When looking for a pet, a lot of people want a puppy or are looking for a specific breed. While there is no problem with wanting a younger dog or a specific breed, this desire leads to a lot of people choosing to buy from breeders rather than looking into a shelter. Here are some reasons to give shelter dogs a chance and adopt instead of shopping for your pet. 

There are plenty of breeders out there who practice ethically and for the right reasons, however, there are tons of backyard breeders who breed for money and do not treat their animals ethically. These are called puppy mills.

Puppy mills are factory-like buildings where breeders mass-produce desired dog breeds or “designer dogs” for profit. These dogs are often neglected basic veterinary care, are not given proper human interaction, and are cooped up in cages nearly all day. 

“Many of these farms now sell directly to consumers or over the internet, [which means] they’re not covered by minimal USDA standards that apply to breeders who sell to pet stores,” USDA spokesperson, Jessica Milteer, said in an article titled “A Designer Dog’s Life” about dog breeding. 

If you are someone who needs a dog for a specific purpose, like a service dog or a hypoallergenic dog, make sure the breeder you go through practices ethically.

Another reason to adopt from a shelter is because shelter animals often come from a bad past and are in need of a loving home. 

According to the Humane Society of the United States, millions of pets are put into shelters every year for many different reasons. Some are because the family can no longer care for them, while others are because the animal has been neglected or abused. 

Shelters do the best they can to create a good environment for the animals they have, but these animals still have to live in kennels until they are adopted. 

The overcrowded shelters can sometimes lead to euthanasias. While the amount of euthanasias in shelters has decreased over the years, and a lot of shelters have become no-kill, there are still animals being euthanized for lack of space.

Adopting from a shelter can not only help an animal in need of a loving home, but it could also save them from living their life in a kennel or even being euthanized.

Adopting from a shelter is also way less expensive than buying from a breeder. Adoption fees range around 100 dollars, or even less during discounted or free adoption events. Shelters often cover costs like vaccinations, microchipping, and heartworm prevention prior to adoption. 

For more information about adopting, visit the Erath County Humane Society here in Stephenville, or visit your closest shelter.