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We seem to now be discussing adopting versus buying pets, but - on that note - shelters and rescues would do well to both reduce their prices and loosen their restrictions (I know several that won't adopt out to any owner without a fenced back yard) if they hope to compete with or dissuade the general public from using breeders.
You're right otterhere. I got sidetracked, my apologies.
Rescues and shelters spend a lot of money getting a animal ready for a new home such as spaying/neutering, etc. Rescues typically fix any medical issues and do dentals on small dogs. They spend more than they charge. I was approved to adopt a Maltese even though a requirement was a fenced in yard and I lived in a condo because I was a great home with references, etc.
I'm well aware of that, having volunteered in animal rescue, but if the price is comparable -- and the hassle factor is greater -- people, being people, will choose breeders and pet stores over shelters and rescues. You have to make it the more attractive alternative for those not motivated by altruism, who are the majority. Many still erroneously believe dogs that were given up are somehow "defective" and therefore will choose the supposedly "perfect" puppy, all things being equal.
I for one would certainly choose a breeder over pet stores or shelters/rescues regarding dogs. Cats? Meh. A cat is a cat. Only kind we won't have are Siamese and some of those fashion cats that are still mostly found in the wild. We used to have fish when the kids were here but I'm glad they're gone. I feel sorry for them couped up in a tank. Hamsters and stuff might be fun but too much trouble for me, plus our cat is always "hungry".
This is the first I've ever heard of shelter fees and buying from a legit breeder having comparable price points; that's not really how it works. I paid about six times as much for my Eskimo than I would have if he'd been available through a shelter or rescue and about twice as much as I would from a puppy mill (and because puppy mill dogs come with significant health problems, any savings are eaten up by vet bills).
Legit breeders won't sell to just anyone, and they typically have waiting lists, so trying to lump them in with "pet stores" is a false equivalency.
I think a lot of people buy dogs from pet stores/mills because they just don't know any better, having no knowledge of the conditions in which these animals are bred and how the breeding stock is forced to live. Like many on here, they don't know or understand the difference between legit breeders and mills.
Last edited by Metlakatla; 08-29-2022 at 03:52 PM..
Right- there are lots of reasons people can legitimately be rejected for adoption.
True, and sometimes, there's really no reason other than someone else was ahead of them. The shelter here just takes the first application that checks all the dots, and from what they say, they have several applicants for each available dog.
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As much as I love my dogs, and have loved my birds, hamsters, rats, snakes, mice, cats, etc. the concept of caging/locking an animal in your house and making it be your friend is, in the abstract, kind of bizarre.
And enslaving animals to do our labor is also bizarre. There aren't any other animals - except this one kind of grasshopper that enslaves ants to get them sugar - that keeps other animals captive and makes them work.
And now Petsmart calls me a PetParent. Um, no. This is my dog. I'm not his mother. He's my dog.
A month or so ago I was in Houston and saw the most heartening thing. There was a small flock of sparrows bathing in a puddle and among them was a blue parakeet. I stood and watched for a long time, and the parakeet was a member of the flock. HOW FABULOUS FOR THAT BIRD to have escaped being in a tiny cage all day long with a cup of seed and a cup of water. What a much better life, to be wild, and in a flock of sparrows.
There was a comedian I heard on the radio the other day, talking about pets. "Oh my ____ loves me" people say. Well no, he said. Open your door. Open the animal cage. See how long it takes before your pet leaves and doesn't come back (with the exception of dogs).
I'm well aware of that, having volunteered in animal rescue, but if the price is comparable -- and the hassle factor is greater -- people, being people, will choose breeders and pet stores over shelters and rescues. .
I suspect you've never bought a dog from a legit breeder (or even had one at all?). The "hassle factor," as you call it, is the highest when going this route. You don't simply pop in to the kennel, pick out your pup, and be on your happy way. The price really isn't comparable to shelters and pet stores/puppy mills, either; you'll pay much more to a reputable breeder.
As much as I love my dogs, and have loved my birds, hamsters, rats, snakes, mice, cats, etc. the concept of caging/locking an animal in your house and making it be your friend is, in the abstract, kind of bizarre.
And enslaving animals to do our labor is also bizarre. There aren't any other animals - except this one kind of grasshopper that enslaves ants to get them sugar - that keeps other animals captive and makes them work.
And now Petsmart calls me a PetParent. Um, no. This is my dog. I'm not his mother. He's my dog.
A month or so ago I was in Houston and saw the most heartening thing. There was a small flock of sparrows bathing in a puddle and among them was a blue parakeet. I stood and watched for a long time, and the parakeet was a member of the flock. HOW FABULOUS FOR THAT BIRD to have escaped being in a tiny cage all day long with a cup of seed and a cup of water. What a much better life, to be wild, and in a flock of sparrows.
There was a comedian I heard on the radio the other day, talking about pets. "Oh my ____ loves me" people say. Well no, he said. Open your door. Open the animal cage. See how long it takes before your pet leaves and doesn't come back (with the exception of dogs).
I'm not crazy about the "pet parent" thing either. Just dumb.
But unlike parakeets and other animals humans shouldn't really be keeping as pets, dogs and cats have evolved over the years to be something other than wild creatures. The life of a dog or cat when turned into the wild will be short and brutal. And IDK about the comedian, but anytime any of my pets have ever gone out the front door, they've come back.
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