Animal Adoption, the Price of Love Essay

Imagine a puppy that’s hungry, scared, thirsty, and overcrowded. This may be what it was like where your puppy came from. Think about going to the pet store, seeing the cute little puppies in the glass, looking back at you in excitement. Some jump with joy; some sleep their little hearts away, tired from meeting so many new people, and others fight over the toy with the puppy next to them. You would never think for a second that where they had been born and spent roughly the first 12 weeks of their lives was in a dreadful environment. These places are Puppy Mills. They are large-scale dog breeding facilities that are usually unsanitary and very overcrowded. They don’t make sure the dogs have adequate food, water, socialization; nor do they ensure

Every day in the United States, approximately 10,000 people and 70,000 puppies and kittens are born. There will never be enough homes for all of these animals, and as a result millions are killed by animal control or die by themselves every year. If people would adopt their pets from a rescue or shelter, and not buy from pet stores or breeders, many lives would be saved and a lot of misery would be averted. Also, you end up with a great animal.

A: Pet mills put money and profit, before the health of the animals they are breeding. Animals from these mills are usually living in disgusting conditions, and not getting the medical care that they need (Sheeter, n.d.). Because of this, the animals can get very prone to sickness, and have behavioural problems. They are left in small crates, squished together, have terrible diets, and dirty water (Sheeter, n.d.). A lot of dogs have been neglected or abused and have had little attention, interaction with humans or other animals, or obedience trainings. They were not treated with any sort or respect or appreciation or care, and they deserve that. The mums of the puppies are caged and constantly bred until they no longer can, they do not get

Dog breeding is dangerous because to make a perfect dog they too often inbreed and cause birth defects and other health issues in dogs. Terry Allen, an “In These Times” senior editor who has written the magazine’s monthly investigative health and science column since 2006, argues in “We’re Breeding Dogs to Death” that “neither price, pedigree nor being loved like a member of the family can shield a dog from the pain, breathing difficulties, cancer, panoply of debilitating genetic disorders, mental illness, crippling physiognomy and shortened life span that disproportionately plague purebreds.” The article “Selective Breeding or Artificial Selection” explains that in dogs, the “frequency of being homozygous for rare recessive disorders increases when inbreeding occurs, potentially causing severe

• This breed may not be the best choice for kids, unless you get a puppy to grow up with your children

The sad reality is that there are too many homeless pets than there ones with loving homes to care for them. Also according to humane society.org, “2.7 million adoptable cats and dogs are euthanized in the United States simply because too many pets come into shelters and too few people consider adoption when looking for a pet.” When you adopt, you not only save a life, but you also free up a cage for another desperate animal to be adopted. By adopting, your money goes towards spay and neutering, pet education, running the shelter, and also puts an end to cruel puppy and kitten mills, which saves countless more animals by doing

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) describes puppy mills situation to be overcrowded, unsanitary, without adequate food, water, and veterinary health care. Female dogs are even bred at every opportunity without a rest to maximize profit (“Puppy Mills”). Dogs are kept locked up in wired cages, stacked on top one another and sometimes their excrements are not properly monitored. Thus, this leads to unknown genetic disorders and poor genetic quality which makes it difficult for the dogs to live for a long time. In the end, it will cause a lot of stress and problems for the family down the road due to the dogs’ health. Many people who are unaware of these living conditions often tend to overlook their puppies neglect and suffering. When purchasing a new pet from a pet store, many people do not wonder where their pet may have come from, instead, they are more engulf in their excitement to bring home a new family

Cook county recently released a new ordinance prohibiting pet stores from selling dogs, dogs that were born in puppy mills. There has been speculation in the Chicago-land area of store-bought pets were acquiring diseases early in their life. In a report from Mrs. Bagby’s 8th graders, 89% of students know someone who has had a dog or cat from a mill. A numerous about This ordinance came after affect from countless complaints that pets are obtaining diseases and dying within weeks of adoption. Julie Wellisch, whose dog was raised in a puppy mill, stated that “My dog has seen diseases within weeks of coming out of the puppy mills. Coincidence? Studies show otherwise. Evidence shows that dogs from puppy mills are more susceptible to disease than

All around the world, dogs suffer daily from not just their owners, but from their own bodies. Inbreeding and extreme breed standards lower the quality of life for purebred dogs (Rooney and Sargan). Puppy mills, despite government crackdown, continue to operate and sell ill, disfigured dogs (Solotaroff). Breeding purebred dogs only for profit and not for the wellbeing of the dog, is unethical, because of puppy mills, dog defects due to this kind of breeding, and dog quality of life.

Puppy Mills influence the lives that everyone lives. There are many environmental, economical, and personal side affects of puppy mill production. The pollution to our air stream and public water sources from the facilities is immense and uncontrolled. Most communities do not have viable funds to discover and handle the puppy mills, which can affect local economies. Like humans, emotional and physical stress affects the puppies, which can develop behavioral issues. This can further influence future interactions and the dog’s temperament. The impact the puppy mills have on the world needs to be recognized to spark change.

This organization has many supporters and volunteers who agree that puppy mills should not be banned in order to supply healthy, purebred puppies. The AKC also believes that puppy mills help socialize the puppies that are sold, believing that being brought up in this environment allows for a better personality and less likely to be found

The first reason why you should adopt a dog is because it’s cheaper. Many adult dogs have their vaccinations up to date. They are microchipped and spayed/neutered. At Five Acres Animal Shelter (located in St. Charles), Floppy, who is a one year old male dog is already microchipped, neutered, and up to date on vaccines. Also, it is less expensive to adopt rather than buying from a breeder. At the Stray Rescue of St. Louis, dogs over six months of age cost $100. This includes all the vetting. According to CostHelperPets, dogs can range from $300- to $1,500. Finally, mixed breed dogs usually have less inherited genetic health problems, which can save you the cost. According to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, hip dysplasia is the most common inherited musculoskeletal disorder, and is

Puppy mills are everywhere. Many people profit these organizations by selling dogs commercially but little do the consumers know the background of where these dogs come from until it's too late. These dogs are often bought only to find they have behavioral problems, genetic disorders, or in some cases very sick. The consumer’s veterinarian bills become very high in effect to this. These and many more reasons are why puppy mills should be shut down and banned.

Those puppies not only miss out on the most important social learning skills, but also have inherited medical conditions due to the close genetic breeding.

Firstly, even though the pet stores don 't sell puppies anymore, the dog lovers will try other ways to get their new family members. Many dog welfare protection organizations appeal to people to adopt dogs from local shelters instead of buying puppies from pet stores. However, the adopting dogs are usually teenagers and adults of limited breeds. People are hard to find a puppy of a specific breed and color, such as a grey Toy Poodle.