Just a warning, this article has some unpleasant parts to read
I think a lot of people got pets during covid and are now dumping them.
FWIW, this is anecdotal evidence based on my recent adoption but in chatting with staff, that wave is largely over.
That’s certainly been the case here. Shelters are overwhelmed with dogs who were never properly trained or socialized, which in turn means it takes longer to get them adopted because they need extensive (re)training.
A friendly reminder to “adopt don’t shop!” My wife and I just adopted a dog a few weeks ago (sadly, we had to put down one of our dogs a few months back)
I agree with you 100% but even adoption has been corrupted. Go to petfinder.com and search for a doodle. You will instantly see a bunch of puppies that are clearly from the same litter with an “adoption fee” of $800. I recently learned it’s called “retail rescue”.
We need to start heavily regulating breeders and educating the public.
Most people really need to stop getting their hearts set on a specific breed when adopting. I constantly see posts of people rehoming dogs because they can’t keep up with them or meet their needs. Like, yeah, maybe instead of adopting a 1 year old Aussie, you should’ve gotten a 5 year old chihuahua if you’re not the kind of person who runs and does agility and shit.
Also, I had a labradoodle who was rescued (as a 7 year old) from a puppy mill, which is where pretty much all doodles come from now. He shed like a motherfucker, was absolutely not hypoallergenic, and cost a ton of time and money in grooming bills. He was also the single most anxious dog I’ve ever had. We adored him but they’re not some magical perfect breed. (We didn’t seek one out, my parents just fell in love when I was fostering him.)
You kind of made your own point against your argument in the first paragraph. There are different traits to different breeds, and that is a fact. I would never get an Australian Shepherd (or any shepherd) because they simply have higher energy and exercise needs than most other dogs do. So I insist on getting a breed with lower exercise requirements.
The point is: breed matters. Environment and training matter, but so does the breed. Get one that suits your lifestyle.
Yes but a lot of people decide they want X breed because it’s cute, and don’t account for how that kind of dog will actually fit into their lives. Waaaay too many end up going to backyard breeders because the dog they want isn’t common in shelters and they absolutely must have one. And then 6 months later, they’re on Nextdoor rehoming it.
If more people said, “this is what I can provide a dog, these are breeds that might be a good fit but I’m open,” and then went to the shelter looking for the best match, everyone would be better off.
The thing about most shelters is they are filled with mutts. Yes, breeds have traits. But with mutts, visual breed identification is notoriously difficult. Best to go to a shelter and meet with a dog to feel it out.
And don’t believe whatever label they slap on it. They are guessing (no fault on them, they gotta write something down). My recent adoption was labeled as a high-energy breed and he’s pretty chill. I almost skipped over him because I was afraid I couldn’t handle the breed that they thought he was/what he looked like.
You’re making circular arguments to your own first point there. You said don’t pick a specific breed in the first sentence but then go on to lecture how people should pick a specific breed that suit needs. this is the very definition of posting nonsense.
Tax the puppies and kittens!
