I'm trying to understand why saving a pitiful pet store puppy is bad, but adopting a pitiful shelter puppy is good? Aren't they both noble?If all irresponsible breeders,puppy mills,byb's puppies end up in the shelter,,,,and we all adopt from shelters, aren't we supporting them by providing an outlet for their castaways when we adopt?
Thanks! I think I understand now. It's worth letting a puppy suffer for years before it ends up in the shelter, to keep from giving money for it, and giving it a chance at a good life right from the beginning. Uhmm...nope, I really don't understand after all.

Sad that 90% could walk away from a suffering animal sitting in it's own poop,sick and hungry and starving for affection, if there is a price tag on it. No wonder there are so many suffering.

Thanks anyway for clearing it up.

Real Thanks to the few people that actually care for the animals, regardless of circumstances or money.

HAHAHA good question! i like it. Unfortunately to surrender a litter to the shelter costs money, and discourages BYB. But, because the owner is paying money to drop off the pups, most likely they will not spend money neuter/spay their dog, and its a vicious cycle....
But yes, shelters pretty much catch all the dogs that started out as BYB, then get dumped when they realize they take time, money, vet bills, so its actually a cr*p shoot. Instead of getting a dog from an irresponsible breeder, you get an adult or ruined dog from an irresponsible owner!!!!!!
BOTH deserve a good home. We have a pet store here, and some of the puppies have known no other life than a 2x2 cage- rough handling, and are 6 months old, having arrived at 5 1/2 weeks.
Both are sad realizations of our society. Just like foster care and adoption are for PEOPLE, not just pets.
If laws got tougher on breeders, there would be less profit from Back yard breeding, and destroy the cash cow....

The thing about the pet stores is that they get their dogs from puppy mills, therefore your keeping the puppy mills in business by getting your pets there. All pets with no homes are pitiful to me, but its the only way to put a stop to these puppy mills, where I don't want to know what all goes on.

My Schnoodle was in a pet store. He was living in a horrid and discusting cramped cage. He was matted, encrused in feces and he came complete with 2 intestinal infections. His nails were starting to curl. It took him a couple of days to learn how to walk on a surface that was not cage wiring.He was 5 months old and he had spent every single moment of his life in a cage.

A day later that pet store was shut down, the owner had all of her dogs taken away and is not allowed to breed any longer infact she is not allowed to even own a dog.

I saved my dog.

Am I so terribly awful? I just so happened to get my dog before the puppies were given to a resuce group.

EDIT-

The lady had her pet shop closed because of me. My father works for the APL.

Please, continue with the thumbs down.

puppy mills are making a fortune, and the any dog involved has a poor, if any quality of life. many buy puppies on a whim and don/t realize the commitment involved. in comes the shelters, guardian of the throw away pet. for every dog that gets adopted out, there is another left behind, thank you to all the puppy mills. but for every dog adopted out, thats' one less for the mills.

This is like asking "are we supporting drug dealers by having rehab centers?" NO. The dogs end up in the shelters because of other reasons, but the transaction to the backyard breeder/puppy mill has been made.

When a puppy is bought from BYB or pet store, the BYB/PM gets money. When a dog is bought or adopted from a shelter, the BYB/PM doesn't see a CENT. It's not as simple as being about getting a dog out of a bad situation. It's doing so and making sure that other dogs aren't put in the same situation. Supporting BYBs/PMs means MORE dogs are put in the same situation as a "demand" is created.

but i think one major think you are forgetting is almost all the dogs in pet stores come byb or mills. but at any given time, there may be no byb or puppy mill dogs in a shelter. just because a dog is alive, doesn't mean it's parents were MADE to breed. it could just be that someone's dog got out and came back pregnant. in that case, there is no mill owner or byb that is gaining from you buying a shelter dog. and also most shelters are dirt poor. they usually just charge enough of an adoption fee to pay for the dog's medical care, spay/neuter surgery and maybe a few dollars extra to pay employees.

something really important to remember is if a byb or shelter pup doesn't sell as a puppy, the breeder usually lowers the price but still keeps the dog around. in america, about every 30 seconds another dog in a shelter is put down because the shelter needs more room, can't afford the medical care the dog needs or simply because their 'time is up'.

which do you find more noble?

you know what? i think you make a very good point. here's the thing: regardless of the other person's wrongdoing (pet store owners, puppy mill breeders, etc.) you are doing something good by taking a puppy and taking good care of it. there is an old wise saying, which also happens to be in the bible that says, "what satan meant for evil, good meant for good." i think the same could apply here. it's the same as when a wonderful couple opens up their home to foster children. regardless of the parent's recklessness, drug addiction, abuse, etc., does that mean that we should stop caring for the neglected children? political correctness can only go so far. you make an excellent point.

the difference is that you are not giving money to pet stores and BYBs therefore not encouraging them to breed more dogs.