#adopt and shop responsibly

[wulflynn]

So, I’ve been on a Coral Island kick. My farmer gets letters from their grandparents and they’re always giving updates on “Ashley”. I believe Ashley is their cat. They’ve already mentioned Ashley and kittens and now they’ve just sent another letter with a “PS Ashley is pregnant!”

All I can think is, as an animal professional and playing a farmer who is dating Mark—who volunteers at the local animal shelter)—JFC get Ashley spayed 🤦🏼‍♀️😂

[apostate-in-an-alcove]

There seems to be a trend on DogTok to demonize and regard rescue dogs as trash not worth saving or rehabilitating and just flat out demonizing no kill shelters and rescues with little nuance. I'm sorry that abused dogs who are traumatized and stressed aren't the 2k purebred puppy that you saw on Craigslist but the majority of shelter dogs deserve a chance at a good life even if you personally would never give them the time of day.

[reliapet]

Living Things Are Not Good Gifts

I'm gong to say this now, because early Christmas shopping is just starting to ramp up. and please bear with me, as this is a complex subject, and the title is a general rule (as always, there are exceptions, but do not assume you are one) Dogs, cats, puppies, kittens, rescue animals, hamsters, horses, snakes, you name it. Do Not give them as gifts. I'll even go so far to extend this sentiment to plants. 1. Pets live multiple years. From the ones I listed, it's from 2 all the way up to 30 year lifespans! 2. Animals are Expensive. Even if you provide all the initial startup items as part of the gift, it will only dampen the blow. Food, vet fees, recurring enrichment costs, and more will add up. Not everyone can afford an animal, and there's no harder way to find that out than when opening a gift only to find a pet you can't afford staring back at you. 3. If the pet ends up given to someone who doesn't want them, that animal could be surrendered, dumped, abandoned, or worse. 4. Gifts are generally surprises, and if someone is gifted a pet, there is a chance they will know nothing about their care. This could accidentally kill or harm it in the middle of learning. But what if this person has been wanting and preparing for the pet for years/a long time now? They may be wanting to avoid backyard breeders and already have an ethical breeder picked out, or already be in the adoption process to get a rescue form a shelter. It's also possible they have a reason for holding off that they haven't told you yet, like concerns about an allergy or not having a vet fund saved up yet. They still might not be fully prepared to care for the animal if surprised with one on Christmas. Why on earth are you including plants in this? Personal experience, haha! When I was a kid, I had an assignment in Ag class to start and run a business. So, I got all the stuff for raising and selling plants, and I started a bunch of seedlings in the living room under grow lights.... This convinced my family, somehow, that I want more plants. I did not. I ended up with a rosemary bush, and was told it loved water, needed a ton of water. I was so caught up in trying to keep the plants from my business alive that I drowned it in water. The person who gave it to me for Christmas tried to save it, but it was already dead from root rot. I did not like Rosemary: the smell. flavor, nor its culinary uses in recipes. ... I also ended up with 12 air plants from another family member. They were confused why they didn't come in soil, so were keeping them in water to keep them alive. It was my frantic researching that managed to keep them from getting killed in the first week from rot. But, as much as I liked them, and try as I may have. they all slowly died except the sole survivor, who I gave away, and is now thriving in a windowsill. Since they were a surprise, I did not know about them until it was too late. I was not wanting more responsibility on top of the assigned business I had to do for class, but suddenly I was responsible for 13 more plants I didn't ask for. It was not a pleasant time. What if I want to give someone a pet for Christmas without it being a bad experience? how would I do that? Good question!

