if you reblog "dont shop, adopt" and follow that phrase religiously
you’re following the wrong blog, hun.
and it’s ok to unfollow.
This blogger is talking about the fact that they breed snakes, which I don’t consider super relevant to the phrase. I think it’s important to point out that “adopt, don’t shop” is usually in regards to cats and dogs, of which there are plenty in the universe, and puppy mills exist, and shelters don’t always have room for more once they’re full.
With snakes and other reptiles, which are more of specialty pets, it is important to buy from a reputable breeder, or specialized shelter. Your average shelter probably doesn’t have a ‘snake and reptile’ section, they probably hand those off to places better equipped to deal with their specific needs.
JK apparently OP actually is also talking about dogs and cats so
1. If you really really REALLY need that one specific breed of dog, and no other dog will do, do your homework and make sure you’re getting it from a reputable breeder who takes proper care of their animals, not a puppy mill.
2. But before that try searching local shelters or seeing if there is a rescue group specific to the type of dog you’re looking for. There are too many dogs out there already who need loving homes.
3. If you’re looking for a cat, go to the shelter. Period. There are way way way too many adult cats and kittens out there who need homes to even consider buying a specialized type of cat. (If you have allergies and need a hypoallergenic cat specifically, that’s a different story.)
4. Basically what I’m saying is buying from a breeder should be a last resort if for some reason you’re not satisfied with any other animal you’ve found previously.
i’ma stop you at point one. there is no points. there are no buts, ifs, ands, or whatever. if you want to buy a dog from a breeder over adopting, buy from a breeder. the end. buy the damn dog you want. stop putting stipulations on it. you want to rescue dogs? go for it. rescue dogs. not everyone does, and that’s okay.
People that shout adopt don’t shop and then don’t cover the potential issues that come with rescue or pretend that there aren’t potential issues do a HUGE disservice to the animals they’re claiming to advocate for, because they’re letting people walk unprepared into a situation that should definitely warrant some thought. Both my dogs are rescues, I love them and I wouldn’t trade them for the world, but they came with a massive list of issues, some of which are not fixable, some of which are expensive, none of which we could have known about before taking them home. Not everyone is equipped to deal with that. Not everyone wants to. That’s okay.
I’ve worked the shelter side of things. The one I worked at was a no-kill with a requirement for return, so I got to see a lot of failure cases come back for a whole host of reasons, and most of them boiled down to the complete unknowns you take on when you adopt a rescue pet.
I’m not discouraging people from rescuing if that’s what they want to do but we gotta stop pretending like it’s all cupcakes and rainbows and happy endings and talk about the risks, the problems, and the expenses that potentially come with rescuing an animal, or they’re going to end up back in the shelter when the rescuer realizes they’ve taken on something they’re not ready to handle.
