Petfinder is a national website that will show you animals in your area that you might be interested in. They list dogs from nearby 'rescues' as well as the local animal shelters. In most cases, you see pictures of the dog, and get information about the dog, such as housetraining, disposition towards children and other pets, age, habits, fears, tricks, and sometimes background info, like how the dog was found.
We have one dog from a 'breeder'. She had parasites, worms, was horrified of grass - telling us she never left her back porch that was covered in newspaper. She isn't social, and she has never totally 100 percent house trained. We have to keep our eyes on her all the time! I suspect we got her well before she was 8 weeks old. She looked like a standard chihuahua puppy, but now that she is grown, she has the stature of a pug, and is much larger than expected. I think we may have gotten her before she was ready to be weaned, so her small size could pass off as a smaller dog, like her mother (if that was really her mother). We're lucky she didn't suffer more health problems.
Our second addition came from Petfinder. We typed in our zip code and searched for a boy chihuahua to keep Truffle company. She felt lonely, and was afraid of other dogs, but thought if she had a brother (we were warned to not get another girl, especially since she was yappy and scared around other dogs) that she would be happier. So we found Ripley, a 4 hour drive from here. We paid $300 (that is the high end - in general, it is less expensive) and he was hand delivered by a rescue caravan. That is when people volunteer to pick up rescue dogs at a location, and drive to another location to either give the dog to the new owner, or to pass off to somebody else picking up another leg of the trip. That isn't always available, so we were lucky. He came to us neutered, tested for heartworms, and up to date on all vaccines. We already knew from his foster mother than he got along well with other dogs, was housetrained, and that he made cute little noises when he wanted to be picked up and loved.
When they opened the door to the van, he was looking right at us, wagging his tail. He rode home on my husband's lap, and enjoyed a good nights sleep between our feet. He was very skinny, and for several months, he wagged his tail the whole time he ate. About 4 months after we got him, he started to excite-pee when we came home. That broke my heart, because I knew then it had finally sunk in that he loved us, and was happy his family was back home! He got over the excited pee soon, and now he's just super happy and best buddies with Truffle, and madly in love with us. He curls up with us and lets out the most wonderful relaxed sigh at night. It's great to know we made such a difference in each others lives.I love both of my dogs the same, even though I talk at such length about my rescue dog. It is just an emotional story for me though, because I wonder so many times, how did he end up in a shelter? How did he get passed up day after day, and wind up within a day of death before his foster mother took him in? What did he go through before we got him? Was he scared and cold? That is what I think of when he does his content-sigh, because I know he is uber-happy!
I haven't been able to talk my husband and son in to getting a 3rd dog yet. So instead, I donate money whenever I can to rescue organizations. The lady that rescued Ripley spends all of her extra money on saving animals. She pays the fee at the animal shelters, gets vet care, and feeds and cares for the animals. The fee we pay for the pet barely covers all of the expenses they have. The more money the rescues have, the less dogs will die or suffer. I either send her checks, or I paypal money to dogs I see on petfinder that need operations, or special care.
You can find all kinds of animals on petfinder, and they range from babies to senior pets, just looking for somewhere to comfortably spend their retirement. You can find a pet that is a good fit for your family, whether you want a rambunctious, playful friend, or just a lap buddy.
Whatever you do, do not buy pets from a pet store. If you want a particular breed, or a 'show' pet, find a local breeder that has good living conditions for the pets, where you can see where the dog lives and how it has been raised.
Many breeders love their animals like their family, and do it for the love of the breed, and not just to make money. Some breeders are bad, like the one I used. I didn't know any better at the time.
Some pet stores frequently purchase (sometimes unknowingly, sometimes not!) dogs from puppy mills, where the dogs are kept pregnant as much as possible, and are kept in cages, where they never get exercise, love, treats, or the chance to play, chase a ball, hunt, sniff grass, roll in the dirt, or sleep in a soft place. It's so sad, and most people don't know this happens.
Please support your local rescuers if you can!
is wrong with people? How can they be so mean? 