All animals are living beings, and when they are kept by humans, it is entirely that human's responsibility to make sure the animal gets the best life possible. This goes regardless if the critter is a hamster, fish, gerbil, leopard gecko, or a more expensive pet. They depend entirely on the owner for everything, including proper vet care. A human's ability to care for an animal depends entirely of how much they know about that critter's needs. In order to understand those needs, research is necessary. A LOT of research. Not just a day or two of quick googles, but weeks or months of deep diving into multiple websites for the same question to ensure you're finding correct information. It is intensive work, but well worth the time. The person researching must consider if they are willing and able to provide the needs of the animal they're considering. The owner must also research natural behavior. Expressing natural behaviors is a need the animal will fulfill as much as it can on its own, but certain enrichment items and other accommodations may be necessary to aid or improve this need's fulfillment. Not being knowledgeable on this is a major contributor to re-homes. For example some animals need to be noisy, and they will be noisy. And some people are unwilling to tolerate and accommodate for that need. Being well researched on the animal in question will save you a lot of stress and heartache, and save the animal's life or drastically affect its quality of life. Make Sure the person receiving the animal is well researched before they get the animal. This will allow them to make an educated decision as to whether they can take it in when you say you want to give them one, instead of replying purely based on emotion. Emotion will not keep an animal alive or give it a good quality of life. A well researched, already set up, and financially prepared home will. Here are some options to choose from: 1. Do not let it be a surprise. Let the person know ahead of time you want to get them a living thing for Christmas/birthday/ext... and ask them what they think of the idea! Don't pressure them if they don't sound excited. And if they do, make sure they're knowledgeable on the animal's care before getting it. This is actually what I'm doing for my grandma, and she's elated to be getting a young miniature african violet for Christmas! (she doesn't have it yet, but she knows it's coming and knows how to care for it)

2. If you want it to be a surprise no matter what, do not get the animal first. It is very important here to make sure the person is already knowledgeable and know they are able to fulfill ALL the animal's needs at the moment they receive it if you want to choose this option. It should be a surprise in the terms of, I wasn't expecting to get the critter this month, not I wasn't expecting to get this animal at all. Just because someone is excited does not mean they're able to care for it, whether or not they realize it. Instead, get an accessory or a photo of the animal. An accessory could be a dog collar, a cat collar, a cat litter box, a hamster hide, a reptile basking lamp, or something else. The nice thing about this, is if the recipient doesn't want the item, it's easy to return. This gives the person a chance to back out and say I don't want that, or I am not in a situation to take an animal. It opens the opportunity for discussion. And, if the stars align, they'll still be super excited and surprised in all the best ways. This option also gives you the chance to go with them and let them pick the source: a rescue, special breeder, or similar! 3. Get the animal, but be fully prepared to take it into your own household and have it become your pet if the recipient doesn't want it or isn't able to care for it. This works best if you already have one of the animal yourself, or if you're buying all the initial supplies and accessories and know fully how to care for the animal already. 4. Get a stuffed animal or toy of the pet you want to gift, and have a note in the box with an explanation that you can make this animal come alive if they want a new pet in their household! This one is awesome, because if they say no to the live animal, they still get a cute plushie to cuddle or a figurine they can put on their shelf. 5. If it is a plant, get a pot and write a note, share a picture, or gift some seeds! if they don't want to grow them or want to wait until they have more time or space, they can wait to germinate them. There are likely other options I haven't thought of, so feel free to add them in the notes if you think of one! The main thing is to have a fall back. Don't let the person feel cornered into accepting the animal or plant. And please don't feel bad if they decide it's not for them!

[antlered-lycanthrope]

Everything but adopt don’t shop!

Adopt and shop RESPONSIBLY! NO PUPPY MILLS!! Only breeders that health test, temperament test, do NOT use embark, provide the pedigree, show in conformation (and preferably a sport or two as well), do NOT mix breeds or stud their males out to people mixing breeds, and desensitize to grooming as a puppy. Also if the feeder says they their dogs are “AKC registered” that is a HUGE red flag, you can register a bagel with AKC - look for the parent’s pedigrees, CHIC and other health test records, and awards in conformation shows - these are all publicly available! A green flag is if the dog has a registered name, example being my favorite standard poodle stud - Desert Reef’s Fire When Ready “Zuko” (I’d like a puppy from him at some point, Zuko is a gorgeous boy) With an ethical & responsible breeder those dogs will NEVER end up in a shelter, the new owner has to sign paperwork stating that if they no longer want the dog it HAS to be returned to the breeder.

