Are you for or against buying a pet from a pet store?

[petlvr1064]

I would never ever buy a dog or cat from a pet store. I am all for adopting or rescueing. If not please go to a reputable breeder. My cat is a pound kitty. She is the sweetest cat I have ever been around. She was meant to be mine because she had been at the shelter since July when I adopted her in February. If I would not have adopted her the people standing behind me in line were going to. She is a tortieshell.

 

[dosekies]

This is a whole different can of worms. Most don't blink an eye at taking their dog to the vet every year, but then assume that their cats don't require/deserve the same treatment. Cats require wellness checks, dental care, vaccinations etc. just like dogs do.

Ugh this. When my dog started living at my fiancé's parents' house for a while, I had to drag their cats to the vet myself to get them up to date because no one in their house would do it. I hate cats, but they have a dog too that is the sweetest thing so when I went to the vet with my dog and put my email in their system to get updates on her visits, I put my name on their dog's profile too so now I get updates when he needs his shots, etc. and bug my fiancé to bug his parents until they make sure to take him in. I hate people who think they don't need to keep their pet's health up to date.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I agree that strict requirements are preventing some good people from adopting. Our 4-legged baby girl literally showed up at our door. DH's friend did work for a couple that were breeding mini-pins with their neighbor. They had all decided to retire from breeding, but they didn't tell their dogs in time. They gave him one that he & DH basically guilted me into letting DS keep. Up to that point, dogs were simply pets that I had to take care of. I really didn't want one. Surprisingly, she became my baby girl. We took her to the vet at regular intervals & spent 1,000s trying to save her, when she got sick. We would have spent whatever it took to save her, but it wasn't in the cards. I seriously doubt I will ever again put myself through this devastation I still feel 3 years later. If I ever decided to take that chance again, Vet background checks, home visits, etc. would keep us from ever choosing to adopt a rescue. I'm a private person that has no interest in opening myself up to strangers, just because they feel empowered to impose themselves on my private life. I can't help but feel bad that some pets may be euthanized, because some pet lovers have unrealistic expectations.

 

[sonnyjane]

I agree that strict requirements are preventing some good people from adopting. Our 4-legged baby girl literally showed up at our door. DH's friend did work for a couple that were breeding mini-pins with their neighbor. They had all decided to retire from breeding, but they didn't tell their dogs in time. They gave him one that he & DH basically guilted me into letting DS keep. Up to that point, dogs were simply pets that I had to take care of. I really didn't want one. Surprisingly, she became my baby girl. We took her to the vet at regular intervals & spent 1,000s trying to save her, when she got sick. We would have spent whatever it took to save her, but it wasn't in the cards. I seriously doubt I will ever again put myself through this devastation I still feel 3 years later. If I ever decided to take that chance again, Vet background checks, home visits, etc. would keep us from ever choosing to adopt a rescue. I'm a private person that has no interest in opening myself up to strangers, just because they feel empowered to impose themselves on my private life. I can't help but feel bad that some pets may be euthanized, because some pet lovers have unrealistic expectations.

Expecting that someone will be willing to provide medical treatment for their pet is not an unrealistic expectation. Those crazy requirements of home visits etc. are really more for breed-specific private rescues. Animal shelters/humane societies just don't have those kinds of resources. They usually require that you own your home OR need to talk to your landlord to prove you're allowed to have a pet, but they aren't doing inspections.

 

[tzolkin]

Vet background checks, home visits, etc. would keep us from ever choosing to adopt a rescue. I'm a private person that has no interest in opening myself up to strangers, just because they feel empowered to impose themselves on my private life.

I never realized that lots of people have issues with this. Whenever we adopt, we spend many months looking for the right dog so we have gone through the application process at nearly a dozen rescues. I consider myself a private person, but it just doesn’t feel like a big deal to me to give them my vet’s phone number and let someone stop by my house to make sure we’re not whackos or running a dog fighting operation. (And, honestly, quite a few don’t even do the “required” home visit as long as you seem like a decent person. They just have it listed as part of the process to deter anyone who has something to hide from applying)

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Expecting that someone will be willing to provide medical treatment for their pet is not an unrealistic expectation. Those crazy requirements of home visits etc. are really more for breed-specific private rescues. Animal shelters/humane societies just don't have those kinds of resources. They usually require that you own your home OR need to talk to your landlord to prove you're allowed to have a pet, but they aren't doing inspections.

