As a prospective dog owner, it’s common to hear varying advice on where to buy your dog from, with plenty 
of breeders in the market waiting for an un-informed family to buy a puppy from them. But the reality of some of these breeders is overlooked and unknowingly, you could fund cruel practices and careless breeding and also end up getting yourself a puppy that may show its deformities only when he grows up.
Here’s an example of such cruelty in breeding: puppy mills. Puppy mills or puppy farms breed large litters at a fast pace by making mother dogs litter without any breaks and sometimes through inbreeding as well. Its not just this. This large litters force puppies and adult dogs into poor, cramped conditions without proper nutrition and veterinary care, thus reducing their lifespan and forcing them to face immense pain in the little time they have.
Even though animal cruelty like this is illegal in India, it continues to be practiced in unregulated puppy farms/mills; so, as a community, our best option to take action against them is to avoid buying from such breeders.
Another common form of irresponsible breeding is backyard breeding. This is when dogs are bred by unregistered breeders solely for their looks and for profit; and as a result of neglect and inbreeding, they suffer severe health problems as they grow, and usually don’t survive up to the expected age. They live most of their lives in pain.
So why go through all this hassle, when so many equally loving dogs are waiting to be adopted into loving homes? The number of abused and abandoned dogs in shelters is only increasing, and not all shelters have adequate resources and support to keep up with the increasing numbers. Adopting instead of buying could actually save a life.
A common drawback of adopting a shelter dog or rescue is its health; some of them battle chronic diseases, some of them are senior dogs, and some of them require extra attention, but that does not make them any less capable of loving and deserving of love and care. Senior dogs could also be better as pets since they are calmer and easier to manage, and though they may not have much time left, adopting them still makes a large difference to their last few years.
Millions of indie dogs roam the streets too; they suffer being beaten or having stones thrown at them which leads them to develop biting/attacking tendencies, and this is often used to villainize indie breeds and make them seem ferocious. On the contrary, they are friendly, intelligent, and affectionate dogs only requiring the safety of a home. By giving this to them, you could change their life — and yours.
Taking steps towards eliminating animal cruelty starts with shutting down puppy mills and other cruel breeders and supporting cruelty-free shelters and animal welfare organizations though, the most direct contribution is by adopting a dog yourself, so adopt, don’t shop!
Author Pannya Gulati:
Pannya is a passionate 11th grader, who strongly advocates for animal welfare and finds ways to take care of the strays around her. She loves to spend her free time with her two dogs.