Dog breeds all have specific coat types, temperaments, and abilities. If you need a specific sort of dog, go buy that dog from an ETHICAL breeder!! People forget that dogs were domesticated to be working animals - not pets!! If you need a working dog then PLEASE buy a dog whose breed was developed to do that job!! A terrier mix can’t pull sleds in blizzards like the larger spitz breeds can, a poodle mix can’t herd sheep like a border collie can, a hound mix can’t do bitework like a German/belgian/dutch shepherd can!!

Now if you just want a companion for at home, go rescue a dog!! There are sooooo many dogs who need homes! But some people need specific kinds of dogs, please don’t shame people for that!!!

This is coming from someone with 6 years of experience in dog showing, sports, training, service work, and grooming! Both of my dogs are award winning agility dogs in my state, one of them winning Reserve Grand Champion our first year at the dog show at Michigan State University. (Also dogs are my special interest, so I feel obligated to say of this lol, sorry for the rant :’3)

-

Also real fur is more sustainable and better for the environment than faux fur and synthetic fibers! Just make sure you know where it’s from, support local trappers and hunters that you know are following the laws and regulations! Never support unethical fur farms, don’t buy fur from Amazon, temu, or other fast fashion companies. Find furs at antique/vintage/thrift stores, ask your grandparents or other elders if they have an old fur coat somewhere (a lot of people in the 40-50s did!), buy from taxidermists that source from roadkill or natural deaths! Death does NOT equal cruelty! Cruelty equals inflicting unnecessary harm!

Also if you knit/crochet you can find rabbitries with angora rabbits and buy the wool! The rabbits need to be plucked anyways, may as well buy and spin the wool for your projects instead of buying synthetic fibers that further aid in the destruction of this beautiful planet.

Tips on how to care and get connected with nature

1: Pick up trash

2: Avoid AI! Support actual artists/writers etc

3: Support/volunteer at animal shelters

4: Put out feeders and bird baths for the local critters

5: Plant trees or flowers outside or in your house (but make sure the trees/flowers are native to your area)

6: Talk or sing to your plants (yes plants love it)

7: This tip depends on the circumstances, but I've helped many stray dogs and cats that I randomly take in and care for till I find them a home

8: Instead of buying from factory farms, buy stuff from local farms or grow your own food

9: Spay and neuter pets (there's enough unwanted babies in the world)

10: Don't buy from breeders or puppy mills, get ones from shelters or pick up a stray

11: If you see an animal being abused or neglected, report it

12: Build birdhouses or bat boxes

13: Donate/volunteer to organizations that protect endangered species and natural habitats

14: Reuse containers, clothes, and bags instead of throwing them away, learn to sew stuff

15: Put out water for wild critters during hot weather

16: If you have leftover food, offer it to homeless or stray animals

17: Try to save electricity, open windows for sunlight, unplug chargers when not in use

18: Instead of cars, walk, bike, ride horse, bus or train

19: Go swimming in a lake, pond, river or ocean etc

20: Go barefoot often (in mud, grass, dirt, water)

21: Go bird watching and listen to their sounds and guess what type of bird it is or what the call means, take pictures, draw or write it down in a journal

22: Sit under a tree or by a stream, go for walks/hikes, look at the moon and stars, observe animal behaviour

23: Use a large rock to hold a door open, hold paper down or paint on, use a feather as a bookmark, make jewelry out of things you find in nature

24: Don't buy fur clothing/tails from fur farms or alligator skin pursues/shoes etc

25: Watch animal documentaries or read books

26: If you have a rodent problem, use the humane traps

27: Thank the earth

[stinkybrowndogs]

I mean I get that’s it’s not the only contributing factor, but I’m curious exactly how much of the shelter dog over-population problem is actually due to poor dog ownership/management vs the housing crisis and economical stress. I’d be willing to bet by investing in social programs that give people the resources they need to care for their pets (cough cough affordable and free housing cough cough) that the amount of pets in shelters would dramatically drop. We can all sit here pointing fingers and screaming at each other until we are blue in the face, but if the owners basic needs are not being met, how can we hold them to a basic standard for their pets?

[shrimp-crockpot]

Just so yall know, these ads usually come from puppy mills.

