This is an over-used phrase that any animal lover is familiar with. Commonly seen flying down the highway, attached as a shiny bumper sticker to the back of a Prius, “Adopt Don’t Shop,” is a phrase many have heard; but do they really know what it means? Or even more, do they abide by its rule?
The original meaning of the phrase was meant to support animal shelters and encourage people to adopt a rescue animal, instead of purchasing a purebred pet from a breeder. Personally, the act of creating animals with the purpose to be pets, when there are literally millions of animals dying in shelters every day, seems inhumane to me. I understand that certain people have reasons for adopting specific breeds of dogs, but it seems to me like that should be a minority.
Once you decide on the plan to adopt (not shop) for a pet, a whole different assortment of dorms open after that. Not all shelters are created equal, after all. There are many large city shelters, and although they serve a needed function in taking care of vulnerable population of animals in generally low-income areas, they tend to have high kill-rates.
Your other option when it comes to adoption, is to patron a foster organization! Foster groups, as a general rule, function by rescuing animals from bigger shelters that are at risk of being euthanized due to over-population and raising them in foster homes until they can be adopted to a “forever” home. Most foster groups are non-profit and exist solely because of the patronage of volunteer “foster parents,” who take the animals into their homes, and pay for their food and other needs out-of-pocket. There are many types of foster organizations, many of which focus on helping special needs animals. For example, the Love for Mia Foundation is a dog rescue based in western New York that is dedicated to rescuing dogs born with cleft palates.
I know about these organizations because my family volunteers and fosters kittens for an organization called Keller’s Kats. Every spring we get loads of cute baby kittens that we raise and eventually adopt out to loving homes. The kittens we raise tend to be so much sweeter and friendlier than the cats raised in other shelters because all they know (since they come still being bottle-fed, in most cases) is the care of human beings. Participating in a foster group is such a rewarding experience, and I wish more people knew about it as an option. By adopting an animal from these groups, you are directly benefiting the most vulnerable members of the animal population and helping these foster groups to continue providing for local animals!