Cross Breeds - Isn't it sad that people adopt pure bred dogs & cats, when there are so many good animals needing homes?

Isn't it sad that people adopt pure bred dogs & cats, when there are so many good animals needing homes?

Some of the best cats and dogs that I've been around came from animal shelters. Why do people go to fancy breeders when there are so many good animals out there that need homes? To answer some people's question which is "What is wrong with buying a dog from a breeder/pet store?" Well, obviously, the problem is that good animals are being euthanized because they don't have people willing to adopt them. Duh!

Public Comments

people are dumb that way
Very much so, I wouldn't waste the money on a pure breed dog just for show, when you can find one just as loving if not more in a shelter, or other places. Many purebreds also come from puppy mills. Its very sad indeed.
No, I would much rather have a regestered full blooded dog. If you get mixed ones. How do you know the background of the dogs?
Yeah, I wanted to go to the humane society for my most recent pup, but I ended up getting him from a friend so I think that's still better than a breeder, right?
yes, it is definitely sad that people feel the need to do that. I am guilty of that myself. I bought a pure bred pomeranian 5 years ago... he is the best dog in the world, but i still feel guilt for not having adopted one from a shelter. I had such a hard time finding a pomeranian at an animal shelter though, so i went ahead with purchasing from a breeder... next dog i get will be a pound dog.
There are many purebred dogs in animal shelters,and many adopt them but still not enough homes are found
Because people are entitled to buy, not adopt, the dogs and cats they want that's why. People choose to show their dogs in conformation, obedience, agility, rally. They choose to have their dogs compete in herding trials, schutzhund, tracking, drafting, field trials, lure coursing and many other things dogs are bred for. My dogs have competed in conformation, obedience, herding, lure coursing, my greyhounds have raced (for fun), and my new puppy will be trained in agility as well. That's a lifestyle - much more than a mere hobby. I couldn't do any of that with a dog from a shelter. And while it's terribly sad that there's so many unwanted dogs in shelters, I'm not responsible for them being there so they're not going to affect my choice of a dog. I do my part in helping them out in other ways - education, although that seems to be a losing battle.
I saved my dog from a very abusive situation. He ended up being the BEST dog I could have ever asked for! I do think though, that some people get it in their head that they want a certain kind of dog...and want it from a cute lil pup. A lot of people look at rescue/shelter dogs as other peoples problems/lost causes. Some people are reluctant to adopt an adult animal with an uncertain past...maybe because they have children or other pets they are worried about. Who knows why for sure but I do agree, some of the best pets come from being strays (my cat!) or rescues/shelter animals!!
Sometimes there are good reasons. My family adopted rescue dogs until I became allergic to most animals. My husband and I wanted a dog of our own so badly! We found that I'm not allergic to yorkshire terriers. It has to be a pure bred though.
I have a purebred and I didn't go to some "fancy breeder" My fiancee bought him for me for Christmas from his mother. Yes, she's a good breeder, but not a fancy breeder. Stop being so close minded. Some people want a purebred so that they can predict the dogs personality and health traits.
I have always had rescue dogs and find they are more loving than pure breeds . I work with my own dog now and find that like me we are very protective of one another. I wish people who are looking for pets would try their local shelter instead of going to breeders.
I think that people don't realize how many purebred dogs end up in shelters and rescues. Pick a breed and look it up on Petfinder ..... Lots of purebreds there looking for a loving, forever home. And every cross you can think of - Like Goldendoodles. What is really distressing is how people insist on getting a "puppy" - then they discard them when they are 6-8 months old when they can't housebreak and train them. If they would have adopted an adult dog from a Rescue, they could have gotten a trained family member. I feel like hitting my head against the wall sometimes --- people are so stupid! I am on the adoption board for a rescue group, and we see so many perfectly good dogs returned to the group for things that were no fault of their own.
I am all for adopting from rescues and shelters. However...who are you to question if someone wants to spend THEIR hard earned money and go to a professional breeder to get a high quality pure breed dog? That doesn't make them any less responsible than someone who goes to a shelter. Get off your high horse.
Because people are dumb enough to spend hundreds of dollars for sick puppys at pet stores. I dont see anything wrong with buying from a reputable breeder, even though you can still adopt purebreds from rescue groups, and sometimes can find them at shelters. I have two purebred Greyhounds that are track rescues. However my next dog will be a GSD that I will be getting from a breeder whose dogs I am familiar with. I want to be able to get it as a puppy, and train it for search and rescue, so breeders are not all bad.
Some people like to know what their dog will grow up to be like! If you get a mutt pup from the shelter, you don't really know what it's temerament will be like. You will also not know how big it will get. Yes, there are purebred adult dogs in shelters, but you don't really know their background or if they have any issues you'll have to deal with. Another thing is...most of the dogs(I say most because some people's dogs are stolen and whatnot)in shelters are from irrisponsible breeders who don't know or don't care squat about breeding for health and function. If you get a dog from a responsible breeder, you will be getting a pup from someone who looses thousands because they do health checks(on both parents and pup), give you a health gaurentee, and you can return the dog at any stage of life and in any condition. They also ask you questions and do checks to make sure you're the right person for their pup, to prevent the dog from going to a shelter. They breed to better the breed and only breed healthy, winning(like in show or trial)dogs. My quesiton is...what's the problem in knowing what you want, and actually getting it if it comes from a responsible breeder?
