Pets, no matter the shape or size, bring joy to many households. However, where someone gets those pets is extremely important.
There are two categories to choose from when it comes to finding an animal companion: buying from breeders and pet stores or adopting from shelters and rescues. While both have their pros and cons, the benefits of taking in a shelter animal are worth considering.
In shelters, animals likely come from one of three situations: owner surrenders, shelter transfers or taken in as strays. In shelters, animals receive the care they need, ranging from life-saving surgeries and amputations to brushing teeth. They come out of all backgrounds, from safe and carefree to abusive and dangerous. However, no matter where they are from, the shelter is loud, smelly and confined, which stresses animals to varying degrees, despite volunteers and employees working to make their experiences as pleasant as possible. Adopting shelter animals is far more rewarding, since many have never had a loving home before, and others have experienced the hardships of shelter life. However, shelters are not the only options.
Reputable breeders do exist and take into consideration the health and well-being of the animals they sell, ensuring that parents are tested for genetic defects and that offspring have the best chance at a healthy life. Buying from them is completely OK and recommended, but it takes research and trust to find one
Backyard breeders are a smaller-scale version of puppy mills or kitten mills. These mills, also known as factories, keep young animals in cramped cages and filthy circumstances, with many going a majority of their lives without seeing grass. When they sell puppies and kittens either online or in pet stores, they come with lifelong health concerns. Buying from both backyard breeders and puppy mills only encourages the enterprise that is suffering animals.
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 5.8 million dogs and cats were admitted to shelters in the United States in 2024 alone. However, in that same year, only 4.2 million shelter animals were adopted, with roughly 607,000 animals being euthanized. Shelters and rescues work on a limited amount of money, so while some are fortunate enough to have the resources to care for animals even when they are at full capacity, others need to either make room for more animals through euthanasia or turn away ones that need their help. By adopting from a shelter, kill or no-kill, more animals can find a safe home.