It's great, if that works for you, but it will exclude people like us who don't think it isn't anyone's business how much we're willing to spend on our pet or anything else. We own more than one home, but that also isn't anyone's business. Don't ask me personal questions, if you want me to adopt. We would have spent anything to save our 4-legged baby girl, but our personal finances are off limits. I would never share personal info to a shelter or rescue. I don't want strangers looking into my personal or financial life. If a dog is put down, because you don't deem an adopter worthy, that's on you. (Not you specifically, but people who have mandates that they think are absolutely necessary.) If people enforcing these requirements were willing to adopted all abandoned pets, the problem would go away. Obviously, they aren't, so they need to get over themselves.

As a side note, I totally understand vetting people who want to adopt dog breeds that are considered fighters & people who come in every other month to adopt a car. Most people are normal people who just want a family pet.

 

[sonnyjane]

It's great, if that works for you, but it will exclude people like us who don't think it isn't anyone's business how much we're willing to spend on our pet or anything else. We own more than one home, but that also isn't anyone's business. Don't ask me personal questions, if you want me to adopt. We would have spent anything to save our 4-legged baby girl, but our personal finances are off limits. I would never share personal info to a shelter or rescue. I don't want strangers looking into my personal or financial life. If a dog is put down, because you don't deem an adopter worthy, that's on you. (Not you specifically, but people who have mandates that they think are absolutely necessary.) If people enforcing these requirements were willing to adopted all abandoned pets, the problem would go away. Obviously, they aren't, so they need to get over themselves.

I'm not sure where you got the impression that any of these animal rescues are doing credit checks and delving into your personal life. It's literally a form that makes you either check a box that you're a homeowner or check a box if you rent and then provide your landlord's phone number. They don't demand that you bankrupt yourself to provide medical treatment for an animal, but if they ask "have you ever had pets before? Did you provide them routine medical treatment?" that's not exactly invasive. For you to say that you're not going to adopt an animal in the future because of a potentially minuscule intrusion, then, to quote your own words... "that's on you".

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I never realized that lots of people have issues with this. Whenever we adopt, we spend many months looking for the right dog so we have gone through the application process at nearly a dozen rescues. I consider myself a private person, but it just doesn’t feel like a big deal to me to give them my vet’s phone number and let someone stop by my house to make sure we’re not whackos or running a dog fighting operation. (And, honestly, quite a few don’t even do the “required” home visit as long as you seem like a decent person. They just have it listed as part of the process to deter anyone who has something to hide from applying)

Obviously, some people are more private than others. I'm an introvert who doesn't welcome people into my life that aren't related me or have been long time friends. It takes a long time for me to trust someone to come into my home.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I'm not sure where you got the impression that any of these animal rescues are doing credit checks and delving into your personal life. It's literally a form that makes you either check a box that you're a homeowner or check a box if you rent and then provide your landlord's phone number. They don't demand that you bankrupt yourself to provide medical treatment for an animal, but if they ask "have you ever had pets before? Did you provide them routine medical treatment?" that's not exactly invasive. For you to say that you're not going to adopt an animal in the future because of a potentially minuscule intrusion, then, to quote your own words... "that's on you".

I guess we have a different definition of "that's on you". If I turn people off from the thing we're trying to sell (as a business person), that's on me. IMO, it's not on me to prove I'm worthy of purchasing anything. Not to be rude, but I'm not the one who has to sell myself. I can purchase a pet elsewhere. That's not the best option, but I won't open my life up to a stranger period. IMO, that's the reason a lot of pets aren't adopted. At some point, shelters & breeders need to ask themselves, if what they're doing is the best for the pet. Again, those who agree with requirements many disagree with, need to adopt all abandoned pets. There would no longer be a problem. It that doesn't happen, they need to accept they're preventing some pets from being adopted.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It's great, if that works for you, but it will exclude people like us who don't think it isn't anyone's business how much we're willing to spend on our pet or anything else. We own more than one home, but that also isn't anyone's business. Don't ask me personal questions, if you want me to adopt. We would have spent anything to save our 4-legged baby girl, but our personal finances are off limits. I would never share personal info to a shelter or rescue. I don't want strangers looking into my personal or financial life. If a dog is put down, because you don't deem an adopter worthy, that's on you. (Not you specifically, but people who have mandates that they think are absolutely necessary.) If people enforcing these requirements were willing to adopted all abandoned pets, the problem would go away. Obviously, they aren't, so they need to get over themselves.

