Deciding Where to Adopt a New Pet
Pet Adoption - Pet Stores and Breeders Vs. Pet Shelters and Rescues
Apr 22, 2009
Deciding where to adopt or purchase a new pet can be a difficult decision. The correct answer depends to a great extent on your personal outlook.
Pet Stores and Pet Breeders as a Source for Adopting or Purchasing a New Pet
Pet stores and pet breeders are a common source for adoption or purchase of a new pet. There are both advantages and disadvantages to obtaining a pet from a pet store or pet breeder.
Some of the advantages of purchasing or adopting a pet from a pet store or pet breeder are:
- pet stores and pet breeders often offer purebred pets for sale or adoption.
- when buying a purebred pet from a pet store or pet breeder, proper paperwork will be provided to register the new pet with the corresponding breed registry, if desired.
- most pet stores or pet breeders are able to provide pedigrees for newly adopted puppies and kittens, which may aid in determining whether the puppy or kitten is prone to certain inheritable health issues.
- many pet stores and pet breeders provide a health guarantee for the newly purchased or adopted pet.
- some pet stores provide pet insurance for the newly adopted or purchased pet for a limited time.
- most pet stores or pet breeders offer puppies and kittens for sale as well other young pets.
Some of the disadvantages of purchasing or adopting a pet from a pet store are:
- pet stores sometimes receive their puppies and other animals from "puppy mills" where the animals may not have been cared for properly.
- the price to purchase or adopt a pet is likely to be substantial.
- the pet owner may need to do some research to determine whether the pet store or pet breeder is reliable and trustworthy (i.e. check with the Better Business Bureau, ask for references from satisfied clients).
Pet Rescues and Pet Shelters as Sources for the Adoption or Purchase of a New Pet
Pet rescues and pet shelters are also popular locations to adopt or purchase a new pet.
Pet shelters are found in most communities and may be:
- city-operated pet shelters,
- privately operated pet shelters, or
- shelters operated by organizations such as the SPCA or humane society.
Pet rescues exist for almost every dog and cat breed as well as for exotic species of animals such as rabbits, ferrets and many others.
There are advantages to adopting a new pet from a pet shelter or pet rescue which include:
- the ability to save a life. (Many of these pets will be euthanized if not adopted to a good home.)
- the ability to adopt or purchase a more mature animal which may already be house trained.
- many pet rescues and pet shelters perform a thorough behavioral assessment on all animals before allowing the animal to be adopted or purchased.
- some pet rescues and pet shelters provide vaccinations and other essential health care for pets prior to adoption or purchase.
- the cost of purchasing or adopting a pet from a pet shelter or pet rescue is likely to be significantly lower than the cost of purchasing from a pet breeder or pet store.
Some of the disadvantages to adopting or purchasing a new pet from a pet shelter or pet rescue may include:
- it may be more difficult to locate a puppy or kitten through a pet shelter or pet rescue (if a young animal is what the prospective pet owner prefers).
- adult animals may have behavioral issues which may take time, patience and skill to correct.
- pets adopted from shelters and even those adopted from pet rescues may not have pedigrees available identifying their relatives, so it may be more difficult to assess the likelihood of inherited disorders for these pets.
- many pet shelters and pet rescues prohibit breeding pets adopted or purchased from them. (This may not actually be a true disadvantage as it helps to decrease the number of unwanted puppies and kittens but some pet owners would prefer to be able to breed their pets.)
- some pet shelters and pet breeders do a background check on prospective pet owners, which some pet owners may object to or may not pass. (Again, this may not be a true disadvantage as it promotes responsible pet care but it is something some prospective pet owners would rather not undergo.)
In summary, there are advantages and disadvantages to purchasing or adopting pets from pet stores and pet breeders as well as pet shelters and pet rescues. The correct choice may lie in weighing the pros and cons and deciding which decision is the most comfortable for the individual pet owner.
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