instead of going to an animal shelter
2006-12-23 09:58:55 · 26 answers · asked by xoxo 6 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Yes yes and YES=BAD!!
More puppies are killed as unwanted animals by "puppy farms" than are chickens. Pet stores only want young animals:Kittens or puppies. Everything else is destroyed. Say no to cruelty.
Please do not feed these greedy harvesters of grief.
2006-12-23 10:10:26 · answer #1 · answered by Zair 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No, it doesn't make you a bad person. If you do choose to purchase a dog or cat from a pet store instead of a shelter, just make sure you know where the animal in the store is coming from before you buy. Often times animals in shops come from puppy mills where the animals are poorly treated and over bred- meaning that the animal you end up with could have a poor temperament and poor health which could mean huge vet bills. Other times, pet stores get their animals from very reputable breeders and have high quality pets. It just depends on the store. Many shelters you look at may have a selection of both types of animal, and then some. If you do decide to purchase the dog or cat from a pet store, at least get it spayed or neutered unless you are planning on showing the animal, because shelters are overcrowded as it is.
2006-12-23 10:36:58 · answer #2 · answered by ilovesubasketball 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunately there are many pets that can be found in animal shelters, and sometimes this is a great place to start to offer an animal a home that needs one. However, there are animals in shelters that don't always make for a great pet. There are people that don't know what they are getting into when it comes to pet ownership and not every animal is a fun and friendly, cute or cuddly pet and they end up being abandoned or dropped off at shelters to avoid dealing with a "problem" animal.
You by all means have the choice to visit shelters, listen to what they have to say just as you have the choice to go to a breeder/pet store and listen to what they have to say. Make your decision based on how informative and helpful that place/person is on the animals they deal with selling/adopting.
Breeders are not bad as so many humane societies or shelters want to make them out to be. Breeders are not the ones "overpopulating" the world with unwanted or abandoned animals. The animal owner who chooses to not take responsibility for their pet are the one and only person doing the abandoning.
Go to a breeder, go to a pet store, go to shelter. Find the animal that is meant for you and find the person/place best suited for you to do your dealing with.
2006-12-23 11:31:02 · answer #3 · answered by Lotsa Lops 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. It doesn't make you a bad person. Just a word of caution, a new dog is a lifetime commitment. The commitment doesn't stop when the puppy stops being so cute and needs training and more care.
If you know what you want ( breed) then go to a "reliable" breeder to find a puppy that is meant just for you. By reliable, I mean a person who knows the breed, has been raising dogs for several years, can give you references, and is willing to stand behind the puppy as to health and temperment. Most reliable breeders will take a puppy back if something doesn't work out.
I would never recommend buying a puppy from a pet store. Most come from puppy mills and are raised in poor conditions. They are taken from the mother too early and do not have time to learn socialization skills. Their mothers are normally not capable of teaching them these skills as they are just puppy machines and are in many cases sick and abused.
Talk to more than one breeder. Find out as much as you can about the breed and breeder before making a purchase.
I have a pure bred dog and a pound puppy. I love the look of my pure bred dog, but I would probably go back to animal services if I ever get another dog. I have not intention of showing a dog, but do enjoy working with my dogs and the wonderful companionship they provide.
2006-12-23 10:10:34 · answer #4 · answered by kelli123 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I happen to be a dog lover So i will tell yottu the truth. Well first off thought dogs from pet stores come from puppy mills? ever seen one? its really unhealthy. A breeder is better than getting one from a pet store, although all the puppys will need help. A shelter is fullof energized abandoned puppies looking for someone to treat them good. If i were you Before id go spending 3-4 hundred buks at the mininmum, id look in to the shelter first. those dog need u more. The majority of breeders are in it for the money. Well either what youchoose i hope you find the best dog for you.
2006-12-23 10:14:51 · answer #5 · answered by iTzUhHaPpyHeLL 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
shelter, rescue org. or reputable breeder only. Buying from a pet store usually gets you a dog of questionable quality, health and temperament from a puppy mill.. and re-inforces the business. Contact your local AKC or dog club and they will help you locate a healthy, even tempered dog from a reputable breeder. Good question- dd
Boo! Bad answer about not getting a dog from a shelter! I have 8 rescue pups, two are therapy dogs, three do agility and critter work (herding), one two are over 12 yrs and are "retired" to just being fur angels. Rescue and shelter dogs are fine if you bother to train them, others are 100% good dogs from the beginning and their owners were just not able to care for them any more. Shame on that responder!!! (the last one is just a baby jrt that was dumped on the road)
2006-12-23 10:04:01 · answer #6 · answered by dedum 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, it doesn't make you a bad person.
But be aware those types of people and places are HUGE sources of puppies and kittens coming from awful conditions. There have been news shows done on reputable sellers getting animals from a nice place out west. The show tracked down the source and it was a puppy mill where the mommy dogs were in tiny cages and bred repeatedly.
Save a life (and some money) and go to your local shelter. Puppy mills stay in business because ppl buy their mass produced animals and keep them in business. If you insist on a store or breeder, know their source inside and out and don't just rely on their word.
2006-12-23 10:03:59 · answer #7 · answered by ??? LadyBoyd ??? 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not at all.
All animals need homes. If you get an animal at a shelter, your helping a homeless animal. If you get an animal at a breeder, you're preventing it from being homeless.
Either way, you're going to give an animal a good home.
2006-12-23 10:07:06 · answer #8 · answered by red92fh 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buying from a breeder is just fine!! Now don't get me wrong getting pets from shelters is a lot nacer but . . . . Just keep in mind over 100,000 cats and dogs are killed a day!!
2006-12-23 10:09:41 · answer #9 · answered by ♥Hollister♥ 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you watch The Dog Whisperer on NGC, it'll make you never want a shelter dog. They often have behavioral problems that take a professional to correct. Just buy a puppy, and then you can raise it the way you want it to be. There's no reason to feel guilty, you didn't put the dogs in the shelter.
2006-12-23 10:05:04 · answer #10 · answered by skeptic 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I won't judge you as good or bad, but you will be helping to keep those awful, cruel places in business. Dogs and cats who spend their entire lives in a tiny cage, are covered with skin diseases, eye infections and ear infections, and they never get any affection their whole lives. Puppies and kittens who are yanked away before they are 8 weeks old. In-breeding that encourages hip problems, ear and eye deformities. You keep them in business when you buy from a pet store. If you have your heart set on a purebred, please go to a breeder in your hometown and look at their operation before you buy.
2006-12-23 10:06:59 · answer #11 · answered by Kacky 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