Our four-legged friends are part of family.
When families are looking into adopting a new pet, the two most popular places they look are rescuing from a shelter or getting one from a breeder, and there are pros and cons to both.
The London Humane Society provides a number of services for animals looking for a new home including an investigations department to help stop animal abuse, and helping people who can no longer look after their pets.
Judy Foster at the Humane Society says people need to be aware that taking care of an animal is a big responsibility.
“The pet is going 24 hours 365 days a year so when you take that little kitten home, just because you’re busy or tired or maybe you’d like to go away, the kitten still requires the same amount of work and effort and attention. People have to be prepared for that.”
Being aware helps animal stay out of shelters. With numerous animals waiting for new homes, Foster sees the benefits of going to a breeder, but encourages people to look at rescuing first.
“Certainly it’s a personal decision if people want to go the breeding route but here we see lots of animals that are already born and are already looking for homes.”
Cam Turnbull recently adopted a 10 week old labradoodle named Oakley. His family had rescued a dog previously, but this time they chose to go the breeding route.
“We wanted a dog that didn’t shed. We were looking for more specific things in the dog we were getting than before so that’s why I think a breeder made sense. They also have a reputable record and I didn’t even know they had this, but there is a warranty on the dog.”
The most important thing both Foster and Turnbull agree on is being prepared for the responsibility that comes with taking care of an animal, where ever you get it from.