As a side note, I totally understand vetting people who want to adopt dog breeds that are considered fighters & people who come in every other month to adopt a car. Most people are normal people who just want a family pet.

Honestly it's not about how much $ you spend..I mean different places charge different rates anyways--I know my cat clinic I take my cat to is reasonable in rates at least that's what we feel and will work with owners on payment plans but there are other places in my area that are higher in rates and less flexible.

Places that would require vet history aren't likely interested in the cost. It's more about general health and preventative things--like rabies shots, shots related to environment, check ups for general health, etc.

I understand the controversy in requesting vet visit history but truly I don't think they are judging you because you had a sick pet and were unable to make it work financially--besides sometimes hard decision-wise spending that extra money is about prolonging when the animal could still be in pain and then you have the "what's really in the best interest of my pet" talk.

I could totally be wrong but I don't even know if what information the rescue/shelter would be requesting would contain in-depth information--more than likely it's just the frequency of vet visits they are looking at. I'm guessing that they are attributing that to a component of responsible pet ownership whether we all fully agree on that being a component of a responsible pet ownership is a totally different thread IMO.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Honestly it's not about how much $ you spend..I mean different places charge different rates anyways--I know my cat clinic I take my cat to is reasonable in rates at least that's what we feel and will work with owners on payment plans but there are other places in my area that are higher in rates and less flexible.

Places that would require vet history aren't likely interested in the cost. It's more about general health and preventative things--like rabies shots, shots related to environment, check ups for general health, etc.

I understand the controversy in requesting vet visit history but truly I don't think they are judging you because you had a sick pet and were unable to make it work financially--besides sometimes hard decision-wise spending that extra money is about prolonging when the animal could still be in pain and then you have the "what's really in the best interest of my pet" talk.

I could totally be wrong but I don't even know if what information the rescue/shelter would be requesting would contain in-depth information--more than likely it's just the frequency of vet visits they are looking at. I'm guessing that they are attributing that to a component of responsible pet ownership whether we all fully agree on that being a component of a responsible pet ownership is a totally different thread IMO.

I understand it's not about what you spend, but I would have been willing to spend anything to save her. For me, it's not about being judged. I just don't like people poking into my personal life. I'm happy for those of you who are okay with being vetted & get a new family member in the process. I'm just not one of those people. I would purchase a pet, before I would agree with that. That doesn't make me an irresponsible pet owner. It just makes me a private person.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I understand it's not about what you spend, but I would have been willing to spend anything to save her. For me, it's not about being judged. I just don't like people poking into my personal life. I'm happy for those of you who are okay with being vetted & get a new family member in the process. I'm just not one of those people. I would purchase a pet, before I would agree with that. That doesn't make me an irresponsible pet owner. It just makes me a private person.

Gotcha

 

[tzolkin]

Obviously, some people are more private than others.

Certainly. That’s why I said it doesn’t seem like a big deal to me.

IMO, that's the reason a lot of pets aren't adopted.

I may be wrong, but I really don’t think this as a reason that “a lot” of pets are not adopted. I think your feelings regarding the level of invasiveness are much stronger than most people’s. For the average person, I don’t think it’s a major deterrent to adopting like it is for you. Minorly intrusive/ inconvenient, sure, but not enough to make them avoid ever adopting.

(And, just to be clear, I’m not judging your choice. I think you’re perfectly entitled to feel that way. I just don’t think there are enough people with similar views to the point that it would make a significant difference in the number of pets being adopted.)

 

[indimom]

I've got to admit we found adopting annoying as well...
We had to search through countless shelters because we didn't meet their requirements for a physical fence and/or all other pets fixed (we planned to get our first dog fixed, just not until he was a little older - our vet believes its healthier to wait until they are 2).
We had gotten rid of our fence years before due to the amount of maintenance required, and had no intention of going back to a regular fence. We had an electric dog fence, but that wasn't acceptable.
Any pup we would be getting from the shelters would be fixed before we could take them home per their requirements, so having an "unfixed" animal wasn't going to lead to any illicit breeding, but they didn't care about that, just that we owned an unfixed animal.

