Why I Don’t Agree With “Adopt Don’t Shop.”
While some mean well, in my experience most people that say “adopt don’t shop” are doing it from a place of judgment and self righteousness. And that’s a huge part of what’s wrong with society currently. Trying to dictate and even legislating what people can or can’t do based off their own individual beliefs and judgment. But I believe people need to do what they feel is best for themselves and their families.Some people want to know the breed characteristics, sizes, potential health problems the breed is prone to, etc prior to getting a dog, especially when it comes to having human children in the home.
I know a lot of people like to regurgitate the myth that shelter dogs are healthier. However, many people are finding out that shelter dogs/mutts are NOT actually healthier than purebreds and are costing the same or MORE in vet bills during their lifetime. I’ve been very blessed to have extremely healthy purebred dogs where I’ve spent much less on their medical bills and initial purchase prices than many I know who have chosen to rescue instead. I unfortunately know some people who have spent close to $10k on their rescues because of unforeseen health issues.
There are also many shelters and rescues that end up pushing people to breeders, including backyard breeders (💔), by making it extremely difficult for people to adopt from them or creating a bunch of hoops they have to jump through.
I personally tried to adopt 2 puppies from a humane society after they were inundated with a bunch of dogs due to a puppy mill being shutdown. They refused to adopt the breed out to anyone who hadn’t owned it/didn’t have prior experience with it. To me it made absolutely zero sense that in order for me to rescue those puppies or to own that breed, I had to purchase one from a breeder first.
And there are countless other stories of if you don’t own a place, don’t have a fenced in yard, or only rent an apartment (even with written landlord permission), etc then you’ll be denied. I even knew one lady who went through the rigorous process to adopt a specific dog from a shelter, eventually get approved for said dog, only to go pick her up on the designated day to be told “oh we gave her to someone else but you can adopt a different one.”
I understand a lot of these hoops are “to find the best furever home for the animal.” However, (last I was informed) it statistically does not change the amount of animals returned or rehomed. The percentage that get returned is the same. I still always see at least one to two when lurking craigslist as well that will say “rescued from xyz but need to rehome” for one reason or another.
Side note: I really wish people honored the commitment to getting a dog or other animal. It breaks my heart to see people abandoning their animals. Especially the senior ones that have been with the family their whole lives 😭 I know that circumstances arise that can affect things, and I hope nothing like that ever happens again for me.
One of my biggest life regrets was rehoming 5 animals (my bunny, 2 sugar gliders, and 2 chinchillas) when separating and moving out from an abusive ex a decade ago. Now I strive to do everything possible to keep the animals I commit to. Even so far as when having to choose between putting food on the table for myself or them in the past, always choosing to make sure they are fed instead of me.
But to sum it up—if people want to get a dog, they are going to get a dog. Whether that’s from a reputable breeder, a rescue, or a backyard breeder from craigslist/facebook. Shelters making it incredibly difficult only helps push less than ideal scenarios. But I do agree that if possible, adopt animals in need (which is why I have 6 rescues) but this is why I personally live by “adopt OR shop but do it RESPONSIBLY.”
—J🧡