Remember that puppy mills are determined based on quantity of litters produced and their USDA licensing, NOT by how clean or well cared for the dogs are. There are plenty of Polished Mills that use guardian homes to hide the fact they’re a mill (if you need an example, look up Utahdoodles on TikTok or instagram)

[lobotomy-lady]

a dude in my state got mauled to death by his pitbulls but to be fair he was a back yard breeder

I can't say I have much sympathy for backyard breeders (lmao that autocorrected to backtard breeders which is...fitting) who get mauled, esp if they're breeding pits. bybs are so irresponsible. & I seriously do NOT get the point of breeding pits to begin with. shelters are already bursting at the seams with unwanted bully breeds, most of which will end up euthanized.

[seabeck]

So, “I don’t want to spend a little money to rescue a dog that might have issues, I wanna spend a lot of money on a dog that’s just as likely to have issues.”

I have no idea what this is in reference to

[nekatto]

Given that this is my first adoption advert, I decided to go with something basic… Basic white girl basic.

Without further ado, I present you the MeowBucks baristas: Madeleine, Mary Jane, Fontina the Big Cheese, My Little Pierogi, Gruyère, Bordeaux, and Artemis.

Accepting applications from residents of South Carolina and neighboring states only.

Bios for each cat as well as a link to the adoption form are under the cut.

logo (c) wafflestash on Etsy, used here with their written permission.

If you can’t adopt, but would like to support us, I have a cashapp ($kpao69) and PayPal (k-pao@outlook.com). I’m an independent foster and all food, litter, and vetting is paid for out of pocket. Any help is appreciated.

ADOPTION APPLICATION:

Adoption fee is $85

MADELEINE || SPAYED FEMALE

10/10 but she bamboozled me.

The one who started it all. I was walking my dog when this sweet mama approached me and meowed sadly at me. From that moment on, she had me hook, line, and sinker, and I ended up returning to the spot I met her and started feeding her, quickly gaining her trust and bringing her inside… Along with her seven relatives she had hidden in the bushes.

Despite being the grandma of the family, I believe she’s still a fairly young cat, possibly around three years old or so. Since her spay surgery, it’s almost like she’s trying to make up for the kittenhood she never got to have. She loves nothing more than batting toy mice across the floor and playing chase with her granddaughter Pierogi. When not zooming around, Madds is quite the cuddle bug and loves a warm lap to lay in.

MARY JANE | SPAYED FEMALE, ~3 yrs old

Mother of Fontina, Gruyère, and Pierogi. Now that her kittens are grown, Mary Jane is beyond done with wild kitten antics and looking for some place calm and quiet to settle down.

All in all a pretty chill cat, though not particularly social. Out of her relatives, she most prefers to spend time with her daughter Gruyère.

FONTINA THE BIG CHEESE | NEUTERED MALE, ~1 yr old

They say the key to a man’s heart is food, and that’s doubly true for Fontina! While he can be shy at times, add food to equation and he’s putty in your hands.

He’ll do just about anything for food and so far has even trained himself to go inside his carrier on command. Would make an excellent trick training candidate.

Ideally would prefer a home with his best friend and wrestling buddy, Bordeaux.

**Fontina has displayed a propensity for eating non-food items. Please be mindful of this and take appropriate precautions.

MY LITTLE PIEROGI | SPAYED FEMALE, ~1 yr old

When she first came here, Pierogi was a bit shaken by the overnight transition from living outside to living in a home and spent her first few days inside hiding. But now she’s come out of her shell and blossomed into the sweetest little girl, albeit still on the shy side. Loves churu, head-butting feet, and playing with wand toys.

**tentative. if no applications look promising I miiiight end up keeping her.

GRUYÈRE | SPAYED FEMALE, ~1 yr old

No, you’re not seeing double, though very different in personality, Fontina and Gruyère are our loveable void twins!

The princess of the group. Gruyère demands you provide her with your undivided attention at all times… or else.

Out of her siblings, she has the closest relationship with her mother, Mary Jane, and the mother-daughter pair can often be found grooming one another.

**though she’s never broken skin, Gruyère can be mouthy, and we'd recommend applying for a different cat if you have young children or elderly people in your home.