We did eventually find a shelter that would let us adopt. But the attitude we got from the first 8-10 pretty much put us off adopting again. If and when we get another dog, we'll probably buy from a small, local breeder like we did with the previous dog. It was a much more pleasant experience. Their dogs were loved and cared for (house pets), and the owners still ask about Rocky when we run into them around town.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Here are my thoughts.

No, I would never buy from a pet store, as I would not encourage puppy mills.

I have to agree with those who've said that trying to adopt a pet can sometimes be really difficult. I can't even begin to explain how many applications I've filled out and turned in, only to not have anyone get back to me (I realize it's difficult) and always the dog I'm interested in is gone. I've tried to get dogs from out of state and they won't adopt to our region. Etc, etc. Always something.

Just recently I offered to foster a senior German Shepherd in need from a local shelter just to get the dog out of there into a stable home until a good home could be found, and nope, they said no. Twice I offered to let a rescue use the wheeled cart I had after my dogs passed and they never took me up on it.

I've tried communicating with a rescue I'm interested in and it's like they're speaking a different language than I am. It's actually hard to believe that the person on the other end was saying something completely different than what I was trying to communicate. I was saying I was interested in a certain dog and she was saying hopefully I'll find a dog sometime. Say what?? Over and over.

They seem very rigid sometimes.

I have always supported local shelters and organizations like the MSPCA.

I've also had two rescues come out and evaluate my home, passing with flying colors each time.

Yet I still havne't been able to get a dog that's right for our family.

I tried to adopt a small dog when my last GSD was dying, and it was a go - right up until the little dog bit my dog in the face, twice. So that was off. Later, we tried to get another small dog at an adoption event and we asked about lap aggression, and they said the dog was not lap aggressive. Thankfully the foster parent pulled my DH aside to say the dog had, in fact, shown lap aggressive behaviors. Why lie? It makes me wonder what they're willing to do to get pets into homes, even if it's not a good fit. (And that is a must for me!) Or maybe they just don't know, idk.

Anyway, besides all that.

It is hard to believe we're (general we're, and not just here) arguing about shelters and rescues. In an ideal world, we wouldn't need them in the first place. If we better managed our pet population, most pets would have a home. But no, that's not how it is here, and now the problem is way out of control. If people saw what actually goes on in kill shelters, they would be horrified and traumatized. Unwanted animal depositories. Tragic.

I think it's great that there are so many people who are willing to put their time and money into helping these unwanted animals. But I think it's a bandaid solution. The bigger questions are, why are we euthanizing so many pets in the first place? Why are pets being abused and neglected and left to die in horrible conditions on the side of the road in the first place?

I'm not going to blame just breeders for it. It's people. People are irresponsible with their pets and what we're seeing today is the end result. Until we get better, it's only going to get worse. It already has. And it's a national disgrace.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I like Mutts. The one dog we had we adopted from a neighbor who was going to take her to the local shelter. That dog had already spent so much time at my house that she was a member of our family there was no way I was going to let her go to a shelter.

If we were ever going to get another which I doubt since my husband doesn't like dogs, I'd go to a shelter or rescue place. All of the cats that we've owned came from those 2 places.

I don't think pet stores should sell dogs - the ones I've seen the poor dogs looked so sad I wanted to break them out and take them home with me.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

One of my close friends works for the Humane Society. I've never seen an adoption fee that was remotely close to that of a breeder. She is in San Diego (a more expensive city) and their puppy adoption rate is $195. That might sound expensive for an adoption, but pet stores easily charge $600+ and private breeders upwards of $1,000. After 6 months old, the price at the shelter goes down dramatically, as the demand for older animals also goes down. That adoption fee just barely enables them to scrape by. They provide so much free medical care (microchip, vaccinations, spay/neuter, and they typically include your first wellness exam for free). A few times a year they also do free adoption events for older animals, so they lose a ton on those types of transactions (but worth it to get those senior animals adopted). Plus you have to actually pay your staff to care for the animals. Trust me, the shelter isn't just sitting back drinking champagne and eating caviar with your adoption fees.

