Rescue, Or Secure? (Pets)

[WanderingWolf]

So, this has been bugging me for about two days now, and I'll ask, when it comes to pets, would you rather adopt, and save their lives, or, buy a pet and secure it from entering harms reach.

If you don't understand (and this may only be how it works in Australia), would you rather adopt a pet from an adoption agency and save its life, giving it a new home. OR, alternatively, buy a new pet and give it a home, saving it from entering the pound.

My family currently has one adopted cat, an adopted dog, and a bought dog.
I, personally am mixed about the whole situation of buy, or adopt.

How it works in Australia (Or maybe just my area) is that, after 1 month of being in the pet shop, it enters the pound, or RSPCA (Rescue. Something. Pet. Something. Agency). From here, they get put down within 10 days...

I hear many people on the Internet call others that don't adopt 'assholes', and... Other words.

But the thing is, if someone doesn't buy that pet, then you end up needing to adopt it. Or, it dies.

Its just this endless cycle... And somehow, in the mix of it, flaming begins. There is even a page on Facebook called something to the effect of '**** ALL PEOPLE WHO BUY PETS'

It has about 600 followers...

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So, the question lingers,

Would you rather save a pet from death, or save a pet from getting close to death?

 

[Delta]

My cat is adopted from a couple who were carrying child and, for reasons I can't remember, she couldn't keep it due to it possibly bringing harm to the baby so my dad brought it home from work one day and there we go (you could say it was having a very hard young life too since the mother already had a 5 year old who used to...take the cat for granted).

I have no real issues with people buying a pet as long as they are willing to put the effort in to look after it and love it. We had to work around the cat, getting him shots, treats and toys but after a couple months no-one minded since he was part of the family. I do think it should be more controlled. The amount of pets for sale seems like a supermarket. The ones up front get sold and the rest goes. There isn't much the consumer or adopter can really do about it.

I would encourage people to adopt. Then your not buying a living thing or a family member but taking one in. It's much more personal and special.

 

[Frezgle]

I don't know much about pets aside from dogs, but I have this to say: Do not buy a dog.
Many pet shops get their dogs from puppy mills, and unless you want your money supporting that business, stay the hell away from shops. Shops also tend to only carry purebred dogs, which I am uneasy with due to the health issues involved with many of them. Mutts, as a general rule, are healthier (as one would expect from mixing genetic traits as opposed to pushing particular "desirable" traits to their extremes), and they are plentiful in shelters.
Adopting is an all-around better moral decision imo.

 

[infrastatic]

I have 2 Siberian Huskies, one rescue and one from a breeder.

My breeder puppy is super healthy, smart, energetic and everything i could ask for in a dog. You can tell the time and effort a breeder puts into their dogs and it comes out in the puppy for sure. My girl sierra is 4 now and I have had her since 8 weeks old. She has perfect confirmation and attitude. The best example of a sibe.

My rescue is constantly ill, has no house manners (still has poop/pee accidents 4 years later), and costs me a TON in vet bills. He is also unintelligent. We know his history from the rescue group we got him from... bought from a pet store in Wisconsin, moved from 3 families due to behavioral issues before I took him over about 4 years ago. People give up pets for adoption for a number of reasons, but in my experience its usually a lie about how "they have no time" or they "are moving to a pet free apartment" Usually its behavioral issues these owners cannot correct.

Now beyond that, there is of course about 75% blame on the bad dog parents...and training, bad disciple, no exercise, etc. I see this a lot in other huskies due to their high maintenance life. They need lots and lots and lots of exercise or they can be monsters.

My opinion is this: if you know you want a certain breed or a certain personality in a dog...go breeder. If you are an experienced dog owner...you can go rescue, but it is a rough road since most of the time these dogs have had a rough past. The effort can be worth it, expecially the pride you can get from turning a dog around when it was days from being euthanized.

good luck!

 

[CMP]

I have 2 Siberian Huskies, one rescue and one from a breeder.

My breeder puppy is super healthy, smart, energetic and everything i could ask for in a dog. You can tell the time and effort a breeder puts into their dogs and it comes out in the puppy for sure. My girl sierra is 4 now and I have had her since 8 weeks old. She has perfect confirmation and attitude. The best example of a sibe.

My rescue is constantly ill, has no house manners (still has poop/pee accidents 4 years later), and costs me a TON in vet bills. He is also unintelligent. We know his history from the rescue group we got him from... bought from a pet store in Wisconsin, moved from 3 families due to behavioral issues before I took him over about 4 years ago. People give up pets for adoption for a number of reasons, but in my experience its usually a lie about how "they have no time" or they "are moving to a pet free apartment" Usually its behavioral issues these owners cannot correct.

