were very loyal to their pack,AKA new owners they were highly protective to the degree if they saw another animal they would get very excited almost out of control.Not something you’d want to have happen walking through Petco.
Another thing if your going to meet strangers at home meet them outside until they see your not concerned.It will save you a lot of unneeded
barking.
We got 2 dogs from a shelter, and a purebred rat terrior from a rescue. Our local shelter is really a racket and some of their practices really bother me, but that’s a topic for another day...
When we get a dog from the shelter, we spend about an hour with the dog while at the shelter, with our kids running aroung being loud, like normal, and watch the dog’s reaction. We pick the dog that either runs and plays with them or stays relaxed and/or sleeps.
Early on our rescues needed a lot of extra TLC, 2 of them kept running away, but they settled in and all are doing great.
But I'll go one better: I got my kitten off the street (the bayou, actually). She was dirty, feral, flea-infested and at 6 weeks (approx, who knows?) had never been held by a human; I gradually moved closer and closer until I could reach out and pet her, and after confirming she wasn't gonna go medieval on my hand I grabbed her and took her home; luckily I got her at that stage where I easily took the place of her mom, and our older cat took the place of the older sibling who constantly kicks her a$$. Now they snuggle!
I look foward to the day puppy and kitty mills go out of business. I consider them abhorrent and immoral. But then again, I oppose dog racing too.
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