Getting a puppy is perhaps one of the most exciting things in a child’s or even an adult’s life. However, before you head out the door to purchase a puppy from a pet store, take the time to know and understand the truth behind these cute puppies.
Puppy Mills- Behind the Scenes
When you come across an advertisement of puppies for sale in a newspaper or online or even when you see puppies up for sale in pet stores, you might notice just how loveable and cute these puppies are. What you don’t know, however, is where these puppies come from. Dogs that come from puppy mills have come from mothers that live in tiny wire cages their entire life. Owners of such mills can be quite deceptive and may actually come across as responsible breeders but you’ll never be able to see the truth because puppy mill owners never allow buyers to see where the dogs live.
Dogs in puppy mills live in inhumane conditions. They do not receive proper care, love or food. They only live to give birth to litters and continue to provide owners with puppies until they die because of disease, malnutrition or neglect. They often spend their entire lives in a small cage, dirty and sleeping in their own urine and feces, usually suffering from infections and diseases that are never treated. The puppies are spruced up, cleaned and made to look pretty so they can be sold off. Every puppy you buy from such a source will continue to fuel this industry and the cruel treatment of dogs.
Adopt a dog and give an animal a second chance at life
Dog shelters around the country are overpopulated and face an uphill battle trying to find a home for every dog. 4.5 million pets are euthanized each year because shelters fail to find a home for them. Adopting a dog is therefore the best thing to save these dogs from certain death. These dogs usually end up in animal shelters because their owners did not want them anymore due to an illness, divorce, a new baby, a move or simply because they did not want the added burden.
It is easy to find dogs of all ages, breeds and sizes at shelters. In fact, almost 25% of all dogs you’ll find at a shelter are purebred while others are a unique mix of different breeds. Most of these dogs have decent social skills because they have lived in homes with families before so they can easily blend into your family. Shelters check each dog to ensure they’re healthy and in most cases they are already neutered and spayed. They provide basic obedience training to dogs so they will be more adoptable.
Adopting a dog will not only solve the overpopulation issue at shelters but it will also provide an animal a second chance at life. Adopt one of these furry friends and they will quickly become a cherished member of your family.
Priyanka Trivedi
