Pets, be it dogs or cats or even barn animals, are a joy and a gift to mankind. They are selfless when it comes to their love for their families and vouch their life to protect you. Even the mellowest animals can become extremely protective towards its owner and will be your trusted ally all through its life. Pets like dogs can generally be acquired either from a breeder or from a dog shelter, where they are taken care of without an agenda. It is noble and the purest of deeds to adopt a pet from a shelter rather than from a breeder where they are bred specifically to meet financial goals.
Breeding of Pets
Breeding is the act of purchasing a pet with an intention to resell their offspring. It is a fast-growing network that sells puppies, kittens, and other domestic animals to interested parties. This is purely done from a financial standpoint and it has grown to be one of the most money-making professions. Breeding is done in a regularised professional manner but not all breeders are the same. Sometimes the animals go through much emotional and physical trauma to fit a certain profile and sometimes they are mated beyond their capacity.
Breeders select the top of the line quality pups or kittens and discard or give-away the ones with any impairment. They are bred solely in a way that they can give birth to another set of top quality pups which can then be resold. From a humanitarian perspective, this feels much like a trade since the pups that have any physical abnormality are not taken care of. These pups are then passed on to shelters or left on streets to fend for themselves. Many of these do not survive for more than a few days.
Role of Animal Shelters
Animal Shelters or Dog Shelters are also referred to as a Pound. Animal Shelters are usually run by a Non-Profit Organisation or by the Local Animal Welfare Committee in the area. All the stray animals, mostly domestic, who have either been cast away or discarded or the ones that have been surrendered and need protection and care are brought into a shelter. The Shelters employ volunteers and staff that can care for these animals without any bias to their physical conditions.
Animal Shelters provide veterinary care and training to dogs and cats. They are encouraged to take-in animals that are left astray on roads or given up by their owners. Many animals are turned away when they become sick or elderly or aggressive due to some trauma/abuse. These animals have nowhere to go and are exposed to many health risks when left abandoned. Animal Shelters are governed by Government bodies such as PeTA that help gather funds and donations for the maintenance of the shelters and to provide the pets with the care they require.
Benefits of Adopting a Pet from a Shelter
1. A Breeder may have quality but a Shelter has a heart
A pet from a breeder may come from a good lineage or have the best physique and training, but a pet from a shelter needs a loving home. These pets have been turned away by many owners before it reaches you. A very little love can go a long way in improving their life and provide them with a hope
2. A well-bred pet may not be as friendly and welcoming as an adopted pet
Most times, the well-bred pet would come from a lineage where both the parents are show quality and therefore may have traits of ferociousness and may not get along well with the elderly and children alike. Dogs such as Bullmastiffs, Rottweilers, etc are known to be difficult to raise. A pet from a shelter plays along with other dogs or cats and deals with a range of people before it reaches you. Chances are that an adopted pet will get along well with children and the elderly much easier than a ferocious breed
3. Cost of acquiring
A show quality pup or a kitten can be extremely expensive to purchase and has a high cost of training and maintenance. A pet from a shelter expects nothing but a home to live in and people to love. Many of these pets have been through abandonment. Adopting them and giving them a new home to live and love would be a dream come true for them
If you are considering getting yourself a pet, stop for a minute and go through these points before you make the decision whether to ‘buy’ or to ‘adopt’.
