[Treen]

Because if you buy them from a pet shop (for whatever reason - the cash register doesn't care why) then it's a business transaction - you're contributing to demand and causing the circumstances which led you to feel that pig needed rescuing. You've just said 'I want what you have' and put your hand in your pocket which means that the shop then sees it's on to a winner and gets more animals in from the same breeder (or another). The breeders who either sold them ill pigs, or sold a pet shop healthy pigs not caring that the pet shop was going to neglect them. You're just perpetuating the situation and the people who don't give a jot about the animals, only making money, get their pockets lined.

If they couldn't sell animals because people weren't prepared to support them by rewarding them for lousy care, and therefore they ended up at the shelter, the pet shop would think 'Not getting any more of those in - they didn't make us a penny and we had to pay for their food'. And maybe (if people spoke up) 'plus loads of people came in and moaned at us which wasn't good for business'. The only thing business responds to is supply and demand, so it's entirely up to the customers what they do. By buying pets from there, you're voting with your wallet.

If you adopt from a shelter, you're not contributing to the problem - you're just helping an animal who's had a rough trot.

I know it's not easy to accept that for pet shops to stop selling animals, they have to have a period where they have animals in and no one buys them - they've done nothing wrong. But to buy them and reward the people who couldn't care less and who cause so many problems with overpopulation and neglect seems foolish - you're just telling them to go right ahead and do it all over again.

As for the adoption process being more complicated - so it jolly well should be! It's appalling that people can walk in to a million places and walk out five minutes later with any sort of animal which they have no idea how to care for. Personally I'm more than happy to be grilled - frankly it reassures me as I know that they care where those animals are going, and want to ensure that the people taking them are knowledgeable and responsible.

And the cost? Many rescues don't charge adoption fees that are that much higher than what you'd pay in a pet shop - and many ask for voluntary donations so it's up to you.

But rescues tend to care for their animals properly and get sick animals to the vet and all that shebang which costs money. Never mind the fact that a great proportion of the animals taken to rescues have long been neglected so have immediate health concerns that have to be attended to. That costs more than getting a pen, putting in a few females with a male, and then selling off the babies to 'whoever will give you money for them'.

Of course if you've been turned down for a ridiculous reason then it must be very frustrating. I think it's important in these cases to follow up a visit/ conversation with a letter clearly and calmly expplaining your circumstances, and why you think the decision to not let you adopt was unfair or irrelevant. Feedback always helps, especially in situations where people have felt put out and often don't express themselves too clearly because they're feeling hurt. But that's only one person/ organisation - don't let it put you off helping solve a problem rather than causing one.