Not sure… but before we make up our minds, let’s examine the evidence.

 

Why buy?

 

Here are 5 airtight excuses for going directly to a breeder and picking a pet off a production line:

 

  1. Bragging rights

Yes, you get to brag… You can tell all your besties about your new R25 000 French bulldog and post cute selfies on Instagram. Surely you will be rewarded with likes for days!

 

  1. Convenience

If you have a breeder and a full bank account, you can buy happiness! No hassles with house inspections and other time-consuming procedures.

 

  1. Pawfection

Purebred canines are perfect pets. They are the private-school children of the canine world. With hair shinning brighter than a knight’s coat of arms and eyes as blue as the pacific, it’s easy to fall in love.

 

  1. Purebred Personalities

Your purebred canine will have some guaranteed, genetically engineered qualities. Certain breeds are playful, others choose to lounge on the couch all day to catch up on some Game of Thrones.When you buy a purebred pet, you can choose a breed that fits in with your lifestyle.

 

  1. Aesthetics

How utterly delightful. These days you can choose a pet that fits in with your décor. You can buy the black Scottish terrier, that matches your black and grey colour scheme. A pet can be a flawless breathing living room masterpiece rather than a slobbering furniture destroyer.

 

Why adopt

 

  1. You save a life

Most animals in shelters were abandoned or abused by their previous owners before shelters, like the SPCA, became their temporary homes. You have the power to make their future better than their past. You can provide them with a home and a family rather than allowing them to be euthanized.

 

  1. Save some cash

The cost of buying a pure-bred canine companion can hit your pocket HARD. You could rather use the extra disposable income to pamper your adopted friend. Just don’t go overboard like Paris Hilton. Your pooches can survive without a two-story Italian style mini mansion of their own.

NOTE: When you adopt a pet, first vaccinations are usually included in the adoption fee.

 

  1. One of a kind

Your new little scrapper will have been moulded by life experience and hard-knocks. He will have a unique personality rather that a scripted, “inside-the-box” type mentality engineered in a test tube. Do you really want a laboratory Labrador?

 

  1. You help to stop cruelty in mass breeding facilities.

Let’s not kid around, illegal puppy mill owners are the real a-holes. In an exposé by Carte Blanche in 2014, the author described, in horrific detail, how many of these facilities have no regard for the well-being of the animals that they exploit for financial gain. I am not insinuating that every breeder can be painted with this brush, however, I am suggesting that adopting from a shelter helps to ensure that you have not contributed directly to the cruel underground puppy breeding trade.

 

  1. Life Experience

We’re talking street smarts here. Many adopted pups will hit you with tricks that will impress even the most indifferent of onlookers. Also, they will generally have developed a strong character and a resilient immune system by being canine hobo.

 

The Verdict

So now that you are an informed future pet owner. Which way are you leaning? Maybe, if you’ve done some self-examination and realised that if you are looking at getting a pet for superficial reasons, then you may want to re-think that decision. If you are after a true companion and loyal friend, perhaps adoption seems to be a reasonable option. Either way, we won’t try to influence your decision at all…  Not even with this picture of an adopted pet:

So, in theory, if you were to adopt a pet, how would you go about getting it done?

 

Here are some guidelines:

 

Step1: Meet the animal/s

Visit your local SPCA weekly or like your local SPCA’s Facebook page and stay up to date with the latest news on animals up for adoption.

 

Step 2: Make the perfect match

Decide on the desired physical and psychological characteristics that you want your new family member to have. Keep your home environment in mind and make sure that your property meets the size and safety requirements.

 

Step 3: Understand the adoption policy

Read the adoption contract, even if it’s boring as hell. Make sure that you understand your responsibilities towards the animal. Some animals have been abused in the past and need some extra TLC.

 

Step 4: Make it official and receive a private visit

Sign on the dotted line and pay the adoption fee. The adoption fee will cover your friend's sterilisation, deworming and first vaccination. After the signing of the contract, a SPCA inspector will visit your home and make sure that your new friend will feel safe and at home.

 

Step 5: Home is where the heart is

Yay! You finally get to take the new addition to your family home. How exciting.

We hope that you and your new pet enjoy the long walks, cuddles and late night movies together. May you experience the true joy of a loyal life companion and get as many sloppy kisses as you are comfortable with.

 

Adopted dogs are PAWSOME!