Do Your Research Before Considering Buying a Pet for Christmas

When considering adding a new dog or cat to your family this Christmas, do your research first. Adoption is always the best option. Adopt a pet from a local shelter or rescue group. There are plenty of rescue groups including Hobo Boxer Rescue, Colorado Puppy Rescue, Two Blondes All Breed Rescue, and many more. If you desire a specific breed, you can find purebred dogs at a local shelter or rescue. Adoptions can save you HUGE dollars over buying from a breeder.

Please give a dog a home the right way. If you buy from a pet store or an ad on the internet, those puppies probably come from a puppy mill. When you purchase from a pet shop and are handed paperwork showing the dog was born at a USDA-licensed breeding facility you might think the puppy couldn't be a puppy mill dog, right? WRONG! Purchased dogs are not a safer bet than a rescue. Puppy mills can also be horrible places for animals who live their entire lives in small cages, no exercise, very little if any medical care, and often no sunlight. The people who run these businesses only care about one thing-MONEY.

How do these businesses continue to thrive? The reason is too many people continue to fund them by buying their puppies. If you want to put an end to puppy mill abuse, at least buy from a reputable breeder who will let you visit their facility and meet their animals. You should be able to see the parents on site.

Better yet, adopt a dog or cat. Many of the rescue animals come from kill shelters in states like Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Oklahoma. These animals by no fault of their own are minutes away from being put down. You can make a difference this season. Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog the world will change forever.