Should You Adopt a Dog From a Puppy Store?

I was devastated (as was Tracy) when Maggie died. It was around that time that I read an article in the local newspaper that said that something like 80% of the dogs around here (in Knoxville) are eventually euthanized. If you’ve ever walked around a dog shelter, you’ve seen that there are some great dogs there, of all ages. This amazes me, because there are so many lonely people in the world these days. If you've ever seen the Sarah McLaughlin SPCA commercial on TV, it's one of the most gut-wrenching ads ever made. Those sad puppy eyes melt you. Yes, I then went online to the SPCA website, and now I’m making a monthly contribution. The dogs need it more than I do. 

We will never get a purebred dog. I don't see the appeal. Not that they're bad dogs; I'm not saying that. But purebreds cost more, and they have more medical problems than mixed-breed dogs do. Buying purebreds also supports puppy mills, mall-based pet stores, and the outrageously inhumane conditions those poor dogs live in. No educated person would ever, ever buy a dog from a pet store in a mall, would they? I support the SPCA, the Humane Society, and myriad of local animal shelters. We've never been disappointed by our choice of getting dogs only from shelters. 

Tracy, with Molly Mia and Samantha Jo, our twin lab mixes.