Adopt Don't Shop by Hallie

Adopt Don't Shop by Hallie - January 2017 Scholarship Essay

The best things in life are the most simple. Love, companionship, and warmth are just a few of those. Imagine not having any of those. It would feel like worthlessness, abandonment, and coldness. Through my involvement at animal shelters and adoption events, orphaned dogs and cats have captured my heart. I now advocate on the importance of adopting a pet from a shelter rather than buying from a breeder.
Seeing all the poor animals needing homes has inspired me to speak about the importance of adoption in comparison to buying from breeders. There are so many reasons to adopt from a shelter. One of which is that those dogs and cats absolutely need homes; they cannot be unborn. Typically with breeders, a person specifies what kind of dog or cat they want and then the breeder creates that animal. This can be preventable. With thousands of animals in the shelters there is absolutely no reason to pay for one to be specifically bred for you.
The shelters and adoption events I have been involved in are non-profit. The money they do receive, such as adoption fees, are to further benefit the animals. It is to pay rent, vet bills, buy food and toys, keep the water running, keep the heaters on, and pay for other miscellaneous essentials the animals need. Breeders profit from selling their animals. Through adoption the money goes toward helping other animals that need care whereas the breeders profit is used at their discretion. Also, at shelters fees range from $45-$175. Animals bought from breeders can scale to thousands of dollars! For the potential pet family, shelter fees are much more reasonable.
I have grown an attachment to an idea of helping all the old dogs and cats. Of course I realize I cannot save all the old pets in the world, even though I would like to. There are more than just puppies and kittens in shelters. Some animals have been there for years. There are so many perks of adopting an older dog or cat. They could come bathroom trained, they don’t act totally crazy, they're typically gentler, and much more manageable. Also, the sad truth is that most animals get euthanized. As an animal gets older, it has a greater chance of being put down. From a breeder, there is no way possible to help an older animal by taking them in their home. The beginning of a pet's life can be rocky and sad, but the end can be wonderful. That just all depends on the person with enough love to take in an older pet.
Everybody has heard of puppy mills and how horrible they are. However, people still want a pure bread dog that costs a fortune. People can be more concerned with the type of dog they get than what goes on behind the scenes. Dogs are torchered just to produce these puppies that people are willing to pay money for. The less people put their money toward buying these dogs produced from puppy mills, the less common they will be.
Volunteering with these wonderful shelters and adoption events has encouraged me to speak out about the importance of adoption rather than buying from a breeder. I start small with my immediate family. I have won them over; I can confidently say that they will always adopt animals that need homes. I also speak out on social media about it. I have seen first hand how bad these animals need it. Everyday I find new ways to speak out about it. I try to influence anyone I know to adopt. I know I have made and will make a change. Volunteering has pointed me in a direction that will save a lot of animals lives.