Now beyond that, there is of course about 75% blame on the bad dog parents...and training, bad disciple, no exercise, etc. I see this a lot in other huskies due to their high maintenance life. They need lots and lots and lots of exercise or they can be monsters.

My opinion is this: if you know you want a certain breed or a certain personality in a dog...go breeder. If you are an experienced dog owner...you can go rescue, but it is a rough road since most of the time these dogs have had a rough past. The effort can be worth it, expecially the pride you can get from turning a dog around when it was days from being euthanized.

good luck!

Always good to see another Husky lover. I have two as well. Such a handful, but I love them!

I agree with infrastatic completely. It really is situational. If you plan on buying a pup, absolutely avoid pet shops, and go only to a reputable, registered breeder. The dogs will be healthy and well-tempered, and most breeders I've talked to guarantee at least a year of good health, and better breeders will guarantee longer.

While adopting/rescuing is usually looked at as the "noble" thing to do, it really takes a certain kind of person/family to have success. Many dogs who end up in shelters are there for a reason, and sadly, it's often abusive owners. Reconditioning dogs who have been abused is a very time consuming, hit-or-miss process. I've known families who've adopted dogs that adjusted very easily and quickly became the ideal family pet, but I've know others who have spent years working with their adopt with no success.

What it really comes down to is to make sure, regardless of how you come by your pet, is to do your research beforehand. Make sure that you're doing what's best for you and the dog. If you buy, make sure it's a breed you know you can handle and that it's coming from a reputable source. If you adopt, know the dog's history so you understand its quirks and that it make take time to help it adjust.

 

[Shining Raikou]

I have an adopted kitten. I highly encourage adopting, there are so many animals that need loving homes and the adoption fees usually go to help/feed other animals. When you purchase a pet from a pet store, I assume most of the money goes back to the company running the store.

 

[TrainerSivan]

When it comes to animals, I have to say that I am very passionate.

I think that it depends on the type of pet you desire before you make the choice of buy or adopt. Some animals, such as dogs and cats, are easily available in adoptions centers. Other animals, such as turtles, hedgehogs, and Betta fish, are not easily found in adoption centers and finding a local breeding is impossible in some cases. If we are limiting the discussion to larger animals, or just dogs and cats, I would have to say adoption is almost always the best answer.

I think adoption is the best answer because there is a surplus of big animals out there and the majority of them will be put to death because of human inconvenience. Some animals are in shelters because their families can no longer afford to keep them, had to move to a pet-free situation, allergies developed, and so-forth. Other animals are in shelters because they are the unsellable stock of backyard breeders (people who have un-neutered animals for the purpose of breeding them for sale without a license in breeding or knowledge in good genetic traits to pass on), they are Christmas/holiday pets that were purchased (or sadly, adopted) without previous research into their needs, they were strays, or because they were removed from abusive households.

Before anybody makes the choice to adopt or purchase an animal, they should be REQUIRED to do research on the animal they are taking care of. Some species may look really nice but may have personalities that do not blend well with your living situation, so it is better not to have an animal of said species. Some animals cost way more than often anticipated or advertised for (Betta fish, for example) and other animals will require vet visits that may or may not be expected. Time to train animals is important, as is time to let the animal bond with you. Shelter animals may come from abusive households or households where they were incorrectly trained. This can cause problems in new homes under new owners who do not have the knowledge, skills, or time to train out bad habits. Some of these bad habits/ behavioral issues can take YEARS to correct and the behavior/habit may never fully be removed from them.

On the other hand, animals from a breeder may not come previously trained and owners will need to have the time to train them themselves. If not, the same issue can be at hand. Animals from reputable breeders (this does not mean a mere paper trail of lineage) can also come with their own healthy issues due to inbreeding, so it is important to take this into consideration as well when it comes to health.

Adopting will help save an animal's life. There are too few no-kill shelters and a higher input of unwanted animals pouring into the system. Websites such as petfinder.com can help you find the exact animal you are looking for. There are even shelters that special in certain breeds, pure and mixed! About 25% of all dogs in animal shelters are pure-bred, so purchasing an animal simply for its looks does not require going to a breeder. It may take some time to get to know an animal to see if it will match you and your family but lifelong companions can be made. Sometimes patience and extra understanding is needed for them.

Purchasing from a pet store is completely out of the question. It is estimated that 95% of all pet stores that sell live large animals come from mills, which are abusive institutes that treat animals like product stock rather than living creatures. Pets that are not sold in shops will go to adoption centers, where they can be saved if people adopted more. Eventually, these shops could be wiped out and there will be a significant slowing down of animals being poured into the system but that will take time.