I should specify the money isn't the issue. And, yes, it's not as expensive as a breeder. I think my problem is still the extensive requirements you find from some shelters: fenced yard, credit check, home visit, etc. No, my yard doesn't have a fence. But I take the dog I already own to the dog park. And walk him. And we go to the vet yearly. So, why all the questions? It's like you're applying for security status with the FBI or something.

 

[BrinkofSunshine]

I should specify the money isn't the issue. And, yes, it's not as expensive as a breeder. I think my problem is still the extensive requirements you find from some shelters: fenced yard, credit check, home visit, etc. No, my yard doesn't have a fence. But I take the dog I already own to the dog park. And walk him. And we go to the vet yearly. So, why all the questions? It's like you're applying for security status with the FBI or something.

I don’t think that’s the case with every shelter though, especially the government-run ones. I’ve also heard of breeders doing home checks.

One reason for home checks is to make sure the dogs aren’t going to be used as fighting/bait dogs.

 

[tzolkin]

. I think my problem is still the extensive requirements you find from some shelters: fenced yard, credit check, home visit, etc.

I don’t think that’s the case with every shelter though, especially the government-run ones. I’ve also heard of breeders doing home checks.

Yes, I have not seen any “shelters” (humane society, animal control, etc) that are that strict. Rescues, absolutely, but not shelters (at least in any place I know). They ask a few basic questions (like if you have recently surrendered another pet) and may call your vet, but that’s about it.

I know lots of rescues that may require a fenced yard for specific dogs that really need one because they are super high energy, but I have only ever encountered one rescue that made it a general policy. And, everyone (including people running other rescues) referred to that director as extremely “over-zealous” and would steer people clear of there.

 

[LSUmiss]

Here are my thoughts.

No, I would never buy from a pet store, as I would not encourage puppy mills.

I have to agree with those who've said that trying to adopt a pet can sometimes be really difficult. I can't even begin to explain how many applications I've filled out and turned in, only to not have anyone get back to me (I realize it's difficult) and always the dog I'm interested in is gone. I've tried to get dogs from out of state and they won't adopt to our region. Etc, etc. Always something.

Just recently I offered to foster a senior German Shepherd in need from a local shelter just to get the dog out of there into a stable home until a good home could be found, and nope, they said no. Twice I offered to let a rescue use the wheeled cart I had after my dogs passed and they never took me up on it.

I've tried communicating with a rescue I'm interested in and it's like they're speaking a different language than I am. It's actually hard to believe that the person on the other end was saying something completely different than what I was trying to communicate. I was saying I was interested in a certain dog and she was saying hopefully I'll find a dog sometime. Say what?? Over and over.

They seem very rigid sometimes.

I have always supported local shelters and organizations like the MSPCA.

I've also had two rescues come out and evaluate my home, passing with flying colors each time.

Yet I still havne't been able to get a dog that's right for our family.

I tried to adopt a small dog when my last GSD was dying, and it was a go - right up until the little dog bit my dog in the face, twice. So that was off. Later, we tried to get another small dog at an adoption event and we asked about lap aggression, and they said the dog was not lap aggressive. Thankfully the foster parent pulled my DH aside to say the dog had, in fact, shown lap aggressive behaviors. Why lie? It makes me wonder what they're willing to do to get pets into homes, even if it's not a good fit. (And that is a must for me!) Or maybe they just don't know, idk.

Anyway, besides all that.

It is hard to believe we're (general we're, and not just here) arguing about shelters and rescues. In an ideal world, we wouldn't need them in the first place. If we better managed our pet population, most pets would have a home. But no, that's not how it is here, and now the problem is way out of control. If people saw what actually goes on in kill shelters, they would be horrified and traumatized. Unwanted animal depositories. Tragic.

I think it's great that there are so many people who are willing to put their time and money into helping these unwanted animals. But I think it's a bandaid solution. The bigger questions are, why are we euthanizing so many pets in the first place? Why are pets being abused and neglected and left to die in horrible conditions on the side of the road in the first place?

I'm not going to blame just breeders for it. It's people. People are irresponsible with their pets and what we're seeing today is the end result. Until we get better, it's only going to get worse. It already has. And it's a national disgrace.

I agree 100%. It’s not about adopting or not, it’s about why there are so many to adopt in the first place.