Every year, about 1.5 million adoptable, healthy cats and dogs are euthanized because the shelter they are in is either too full or there are not enough people adopting them. Of that 1.5 million, about 670,000 are dogs and about 860,000 are cats. It is better to rescue a pet than buy a pet because there are a lot of pets that are already in need. Additionally, by rescuing a pet, you are saving a life. Furthermore, you can save a second life because when you rescue an animal from a shelter, there is a new space in that shelter for another animal that needs help.

When asked if they thought it is better to rescue a pet or buy a pet from a breeder, another student said, “I think it is better to adopt a pet rather than buy a pet because you are saving a life. Like with my cat, she was a stray and then she went to a high kill shelter and the shelter that we got her from rescued her from the high kill shelter right before she was going to be put down. So, we saved her life, and then we saved another pet’s life by taking her out so there could be an extra spot. And if you’re getting  a pet from a breeder, first of all it is more expensive and I don’t know why you would do that when there are pets whose lives are in danger and you could rescue them.” Although rescuing some pets from shelters costs money, the money you pay goes to the shelter and the animals in need. Furthermore, when you buy a pet from a breeder, it could be more expensive.

When asked if they plan on rescuing a pet in the future, a fellow student said, “Yes. Hopefully, we are getting a dog this summer and I want to rescue it because. I’d rather get one from a shelter than get one from a breeder, and if we get one from a breeder I’d rather not get one at all because I want to save the lives of animals.” Another student said, “One of my dogs, Charlie, is an off-the-track greyhound rescue. And my other dog, Lucy, is also a rescue. And they are both great dogs.”

There are some benefits to buying a pet such choosing exactly which breed you want. However, there is still quite a selection of breeds of dogs that different shelters have. Additionally, there are many different types of rescue groups that rescue specific breeds of dogs and many websites in which you can search the breed of animal that you want. The pet that you rescue can be just as good and well trained as a pet that you buy. But by rescuing a pet, you can potentially be saving the life of at least one other animal.