Photo by Krista Mangulsone via Unsplash.
Most people have heard the phrase “Adopt, don’t shop” before, but do you really know what it means? This short phrase saves the lives of thousands of animals annually. You can change the lives of animals by adopting from a shelter, instead of purchasing an animal from a puppy mill. If more people started adopting, puppy mills would be forced to shut down from loss of business. You could be responsible for changing and saving the life of a shelter animal today.
I’ve seen first hand how unhealthy, and inhumane these puppy mills are. When I purchased my dog from a puppy mill in 2008, I was horrified. The cages the mothers were kept in were so small and dirty that flies swarmed every animal. The smell was so terrible that my mom had to stay outside so she wouldn’t be sick. Not a single cage had a food or water bowl, and the animals were so skinny that I was surprised they were even alive.
Many people say they want a purebred, or they worry about where the dog is coming from in a shelter. If you adopt, you won’t be a part of the reason that 5,500 animals are killed in shelters every day in America. Is having a purebred worth all those animals dying? Due to overcrowding all over the United States, some dogs and cats are euthanized very shortly after their arrival at the shelter. They aren’t even given the chance to be adopted. Some were abused, abandoned or even surrendered. Buying dogs from puppy mills attracts people because they want to be able to raise the dog themselves from a young age, instead of adopting an older shelter dog. Although it’s not commonly known, most shelters have litters of puppies up for adoption. Most people who are looking to get a new dog are under the misconception that all shelter dogs are old, sick, damaged and unfriendly.
Puppy mill owners do not supply their dogs with humane, decent living conditions. They simply provide the bare minimum for the animals to remain alive. Common living conditions for the dogs are cramped, small cages that are never cleaned or updated. A majority of puppies that are supplied to pet stores come from local puppy mills. Unfortunately, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is responsible for many puppy mills. Two area lawmakers from West Chester, PA introduced a bill named “Victorias bill,” which was named after a German Shepard that was rescued from a puppy mill. The bill is designed to treat animals more humanely and prohibit puppy mills from selling animals to pet stores and push people to adopt more.
You can save a dog or cat by adopting from a shelter. A lot of the animals come from homes that can’t afford an animal or from owners who passed away. These animals don’t understand the circumstances, but you can change their lives by welcoming them into your home. Giving these homeless animals a second chance will change their whole world, as well as yours too.
Olivia Walsh is a student at West Chester University. OW895924@wcupa.edu