[jillybean720]

Originally Posted by LitChick

Jill, we would most definitely adopt a dog from a shelter or rescue group. My two cats were adopted (one from the humane society, one from our vet after he'd been left there one day) and with all the unwanted animals out there, I feel very strongly about adopting one and making it one less animal who has to be without a home.

Good--like I said, it usually goes without saying nowadays because people who are looking for pets usually have big enough hearts to want to rescue one but the reason I really advocate the issue is that I did a report in college about puppy mills, which is where most pet stores get their puppies. They are bred in horrendous conditions and are oftentimes so unhealthy that they actually die within months of being sold to their new owner. I dug up tons of horror stories of parents buying puppies for their children for Christmas only to have the puppy die a month later. I found disturbing photos of the living conditions and the physical state of the mothers being forced to breed repeatedly until they die from malnurishment and exhaustion. And what I found most surprising is that Lancaster, PA, is considered the "puppy mill capital" of the U.S., and I was living right around the corner in York, PA, at the time. Apparently, the Amish are particularly to blame for such things, and in my research, I found reports of quotes from the monsters who run such places saying things like that the dogs are basically "just another crop" and should be treated just as the corn and other plants--they grow them, sell them, and don't care about their conditions as long as they're profitable. So disturbing. It's actually one of the primary reasons the big pet store chains (like PetCo and PetSmart) don't sell puppies in their stores and hold adoption fairs instead.

/soapbox

[luja]

Jill - I some how ended up with an elderly Yorkie that had been a puppy mill breeder. She was a small for her breed and probably shouldn't have been bred, but she was over and over again, until her uterus burst because the puppies she was carrying were too big for her little body. Somehow she survived that and of course they didn't want her after that. The other sad thing was she never had any socialization, so she was afraid of everything. She was a miserable little dog - it was so sad.

[Torister]

I will chime in here, because I breed/show Labs and am also involved with Rescue. I talk more people out of getting a pup than into buying one.

Often, breeders will place an older pup/young adult dog in a well-screened home if they are not turning out as they hoped as a show prospect, etc. You get the bonus of a housetrained dog with basic house manners.

I could never be without my dogs!!