hey i just wanted to let you know that the youtube channel "girl with the dogs" openly supports shopping for pets (iirc one of her quotes is literally "adopt, or shop, responsibly" and thinks purebred dogs don't have as many health issues as mixed breeds. i can try to find the vids if needed and dm them to you as long as u keep my identity private :)
Hey, I actually agree with her. I think what she's saying is a little oversimplified and I don't have the context so maybe she was out of line but it is entirely possible to adopt irresponsibly and shop responsibly.
Let's break it down though so you can understand what I mean. When I say you can shop responsibly I don't mean buying a dog from a pet store or an online listing, I mean doing thorough research and finding a registered dog breeder who breeds for temperament and health and does all possible tests(i.e health testing, hip/elbow scores) to ensure their dogs are as healthy as possible.
When I say you can adopt irresponsibly, I mean that often shelters don't match dogs to homes correctly and have outdated temperament tests. There are definitely some great shelters and rescues but I feel a lot of them, especially in my area, just try to get dogs adopted ASAP without properly vetting families or giving support after the dog is adopted. So I think people need to research shelters and having a rescue dog before jumping into adopting.
I don't necessarily think that adopting or purchasing a dog is better, I think it really depends on the person, their situation, and what they are looking for in a dog. I do think that breeders and purebred dogs get unfairly judged.
As for the health issues debate, I honestly think it's hard to say that either is "healthier" due to how many factors affect health. Purebred dogs are more likely to have breed-specific health issues but if a breeder is reputable their dogs shouldn't be heavily affected by them, if at all. You see less specific health issues in mixed breeds because they are all different breeds and each individual has different predispositions to health issues.