| Re: Why?
There are so many reasons people choose to buy rather than adopt - which is partly why it is so hard to change things. These are the reasons I have found:
Price - adopting is not always cheaper. Consider someone wants a dog - any dog, mongrel for example. They can adopt for a standard fee of about £150. Or they can buy one through an ad in the local paper for less than that.
Age - like it or not many people want a cute baby animal. Adults, particularly elderly ones, are much harder to find homes for regardless of pedigree, health or temperament.
Convenience - everyone knows where their local petstore is. Not many could tell you if they even HAVE a rescue nearby, let alone where it is. Pet stores you pay your money you take your choice. Rescues have the whole adoption process. Sadly, a lot of people who want (and therefore get) a pet really shouldn't try to care for anything more than a house plant! They don't want a large cage taking up half their living room, don't want to prove their landlord is ok with pets, don't want to be told how to care for a pet.....
Reputation - despite what we know here, most people still have the idea that store or breeder animals are somehow "better". My step-dad is one. He has told me he will only ever buy a dog as a puppy from a "responsible breeder", never from a rescue. This is because he think with a "new" pup he gets a clean slate, a dog with no problems, and he can assess its potential health and temperament by looking at the mother. He is convinced that many rescue dog have problems - many which won't be noticed until after you adopt. He think there is a high chance that the dog will turn out to be a cat killer, or a biter, or have hip dysplasia etc. He just doesn't want that risk. I've tried to explain otherwise but I can't get through. I guess its just fortunate he is unlikely to ever own a dog again....
Attitude - I know this isn't the PC thing to say, but a lot of rescue staff seem to have an attitude problem. I'm not saying they don't do a great job, but they often come across as self-righteous, cendescending, arrogant etc and put people off. Yes it is vital to educate people, and turn away unsuitable people, but some of them seem to be rude and mean for the sake of it. Pet store staff - because they are out to make a profit - at least try to keep that "customer is always right" mentality. That is NOT good for animal welfare, but it does encourage people. Most people on the street will not go to a recue if they think it means getting a lecture.  |