Should I Get A Pet From a Breeder, Rescue Or A Shelter?

Having you here means that you are seriously considering to get a pet. Some paws or a couple of wings revolving around your home will surely bring joy to you and your family group! 

As you may already figure out, fostering a pet represents a new world of challenges to face, and probably choosing the right place to pick it up is the first of them.

Keep your mind open, and before jumping into the first place with pets it crosses your way; make sure you fully understand the pros and cons of getting a pet from a breeder, rescue or a shelter.

Buying a Pet From a Breeder 

Probably you have developed a sort of fixation with a specific bread of dog, cat or bird. Your reasons are valid.

But while buying a pet from a breeder gives you the ability to choose the pet of your dreams, there are a lot of reasons you should think adopting from a breeder twice.  

Getting a pet from a breeder isn’t cheap.
While it is nice to choose a specific breed, sometimes people discover that tailor-made pets aren’t a good fit for their homes or family needs. Can you picture what happens next with the poor pet?
On top of the expensive purchase fees, you will be responsible for covering other vet costs that the breeder hasn’t yet done. 
Purebred pets usually have special needs, and they are more prone to suffer from health conditions. 
As pets in breeders are raised with commercial purposes, breeders usually do not give the best conditions. and end up being poorly treated and cared, if not neglected. 
You most probably will need to train your purebred pet. Breeders usually do not take time to do it for you, unless you pay an extra fee.

In short, we strongly advise you to follow the motto ‘adopt, don’t shop’ when getting a pet. 

Reputable Breeders 

If you still prefer to get a pet from a breeder, make sure you find a reputable and responsible one. It’s essential to do extensive research. Don’t be shy, and ask lots of questions before you get a pet from a breeder. 

Then, what should you look for in a breeder when doing your research? These are some useful tips that help you understand you are on track:

A good breeder conducts thorough health testing on all of their pets. Also, they keep their records, and they will show it off to you at first demand, under no conditions.
Good breeders have an extensive application process to ensure their pets are going to the right home. This fact shows that the breeder cares about the pet itself, and not only about the money.
A good breeder will also compromise taking the pet back if it needs to be re-homed. 
Good breeders have no problem to show off all their facilities and allow potential clients to interact with pets before closing the deal. Also, they keep puppies, kittens and other pets with their parents as much as they need before putting them in sell. 
A good breeder will advise you and discuss your options before selling you a breed pet. Although breeders have an economic motivation, they will focus on doing the best for everybody involved.

Keep your faith in humanity. Great breeders exist. It is just a matter of looking for them carefully.

Adopting a Pet From Rescue 

Unlike animal shelters, rescues are often entirely volunteer-based. In other words, they operate as non-profit charitable organisations that rely heavily on the community for donations. 

Although rescues operate differently, rescues’ common purpose consists of fostering pets at different homes through their networks. In most rescues and similarly to shelters, pets coming from these places are often vetted, healthy, vaccinated and spayed or neutered.

Ultimately, a rescue will work hard to ensure the potential pet owner is the perfect fit for the pet. In other words, getting a pet from a shelter or a rescue depends on the deepest motivations of each individual. 

Getting a Pet From a Shelter

In a perfect world, all pets would live in loving homes, and shelters would not exist. However, for better or worse, they exist and need your active support by adopting. How you ever wonder why? 

Shelters have a unique role in societies: Prophylaxis. At the end of every year, zillions of cats and dogs end up in them whether by neglect, because they are feral or just because their owners surrender them. 

As shelters fill up, the urgency to make people adopt pets becomes more evident. Isn’t the word euthanasy an excellent reason to adopt from a shelter?

But before getting things to that extreme point, there are some other good reasons to adopt pets from a shelter. Here are some:

See Also

Are Dog Whisperers Real?

When you adopt a pet from a shelter, you help to create a vacancy for new pets that need to be rescued and protected. 
Shelters guarantee that your adopted pet will be up to date on its vaccinations, spayed or neutered (helping to stop the pet overpopulation epidemic) and vetted – saving you hundreds if not thousands of dollars and providing you and the pet the best chance of success. 
As shelters conduct behavioural and temperamental evaluations, they will make their best to match you with the best pet for your needs. But if your adopted pet is not a good fit for you, they guarantee to take it back again until a better match shows up. 
Beyond your compromise to love and care for your pet; there aren’t more fees to pay!

These are some of the many benefits associated with adopting a pet from a shelter.

Avoid to Adopting During the Holidays! 

Let’s put it like this: Pets aren’t toys. They are living beings. 

Pets will grow up and grow old, always needing and demanding your love and care. If you are not ready to make a life-time compromise, then you shouldn’t consider getting a pet.

Yes, it’s nice to see those beloved faces when opening a gift and discovering a furry fellow inside. But then, holidays end and this little fellow will continue at home. Will you be ready to deal with that?

Many people who get a pet during the holidays do not realise the compromise they acquire until the holidays’ end. So imagine if you get a pet to give it away as a gift. This is only another reason why shelters and rescues exist and experience an influx of newly homeless animals once the holidays are over.

Last, consider this fact: You can’t force someone to be okay with the long-term commitment of having a new pet, especially one with unknown provenance. If you don’t have the full picture, avoid giving pets as holiday presents, even if you will give it to your family members. 

The key to having a successful experience when adopting or purchasing a pet is to be prepared.

Updated March 30, 2023
Made Less seasonal.
Updated Dec19, 2022
Cleaned up post
Originally Published: Dec 15, 2020