Why Adopting a Shelter Dog Isn't Always a Good Idea

The DFS Crufts 2010 dog show is underway this week in Birmingham, England. To no one's surprise, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is protesting the world's largest dog show, claiming that pure breed dogs are a threat to shelter dogs. The group has placed signs in Birmingham that read: "Master Race? Wrong for people, wrong for dogs. Boycott Breeders. Adopt instead." The signs also carry an image of a Maltese dog with a comb under his nose, giving it a Hitler-esque appearance.

This article isn't intended to support or decry PETA's outrageous publicity stunts. As a dog lover, I think the organization's heart is often in the right place but their methods are often extreme and ridiculous and do little to convince reasonable people to take up their cause. Their suggestion that dog owners choose shelter dogs or mongrels over pure breed dogs is one that should be carefully considered.

Over thousands of years, numerous dog breeds were developed for specific functions that took advantage of their innate instincts and their trainability to use them for man's benefit. Most dogs these days are companion animals, but many still serve as guide dogs, therapy dogs, hunting companions, guard dogs, K9 officers and military personnel. We'll be back to square one when our pure breed dogs all revert back to mongrels with unpredictable skills and character!

PETA legitimately criticizes dog breeders that produce unhealthy, genetically inferior dogs in cramped, dirty conditions with profit as a motive. Unfortunately, when a particular dog breed or "designer dog" is the current fad, the puppy mill industry mass-produces dogs out of sheer greed, with little regard to the dogs' health or living conditions. The puppy mill industry has been under attack by various animal-rights groups in an effort to end the inhumane treatment of animals and the resulting glut of unhealthy animals that end up in pet stores and animal shelters.

It's true that too many abandoned dogs are languishing in shelters, but boycotting skilled and knowledgeable breeders in favor of adopting unhealthy, abandoned pure breed puppies isn't the answer to the problem. While adopting a shelter dog is an admirable thing to do, shelter dogs aren't for everybody. There are shelter dogs who were once fine family companions and may still be so, but there are also many dogs in shelters with health or behavior problems that must be addressed by their new families.

The most desirable and well-behaved shelter dogs are rehomed quickly, leaving a multitude of less desirable dogs who may be returned to the shelter when the new owners find out they've taken on a bigger problem than they care to handle. No-kill shelters often become overcrowded, the dogs become stressed and don't get the attention they need, and communicable dog diseases can run rampant throughout the facility. Perhaps veterinary euthanasia isn't as evil as PETA would have us believe.

Adopting one of these "left-overs" is a compassionate act, but adding such a dog to your family is risky business. Dogs who have been in the shelter for a while usually have some behavioral issues that need resolved to make them acceptable pets. You could get the best dog in the world from a shelter, or the worst, but there's no real way to know for sure until you take the dog home with you.

I certainly don't intend to discourage anyone from adopting a shelter dog, but please don't do it impulsively. Learn about what types of dogs you are likely to find in a shelter and evaluate the individual dogs carefully before choosing one. Before you decide to adopt a shelter dog, please consider these reasons why adopting a shelter dog may not be a good idea for your family:

You don't have much experience with dogs.
First-time dog owners who don't understand why dogs behave the way they do and don't have the skills to train problem dogs may find themselves overwhelmed by a shelter dog. Adopted dogs are commonly returned to the shelters from whence they came because new owners couldn't deal with unruly dog behavior.

You already have a dog.
Your present dog may not accept the new dog into the family. There's also the risk of bringing communicable dog diseases into your home and neighborhood.

You have infants or young children at home.
Dogs and kids are often great pals, but every day we hear horror stories in the news about children who have been mauled or killed by strange dogs or even their own family companions. Why take chances with a dog whose history with children is uncertain?

You can't afford to treat an unhealthy dog.
Pure breed puppies can be found animal shelters, but most of these puppies are the product of puppy mills and often have serious genetic defects common to the breed. The defects may range from mild to severe, or even fatal. If your heart falls victim to those adoring eyes, you may fall victim to huge veterinary bills.

You can't bear to have your heart broken.
As difficult as it is to lose a beloved dog to old age, it's even more heart-wrenching to lose a sick puppy. Distemper, parvo, and other communicable dog diseases can become epidemic in crowded shelters and puppy mills. Even when the dog is evaluated by a veterinarian for good health and suitable temperament, some genetic conditions don't become apparent until a puppy is several months old, or older. Inherited neurological conditions, although rare, are untreatable and usually end in euthanasia.

　

Resources:

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/pawprintpost/post/2010/03/mutts-vs-purebreds-why-so-many-snarls/1

http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/puppy_mills/qa/puppy_mill_FAQs.html

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1405&S=1&SourceID=47

http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/102296065.asp