It's personal choice. My favorite breed is the boxer and i have one, however i work with a Brittany rescue. The world would be a perfect place if there weren't any strays left in shelters. Many purebred animals also end up in shelters. Most people prefer puppies, and those can be hard to come by in shelters. Shelter animals come with baggage, it can take a long time to bring the animal around to what would be considered , normal, healthy, and happy. Some never come out of their shells. And then there are those people who go for a purebred purely for the *status* of having a REGISTERED purebred. There isn't any one specific answer for this question. Yes there ARE wonderful pets at the shelters and many are destroyed every year but, until we can get the pet stores to stop selling puppies, to stop promoting their puppies as better because they come with this guarantee or that guarantee, it will continue. Pet store puppies are mainly impulse buys. You pick up a puppy, its a purebred and its SOOO DARN CUTE, you cant put it down. There is a re education needed of the public in General. If a purebred is sought, then take the time do a little research on the breed, find a reputable breeder and the puppy will come with all the same guarantees the pet store provides. I love my purebred boxer, i'd not trade her for the world, but i've also loved many mutts.... A piece of paper doesn't determine the quality of the animal, nor the quantity of love it returns. Puppies and kittens cant read. And for those who go all out and think theyve gotten a good deal at the pet store, many of those puppies are sickly to begin with, with 99% of them coming from puppy mills who's parents have never walked on the ground, felt a loving touch, or had a bath, having litter after litter til death. You can find a purebred at the shelters and pounds, many are owner released WITH papers. Yet again it all comes down to personal preference and the choices people make
I agree with you. There are very few purebred dogs in shelters and even less that actually have papers. If someone is in it for the show and competitions then a mutt just won't do. I have adopted numerous times out of shelters. Now I have a few rescued purebred dogs that I show and work or spay/neuter and adopt out.
I will support anyone that wishes to adopt. However, my family enjoys competing in conformation, and you can't do that with a rescue dog. I research a lot before I buy. I know about my dogs genetics and health testing. I see the parents, and how well socialized the dogs are. Another important factor to my choice is my 5 kids. I refuse to bring in any animal that may put my kids at risk because of a bad past or bad genetics. A shelter can't guarantee this. Plus, I really don't like the politics of shelters. PETA can say they care only for animals, yet they euthanize 90% of them every year. It was quoted that their main goal is to make pet ownership illegal. HSUS isn't much better. They have been known to falsify evidence against innocent owners a d breeders, take their property, ask for donations, and then pocket the money. I just can't support those actions.
Sometimes people want a puppy who will grow up to be a certain size, activity level and temperment so it will fit in better with their family. They also want to do everything they can to make sure the dog will live a long and healthy life. Adopting a dog that is a mismatch for your family's needs is a mistake for the humans and the dogs. PS WHERE I LIVE PEOPLE DO NOT EUTHANIZE dogs to make room in the shelters for moe dogs. Our spay/neuter rate is very high and local shelters and rescues bring in dogs from shelters in other parts of the country to keep up with the demand for adoptable dogs.
Unless you are buying a dog for a specific purpose, I don't believe in buying a registered dog. We have A LOT of property and hunt, so we have a hunting pack. My husband wants one specific breed to do one specific job. I want a mix of the top two breeds so that one dog can cover ALL the jobs. He doesn't know that the last pit we got is from a shelter, and I was given the dog for free. He is not neutered, but is kept "away" from the females.... but because of the over growing dog shelter population I went in when I got the dog for free and donated $100, what I would have paid for one of their dogs. If we have puppies, or a friend gets a dog... anything of that sort... I donate money, blankets, towels and food to the dog shelter. If I could have ALL the dogs, I would! Only the weak minded need to buy those type of dogs to satisfy their own needs. M~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I think it's sad that people like you would be so ignorant to think that just because someone chooses to buy a puppy from a responsible breeder that they are somehow responsible for the death of an animal in a shelter somewhere. Irresponsible people who buy dogs from backyard breeders and puppy mills (including pet stores) on a whim without doing any research and then don't bother to train their novelties are the ones responsible for so many good animals in need of homes. Responsible breeders who insist that their puppies must be returned to them if for any reason the new owner can't keep them and people who spend the time to research their breed of choice and their breeder of choice and making a lifetime commitment to the dog they choose are not contributing to the shelter population. Animals are going to die because they don't have people willing to adopt them whether people buy from REPUTABLE breeders or not because there are so many more animals in shelters than there are people looking for a pet. Do you have any idea how many animals are returned to the shelter after being adopted? All for the same reason that any animal ends up in the shelter...because people are lazy and don't want to put in the time and effort to deal with normal behaviors or train the dog how to behave appropriately. And because even people going to the shelter will get an animal on a whim and get tired of it when the novelty wears off. Yes, some of the best pets are thrown away by people too stupid to realize what a good dog they've got. I would never ever discourage someone from adopting a pet from a shelter. Even those interested in owning a purebred dog can get a purebred from breed rescue or a local shelter. However, no one should EVER feel guilty about their decision to buy a purebred dog from a responsible breeder. There are several reasons why a person might prefer a dog from a breeder rather than a shelter rescue with an unknown genetic or behavioral background.
Because with a baby around I want a dog from puppy, and I need a dog breed that is good with children. Duh. It's not a 'pure' vs 'mutt' thing. It's responsible vs irresponsible owners. A mutt is no better dog than a breed, and everyone should have the best dog for their family.
Because purebred dogs are more predictable. I want a dog to do a specific job and fill a specific role in the house. They don't come with baggage. Also, I have been to petfinder many times and what they are calling purebred are mutts. There are very very few purebreds in shelters and of those most are labs or beagles. There is a reason that Police dogs and other law enforcement dogs are purebreds. They used to go get many of these dogs from shelter, but such a large percentage of these dogs failed health tests or flunked out of training that they have moved back to purebreds and Customs has even started its own breeding program due to the lack of availability of good dogs. Also, there is no pet overpopulation problem in the US. If there were then shelters would not be importing from other countries. Do a search on "pot cake dogs" to name one good example of this. Shelters import dogs from Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand etc.