Now to the point of this. All of my life, I have loved animals. Ever since I was a little girl I would always try and help an animal in need, and I loved learning about them, their behaviors, how to train them, everything. And I still do, which is why I work at a kennel.
As of late, I have kind of taken on a little side project, if you can even call it that. It's just a Facebook page, made for networking. Rescues and individuals can post animals that are in need of homes, on death row, etc to the wall in hopes of the picture and story reaching someone who can save them. And lately this method of "rescue" has taken off. Many many dogs, cats and other animals have been saved from euthanasia and terrible situations by just someone hitting the "share" button. Getting involved with some of the people who see the "dark" side of the animal industry, has really opened my eyes.
Shelter dogs. I've always had shelter dogs. And when I get my own place I do plan on adopting from a shelter. People do say "why do you want someone's recycled dog?" They're not "recycled", they are not products, or trash. They are living, breathing, feeling beings who deserve a second chance at life.
Little known fact; Did you know...at least 25% of all shelter dogs are pure bred? Meaning, they could have come from a breeder! Shelters around the world are extremely overpopulated. According to the Humane Society of the United States 4 million dogs and cats are put down in US shelters each year alone. That averages to one every 8 seconds...That's a statistic that breaks my heart. Also, a lot of puppies come in to shelters, it seems like now more than ever. A lot of pregnant mothers come in, and give birth in the shelter, too.
This is where things could get..well...hairy. Breeders in all honesty are not helping the over population problem in the US. Now I do realize that there are people who show dogs, and they have to be pure bred, up to the breed standard. I do know this, and I respect that. Dog show handlers also shell out a lot of money and time to get the "perfect" dog.
But what about all the people who don't show dogs? If the people who bought from breeders adopted from a shelter, I feel that it would make a dent in the over population! Think of it like this. Buying from a breeder, a pure bred lets say Yorkie. AKC registered, all vaccinations, de-wormed, has a perfect pedigree, they usually begin to sell puppies at 8weeks old, though some breeders wait a week or 2 more, selling price could be anywhere from $500-$1,000. I've seen Yorkie puppies for $1,500! That's not counting getting them spayed/neutered!
Now compare that, to the price of a shelter dog. At my local animal shelter, female dogs are $56, males are $41. Female cats are $36, males are $26. I believe these prices include:
However I am still waiting to hear back from the shelter to see if those are included. Either way though, at most that's about...$200 maximum?
Also, if you are not a breeder and are not intending to breed your dog, you should always always always get them altered. It won't take away your male dogs sense of manhood. He doesn't have pride like you do. In fact, the risk of them developing testicular cancer plummets drastically, also it prevents them from marking their territory, or "spraying" their scent everywhere. Including in your home. It also calms them down. And no, your female will not feel like any less of a "women". It reduces the risk for mammary gland tumors, and also she will not go in to heat, which will save you from a stained carpet, and save her from wearing doggie diapers. Yes they make those, before my dad got his dog spayed she went into heat and the poor girl had to wear a diaper. She has since been spayed and is a happy healthy little girl!
Like I said before, I respect breeders and what they do, since to some it is their profession. There are a lot of really nice, sincere, amazing breeders. It's the bad ones who ruin it for all of the rest.
If you do buy from a breeder, I'm not going to think you're a terrible person, people are going to spend their money and do what they want to do no matter what I say. But maybe, just maybe I've changed the mind of one person reading this. And one person could make all the difference.
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