Adopt Don't Shop
Adopt, Don't Shop
How much is that doggie in the window? Hopefully, rather than asking yourself that question, you're asking yourself, "why don't we adopt that doggie in the shelter?". The Humane Society of the United States, or HSUS, estimates that animal shelters care for 6-8 million dogs and cats every year in the United States. 6-8 million dogs and cats are waiting for a home while some humans decide to purchase a puppy from a pet store. Don't purchase animals from pet stores, adopt them from an animal shelter or rescue. When you purchase a puppy from a pet store, you're usually supporting a puppy mill. Puppy mills are harsh places, usually barns or hot buildings, where dogs and puppies are stuffed in cages. The dogs are used over and over again for breeding and then starved to death, or die in a cruel way. The dogs don't get any socialization and are usually abused. According to DoSomething.org, puppy mills will breed a female dog every time she is in heat. For instance, a 5-year-old dog could have given birth to 10 litters of puppies. However, six litters per dog is the current legal limit written in the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999. Even with the Act in place, many members of the Kennel Club feel that the limit is too high and that there is potential for this to have a negative impact, both health and mental, on the welfare of the dog. Many puppy mill puppies also end up with health problems. According to the ASPCA, because puppy mill operators often fail to apply proper husbandry practices, puppies are prone to both congenital and hereditary conditions such as heart disease, respiratory disease, blood disorders, and deafness. When someone buys a puppy from a pet store, they support the abuse put on by the puppy mill owners. The HSUS estimates that animal shelters care for 6-8 million dogs and cats every year in the United States, of whom approximately 3-4 million are euthanized. When you adopt a dog from a shelter, you save
How much is that doggie in the window? Hopefully, rather than asking yourself that question, you're asking yourself, "why don't we adopt that doggie in the shelter?". The Humane Society of the United States, or HSUS, estimates that animal shelters care for 6-8 million dogs and cats every year in the United States. 6-8 million dogs and cats are waiting for a home while some humans decide to purchase a puppy from a pet store. Don't purchase animals from pet stores, adopt them from an animal shelter or rescue. When you purchase a puppy from a pet store, you're usually supporting a puppy mill. Puppy mills are harsh places, usually barns or hot buildings, where dogs and puppies are stuffed in cages. The dogs are used over and over again for breeding and then starved to death, or die in a cruel way. The dogs don't get any socialization and are usually abused. According to DoSomething.org, puppy mills will breed a female dog every time she is in heat. For instance, a 5-year-old dog could have given birth to 10 litters of puppies. However, six litters per dog is the current legal limit written in the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999. Even with the Act in place, many members of the Kennel Club feel that the limit is too high and that there is potential for this to have a negative impact, both health and mental, on the welfare of the dog. Many puppy mill puppies also end up with health problems. According to the ASPCA, because puppy mill operators often fail to apply proper husbandry practices, puppies are prone to both congenital and hereditary conditions such as heart disease, respiratory disease, blood disorders, and deafness. When someone buys a puppy from a pet store, they support the abuse put on by the puppy mill owners. The HSUS estimates that animal shelters care for 6-8 million dogs and cats every year in the United States, of whom approximately 3-4 million are euthanized. When you adopt a dog from a shelter, you save