Thinking of getting a new pet?

Why not consider adoption? Adoption is a great way to take home your next pet, and I'm not just talking about dogs and cats. You can adopt horses, reptiles, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, and even goldfish! You just need to know where to look. I have some links at the bottom of my page that deal with adoption. One of the best I've found personally, is www.petfinder.com. This is how I found my German Shepherd, Titan.

I know that puppy in the puppy shop is cute, cuddly, and smells like puppy, but have you considered what buying that puppy really does? It supports a multi-million dollar business called puppy mills. The parents of those puppies are not healthy, bred every heat cycle, live in tiny cramped cages (sometimes not even knowing what grass is), live in their own excrement, aren't provided enough food, water and vet care.... and are sometimes even put to death when too old or worn out to breed more. When you buy a puppy from a pet shop, that's what you support, and the business goes on. Backyard breeders (BYBs) are another concern.

If you're going to buy a pet, get one from a reputable breeder. A good breeder will let you see their facility anytime, and lets their animals be family members.

For those that are less fortunate (MILLIONS), adotion is a blessing! You save a life by adopting a pet - the life of the pet you adopt, and the life of another to take its place at the shelter or rescue. It's a good deed to do, and the pet will love you for giving him/her a second chance at life! Euthanasia isn't avoidable in a society of overpopulated pets unless we do something about it. You can help by adopting instead of shopping, and even volunteering at your local shelter. Shelters are always overrun and full, and could use an extra set of hands to help them out. Donate things like blankets, food, money, toys, paper towels, etc. There are a lot of ways to help! I'll discuss more of these in detail later. Until then, keep in mind a quote I often see but no not where it came from: "You may not be the world, but for that one animal, you are the world."