Why I Don’t Use the Phrase ‘Adopt Don’t Shop’

Upon reading your other comments and your arguments for buying vs adopting, it’s clear that you think dogs are here to serve us with their specific skills so you pick a breed, you pay money, and you buy them. Not all of them are true to the traits of the breed tho. You said that if you didn’t buy that breed, you’d not adopt form a shelter. Then don’t get a dog. You paid the breeder adding to demand for more supply. Breeders breed because there is demand. And your puppy was not the only puppy and it won’t be the last. You helped create demand for the breeding business. That’s more perennial dogs who will end up in an helper anyway. And not all shelter dogs have special needs. I have 4 shelter dogs who came with just as many challenges as any new addition to the family. You’re helping add more dogs into a world where we’re already not able to house the dogs that exist so we are killing them. And advocating for buying and minimising the impact it has on the dog population and the shelter system, adds more to the problem. Spend some time volunteering in a few different shelters and rescues if you really want to understand the gravity of the situation and why people get so angry with breeders and buyers. If you don’t care, then that’s a different story. You’ll continue spreading the “it’s okay wit buy” narrative. If you simply wanted a designer dog to do specific tasks and you don’t care about the impact of adding to the demand or the increasing number of homeless dogs, then thats understandable. That designer dog might not also turn out to be completely different form the given traits to their breed. Dogs are individuals with personalities and they don’t always confine to the breed. These dogs usually get surrendered into shelters because it’s not what people expected. This happens very often! If buying is a great experience for YOU, it works for YOU and the impact on the dog population, shelters, and rescues doesn’t matter to you. That’s fair. You don't have to care about other dogs, just don’t pretend by making it seem like buying has no impact on the ongoing pet crisis. I hope you change your heart at some point. I only had pure bread dogs that I bought from AKC breeders until I started volunteering and fostering. I was shocked at what I had contributed to only after seeing the impact dirt hand. So I get your POV but I hope you change it over time.

Buying a dog is great too?! When there are millions of dogs waiting for homes in shelters, you think breeding and buying is great too?! Walking into a shelter is heartbreaking because of the overwhelming number of dogs and cats just stuck in cages for years while people go to breeders for “pure bread dogs” for the “great” feeling of buying a new puppy. And to know that there are people out there saying ‘buy form a responsible breeder, buying is great too’ is just so irresponsible. Putting a prise tag on dogs, and buying and selling them for profit like they are not living beings is so awful. People who buy “responsibly” also surrender Dog’s to shelters, abandon, then and resell them like a used car. This adds more to the shelters. I hope you spend more time working with rescues where the incoming number of animals is so high that we are barely able to make room for the homeless animals. There might be no kills shelters in some places but there are an abundant of kill shelters. Even if there weren’t any, how is it okay to breed and buy while shelter animals sit in small enclosures without home and love and a life?! Responsible, certified breeders with awards, are all mostly for profit. Once the dogs are beyond puppy baring age, they either try to sell them or come rescues and shelters to surrender them. A LOT of “responsible” breeders do that. Please stop this narrative while there are still animals in shelters waiting on a home. There is no excuse for breeding while shelter animales die on a daily basis.

All breeders need to be state licensed and a $100.00 tax needs to be imposed per dog sale to help alleviate the impact of over breeding, and to support shelters and rescue groups. Don’t shop, ADOPT .

I think you don’t really get the point. If you continue to buy animals (cats too for example) then you basically takes another homeless animals place. We have soo many homeless dogs and cats. So the only right thing to do FOR the animals is to adopt. People don’t need to breed dogs and cats. They do it only for themselves and their interest. Not for the animals. Adopting animals is to HELP the animals and take responsibility for the problem that the humanity caused.

I totally agree with you. I am all for adopting and think it's a great idea. Many of my dogs have been rescues. But I have also been a breeder and showed dogs. If we don't support reputable breeders who care about improving the breed, all that's left will be backyard breeders and puppy mills who care nothing about breeding ethics.