Animal Cruelty: Give An Animal A Home

Give an Animal a Home

“Certainly animals do not have the same abilities as humans. They can’t talk, write books, or drive cars, but neither can some humans. Do we say that humans who lack these abilities have no value and no rights? Certainly not…” (Animal Liberation 31)

Many of you have been to the pet store in your local malls, and strolled around while looking at the different breeds of puppies in the small cages. Some may be sleeping, some may be biting the other puppy they’re living with and others may be in the corner frightened. Everyone has seen the depressing commercial, showing pictures of sad looking animals, asking for donations, with the Sarah McLachlan song playing in the background. Many of those puppies come from puppy mills. Defined by ASPCA, which stands for The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a puppy mill is a large-scale commercial dog breeding operation that places profit over the well being of its dogs—who are often severely neglected—and acts without regard to responsible breeding practices. We need to stop buying puppies from commercial pet stores and online puppy scams, and we need to start adopting them from responsible breeders, rescue organizations, and shelters or pounds. Caroline Earle White, a leader in preventing the cruelty to animals, was a huge part in opening the first animal shelter, and was a big believer in treating animals well. (Beers 9) When you adopt from shelters or rescue organizations, you are saving a puppy from a life full of malnourishment, lack of love, and exposure to numerous diseases, giving it a home and no longer fueling the puppy mill industry.

Years ago, people would go just directly to the breeder and pick out the puppy they found most fitting ...

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...asily be a part of your deciding factors. Your dog will need plenty of room to sleep and play, and again, some breeds will need more room than others and need more exercise than others.

Many of us are animal lovers, and I know that it hurts us to see any animal hurt, abused, or neglected. When you are ready to have your own dog and responsible enough to take care of it, make sure you are looking in the right places to find one. The pet store or an online ad is not the place to find your next best friend. By purchasing a pet from these places, you are fueling the pet mill industry, research laboratories and causing more animals to go through this everyday suffering. Shelters and rescue organizations are everywhere, and there are many animals that would love to be adopted and need your affection there. Think twice before buying your next puppy, you could save a life!