Animal Shelters Vs. Pet Stores

Any animal expert without an ulterior motive will probably tell you that adopting an animal from a shelter has greater benefits than buying an animal from a pet store. There are some great qualities about animals bought from a reputable pet store, but reputable pet stores are few and far between. Overall, animal shelters provide better service, better cared for animals, and fewer tricks.

Most animal shelters are non-profit organizations, and pet stores are businesses. The point of a business is to make money, and pet store owners occasionally take a Machiavellian standpoint on generating profit. However, with animals, the end does not always justify the means. Animal shelters require an adoption fee, but it is not terribly hard to find out what this fee covers. Animal shelters must feed and house animals for an indefinite period of time unless the shelter practices humane euthanasia. A large portion of the adoption fee goes towards feeding and housing animals currently in the shelter. Also, most shelters now include spay/neuter procedures, age-appropriate medications, and other necessities in the adoption fee. Very few pet shops include these services with the purchase of a pet, and potential buyers are basically purchasing a puppy's papers.

Very few pet stores sell mixed breed animals. For a potential owner that wants to know exactly what they are in for, a puppy or kitten with papers provides a slight hint of reassurance. Very few pets in shelters have these passports to secure homes. However, it should be noted that a pedigree is no guarantee for behavioral or health concerns.

Millions of homeless animals are euthanized every year. Animal shelters are occasionally the last stop in a homeless pet's life. Purchasing purebred animals from pet stores encourages animal breeding, and this only multiplies the number of pets on the market competing for loving homes.

The quality of care for the animals varies greatly between pet stores and animal shelters. Many horror stories about puppy farms and "backyard breeding" originate from the demands placed by pet stores for purebred animals. Puppy farms are a nightmare full of cramped living spaces, unsanitary conditions, poor socialization, and other horrors to animal lovers. Many animals in pet stores have not received proper medical treatment or age-appropriate vaccinations. Potential owners that are determined to buy an animal from a pet store should properly examine the animal for any outward signs of poor health. Animals in animal shelters usually receive at least the minimum requirement for age and breed-appropriate health.

The amount of care and socialization given to animals varies between pet stores and animal shelters. A potential owner should remember that pet store owners are seeking profit, and the care of the animals does not always figure into the equation. Animal shelters that have a strong focus on adoption tend to have a program established for socializing the animals in the shelter. This generally results in healthier, happier, and better behaved animals.

Pet stores have a few benefits, but animal shelters triumph overall as the best place to find a potential companion animal. There are benefits to the owner, the shelter, and to society as a whole. Overall, problems associated with shelter animals cannot compare to the horror caused by the pet store industry.