The Price of Adoption vs. Buying

When adding a new four-legged addition to your family, our options tend to be either a shelter or puppy mill. Shelter puppies are often rescued strays, lost pets, or surrendered by their owners for various reasons. A puppy mill refers to licensed and unlicensed breeders alike and the pet stores which they supply. Their defining differences are that the destiny of shelter puppies are uncertain, whereas puppies from mills are bred specifically to be bought and sold for a profit. Because of the differing concerns between shelters and puppy mills, potential owners will have different experiences. When choosing where to go, new owners must consider the price of adoption and the source.

Where Puppies Come From

As a non-profit organization, C2CND’S primary concerns are the animals’ health, well-being, and adoptability. When puppies enter the shelter, the veterinary team and shelter staff evaluates their health and behavior. The puppy is screened for diseases and receives what vaccines and treatments are needed. Shelter staff evaluate dogs of all ages for behavioral problems and work to socialize them toward humans and other animals. These considerations may be nonexistent in puppy mills.

Puppy mills operate as a for-profit business, thus their main concern is to produce as much “product” as possible, i.e. puppies. Unlicensed breeders cannot spare the expenses to vaccinate or screen puppies for genetic disorders and other diseases. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), such illnesses include:

Epilepsy
Heart disease
Kidney disease
Deafness
Respiratory disorders
Giardia
Parvovirus
Distemper
Kennel cough
Pneumonia
Mange
Fleas
Ticks
Heartworm
Chronic diarrhea

Shelters with a veterinary team will screen puppies for all of the above illnesses. Though licensed and responsible breeders exist who do address the welfare of their puppies, they are nonetheless puppy mills that are adding to the overpopulation of dogs for profit when so many are already in shelters waiting for a new family like you.

What You Pay For

A major factor, if not the factor, adopters must confront is the monetary cost. Adopting a puppy from C2CND buy propecia us cost about $250 (depending on age) and includes:

Heartworm testing and preventative
Deworming
Spay/Neuter
Age appropriate shots up to the time of adoption
Microchipping
All other medical care during the pet’s time with us

Other non-profit shelters such as the SPCA of Wake County in Raleigh, NC, provide similar veterinary medical care with fees significantly lower than that of pet stores and breeders. The reason for the wide difference in costs is that while the goal of pet stores is to make a profit, while non-profit groups are only trying to cover the cost of caring for their animals.

When purchasing from a mill, new owners may be responsible for finding a veterinarian and paying for their initial care on top of already purchasing the puppy itself. According to Cost Helper, neuters range from $45-$135 while spays run $50-$175, depending on weight. Initial vaccinations range from $20-$150 in the first year depending on the animal’s needs. That’s a combined range of $70-$325. In Raleigh, NC, even from responsible, reputable pet stores that provide the above care, purebred puppies may sell well over $800, depending on the breed.

Adopting over Buying

Boss Participating in the “demand” aspect of puppy mills encourages breeders to maintain their “supply”. Ending the excess of puppy mills and what they entail is a simple matter of who we turn to for pets. Always try and make a shelter your first option. Try not to be part of the demand, and breeders will have no incentive to supply. The price we pay for purchasing a puppy at $800 is that a puppy mill stays in business while another dog may pay the ultimate price if they don’t find a forever home. The price we pay for adopting at $250 is that a puppy has the good fortune of being off the streets and in the home it deserves and needs.