An incentive program is cool, but I also agree with Ms. Badinter that pregnant women are infantilized when it comes to what they “can and cannot” do.

I see what you’re saying, but I can’t agree with shaming people for the dog they own, unless they’ve said or done something that indicates they’re not taking care of it or something. I’ve been shamed just for mentioning that I own a pug on this very site (because they are so overbred they pretty much shouldn’t exist…

Not to mention that designer dogs end up having more health problems and behavioural problems, which leads to more dumping!!

also, unsold pet store dogs go to shelters if they get too old!

Yes! In my experience shelter dogs come with additional benefits (if older than puppy)— namely, they come vaccinated and fixed, usually they’re house-broken already, they are tested for temperament, and they are usually so fucking grateful to have a home.............and it’s a damn sight cheaper than buying from a…

This is my shelter pup. I actually got a discount on him because he was about 24 hours away from being put down, which still breaks my heart.

I still have to fax things, and receive faxes, mostly old sheet music and very old contracts and stuff, but I got an efax account back in 2010 which has changed my life! I suppose I could scan this stuff and email it, but really, the fax machine is so fun and retro. We maintain one fax machine at the home office that…

Wow, really? Where do you live? I’ve dealt with public shelters in a number of cities and states, and I’ve never had one even ask about my living situation or work hours, let alone conduct interviews or home checks. Those are pretty standard for rescues, but I didn’t know there were public shelters that had the…

my pic didn’t come thru last time...

Once he sees one, he won’t care if it has papers or not I bet

It’s like in CA where I am too. “I RESCUED him!” Hahaha. So eye-rolly.

There are also many breed-specific rescues — I’m in LA, and I believe we have two different rescues that only deal with Shepherds.

For some reason, there is still a big stigma with adopting pets from local shelters and it just reinforces this loop of more unwanted dogs out there.

Curious: where do you live, geographically? Here in the Seattle Area, and the whole west coast as far as I can tell, it IS chic and cool to adopt from shelters. People are so proud of it, one of the first things out of their mouths is “she’s a rescue.” Truthfully, I get kind of sick of the smug, “aren’t I great?” tone…

I adopted this boy at 10 months old (or thereabouts) from a local shelter, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made. He’d apparently spent at least the winter as a stray.

I wish people would stop talking about purebred dogs vs. shelter dogs as opposites (I know you’re not doing that, I’m just using your post as a jumping off point). About 25% of dogs in shelters are purebred; with millions of dogs being available for adoption every year, that’s a *lot* of dogs. They often don’t stay…

My husband has his heart set on a German Shepherd. I’m hoping that when the time comes (meaning if and when we ever get a fence around our yard), I can talk him into at least trying to get German Shepherd from a shelter. Yeah, it won’t have papers, but who the hell cares? It’s not like we’d be showing it.

Adopting rather than buying a pet is what almost everyone I know does, so I certainly consider it mainstream, and I am not against ethical breeders. An ethical breeder breeds with the health of the breed in mind and wants to contribute to making the breed better, not just for “vanity’s sake.” They may be hard to find,…

I’m in Tennessee and it seems to be a mix. A lot of people want purebred dogs here even if they don’t have the money for it, it’s almost like a status symbol. I have two purebreds myself, Boston Terriers. One purchased when I was younger and not as well educated about rescues and shelters and one rescued from an older…