Is Buying a Dog Ethical?

By Alexander Hempstead

Dogs are beloved pets across the globe. In fact, 38.4% percent of households in America own a dog. But should we buy dogs from breeders, or adopting instead?

In the US, about half of the millions of dogs in shelters are euthanized every year because of a lack of good homes. When people buy from a breeder, they slighten the chances of a dog being adopted. In turn, this leads to the euthanization of dogs.

One argument against adopting is that you can’t choose the breed of dog you desire. However, this is not true. Dog shelters have tons of dogs of different breeds and ages for whatever a family wants.

In addition, lots of purebred dogs tend to be very unhealthy and it can cause many health side effects. For example, Labrador retrievers are more likely to suffer from eye cancer and joint pain. In addition, French bulldogs are prone to ear infections and have breathing issues. So, most dogs you can get at the shelter are healthier than purebred dogs you can buy.

Last, it is much cheaper to adopt a dog than to buy a dog. Some breeders will charge lots of money for bred dogs, while it costs nothing to adopt.

Considering all of the facts, it is difficult to find reasons for buying a dog from a breeder instead of adopting a dog from a shelter and giving it a chance at a happy life.