BORDEAUX | NEUTERED MALE, ~1 yr old

Sweet little Bordeaux had a very rough start to life. At just a few weeks old, Bordeaux lost both of his siblings and was briefly separated from his mom during a particularly nasty winter rainstorm. It was only through a stroke of luck (and his cries) he was found before it was too late.

But none of that has dampened his spirit! As you can undoubtedly see, Bordeaux is a silly young man who loves having fun.

Without fail, he turns everything into a game. You thought you were going to mop the floor? Nope! Time to play wrestle the mop away from the kitten for the thousandth time!

10/10 but you’ll never get anything done with home around. But with a kitten this cute, who can stay mad?

When he’s not being a menace to society, he can be found palling around with his best friend and brother from another mother, Fontina.

ARTEMIS | NEUTERED MALE, ~2.5 YRS OLD

The odd one out of the bunch. I’m unsure how, or even if, he’s related to the rest of the colony. All we know is that he was buddies with the other adult male of the group, Apollo, and they could often be found huddled up together for warmth.

Artemis is a sweet boy who wants very much to be someone’s one and only. Always the first to greet me when I come in. And don’t think he’s content with a simple pat on the head. He DEMANDS all the love and snuggles. Like, I’ll sit down to relax and next thing I know he’s climbing up on my shoulder and nuzzling me.

*would prefer a home with no other cats.

**Apollo will be going up for adoption separately as he needs to have a specialist vet preform his neuter due to some neurological issues.

[orcinus-veterinarius]

To be clear, I’m very pro-spay/neuter!

[fisheatingorca]

"Dont buy a ticket" is the "adopt dont shop" slogan, but for whales & dolphins

[wildchildshelters]

As party season approaches, it must be re stated that adopting a party clown just for summer birthdays and holidays is a bad idea.

If the adoption is souly for the sake of entertainment for such events it is inevitable that care towards the living breathing creature will dwindle after the season is over, and scary clowns and harlequins "come into season"

Clowns do not have seasons, they are a responsibility year round.

[reliapet]

New article is out! I'm so excited to share it with you all. Adopting is so important, but ethical breeders do a lot of good, too.

[asdpawprint]

When I first learned that temperament and health are more important than color when it comes to breeding dogs, I took it exactly literally. I thought it meant that color would happen at random and had no effect, as long as everything else was done right. So, when my mom found a silver lab puppy on facebook, and the breeder claimed to do OFA testing and breed for temperament, I didn't argue that the dog was the wrong color. All the keywords I'd learned to look for were there. We thought everything was being done right, and color didn't matter.

What I hadn't yet come across in my studying was how to verify a breeder’s claims, and the connection some colors have to health issues. It turns out color matters, in the sense that weird colors don't really happen without trying, and trying typically overlooks the more important traits. My mom's dog is, unfortunately, a thorough example of everything that loses priority in aiming for weird colors. Good health, stable temperament, durable structure, a functional coat... she lost it all for the sake of diluting the color of what little fur she has.

"Temperament and health are more important than color" doesn't mean disregard color. Weird colors are a sign that something more important has been sacrificed, and often the dog suffers for it. Breeders like that aren't responsible, no matter what keywords they use in their marketing. Look closer, double check their claims, and the lies start coming to light. OFA testing? Nope, not a single dog listed in the database. Temperament testing? A handful of numbers provided with no evidence or explanation, weeks after every puppy was already picked based on color and sex alone. New health issues popping up every other month, and significant behavioral issues from a very young age. The poor dog was set up for failure by the very person who claimed to go above and beyond for her.

[make-me-your-animal]

I'm partaking in a fundraiser tonight. My work set up a team that has since noon today been going in shifts to our local humane society to stay in a kennel with one of the shelter dogs. I volunteered to take the night shift so I'll be spending 8 hours with the lovely little man we are hanging out with instead of the 3 hour shifts the rest of my co-workers have been doing. I'm so excited I went yesterday and made him a goodie basket full of treats and toys!

[i-have-standards]

*shakes bag of treats* dogblr folks who support ethical breeders and brachycephalic breeds, c'mere, I want to follow you