Animal lovers, how do you acquire your pets?

[PartyPooper]

I acquired my first dog through a breeder. The second I got from the rescue society for the specific breed.

This latest adoption was great for all concerned. We even had to pass muster to adopt this wonderful dog. And, there was a waiting list, too!

But, in the end, we got our little dog. How happy we all are.

:-)

What about you? How do you come by your dogs, cats, birds, fish, or hampsters?

Tell us your story.

[shraby]

1. Two dogs

we have are rat terriers and got them from a breeder. (Liked the one so much we got another), one dog someone gave us, combo chihuahua and pomeranian (adorable and isn't snappy like a chihuahua), one is a dachshund my daughter gave us cause her new husband isn't keen on dogs, and our cat was a barn-cat and was free..had two but one recently got sick so we had her put away..her kidneys were failing. They are all dandy animals, each with their own personality.

[Nevernose]

2. Only thing as bad as a pound is a puppy mill

No way I'd give one of those bastards one red cent to continue doing what they do (I don't mean breeders, I mean mills -- and I'm still a suspicious of a lot of breeders). On a more pragmatic note: why pay for something when you can get it for free, and it needs you desperately?

Two dogs from the pound, plus one that I stole -- it was being horribly abused, more than most living creatures could survive, so I don't feel bad about stealing it. In fact, I'm quite proud of myself.

One cat some girlfriend brought home with her (it was pregnant), one feral that adopted ME, and a couple of others that I don't know where came from.

I own goldfish, now, though, as I've developed allergies and I don't have the time for a pet that it would deserve.

[A HERETIC I AM]

8. I agree. Never, NEVER buy a dog from a pet store.....

I had Boston Terriers all my life. When i changed jobs back in '95 i started searching for a puppy. I answered an ad and visited this lady and the second i got on her property i knew it was bad news. She had 4 Bostons and....get this.....ONE HUNDRED, THIRTY FIVE SHIH TZU'S!!!

She was a puppy mill in every sense of the word. It was obvious that this lady bred her bitches till they couldn't produce anymore and then put them down.

One major problem that i have learned about is that many mills, including this lady, keep the puppies in a grate-bottom cage after weaning(One with chicken wire or rabbit hutch type wire bottomed cages)so that when the puppies urinate or defecate, it goes through the bottom of the cage. This makes it easier to clean up but it negates the puppies natural instinct to not poop where it sleeps thus making the pup INCREDIBLY difficult to housebreak.

I did buy a Boston pup from this lady and had a horrible time housebreaking him. Mr Beau Brummel has been a GREAT dog, however and i am not sorry i got him but i will never buy a pup from anyone that has more than a few, well loved family dogs.

[Lastgasp]

3. I got my lovable little Chihuahua

. . . from a reputable breeder in Sedalia, Missouri. I had to travel a few miles, but I sure got an excellent little friend.

[northofdenali]

4. All 5 cats are rescues.

And they are, each and every one, nuts.

But, they have to live with us, so nuts is good!

[7th_Sephiroth]

5. Odins story

one night while i slept, i dreamed of hearing this piercing, but weak, meow, later that day while taking out a bag of trash i hear that meow again, its a little black kitten. I pick him up and he is emaciated, nothinng but skin and bone, so immediately i give him some milk and wet food and call my mom for help. Originally though of taking him to a no-kill shelter. I decided to wait forMy Father, out of town at the time (and for the next 2 months) to come home and render a verdict (had him at the vet on the second day, he was fine and he came to me immediately, so he wasent afraid of humans, in fact he came to me immediately) He got home and bonded with him immediately so now we have odin, our heaviest cat

[TahitiNut]

6. NEVER get dogs from pet stores.

They typically come from puppy mills and there're few things quite as horrid. Go to a breeder that insists you take the dog to its new home (yours) on the 49th day. Not one day sooner. Not one day later. The 49th day. Until that day, the puppy should be a 100% member of the litter. The bitch (and the siblings) will teach that puppy things in the 1st seven weeks that a lifetime with you could never catch up to. Find a reputable breeder from people who show dogs, or from local veterinarians. Visit often.

[Nevernose]

9. The catch here is "reputable"

Many of them aren't, and are little better than puppy mills, regardless of what outward appearances may be.

The last time I was at the pound, I found three standard poodles, all gray, and all about 12-18 months old. These dogs start at five-hundred bucks -- what the hell are three young ones doing at the pound? I hadn't realized that breeders, if the dogs don't sell, just drop them off.

BTW, the Las Vegas Animal Shelter kills them in only five days. They're only open four hours a day (11-3), four days a week -- so if you can't get there soon enough or at the right time, your pet is doomed. They also have a NIGHT DEPOSIT BOX. You walk up at three AM and slip the animal (you know, the one you agreed to take care of?) into a sliding metal box which then deposits the animal into a cage. One box for dogs, another for cats. I know I joke about other people and their cats, but this place is sick.

[murielm99]

7. Our dog, 13, was an abused dog.

She belonged to some farm tenants of ours. My husband talked them into giving her to us when they moved.

They were not bad tenants, just not good to this poor dog.

We have had her for 12 years, and she is a nice Lab mix. She stopped being timid after a few months, and is just a great dog.

Our house cat was left in a box with a jar of dry cat food and a scrap of blanket. She was left on the lawn of some very elderly friends of ours. We took her, and she is a perfect house cat.

We have barn cats, too. There are seven of them. One adopted us, and six were born here.

[BlueHandDuo]

11. Both of our cats...

...came from the shelter. Mixed-breeds.

They're litter-mates, and sometimes they'll sleep all curled up together, hugging each other. But such different, unique personalities!

[guitar man]

10. Rescue

Birdie is a pure rescue dog. She was in the local animal shelter less than 24 hours from execution when we found her. We were in there looking to see if our previous dog who ran off was there. Well she wasn't there, but this treasure was.



China was given to us by my wife's sister, a rescue from the standpoint that if we hadn't taken her, she probably would have ended up at the shelter.



I wouldn't take a million dollars for either of them. They sure know how to light up my life.

[Dover]

13. Great looking bunch! Do you have any idea what Birdie's mix is?

She looks a lot like my friend's rescued dog and we can't figure out his mix. I guessed part blue heeler and part pointer due to the square jaw and speckling.

[guitar man]

14. Pitbull/Pointer

That's what the guy at the shelter pegged her as and I concur. There can be no doubt though, I've had American Pit Bull Terriers all my life and she is certainly a Pit before all else. A real sweetheart until she perceives something in her territory isn't right.Then it's "katie bar the door", she is going to get someone/something by the ass!

[Dover]

12. Strays always seem to find me........word must have gotten out!

I've only rescued one dog from the pound (she was a great dog). The rest of the dogs and cats that have shared my life literally wandered into my yard. And those whose owners couldn't be located, stayed. All wonderful animals.

Now if I could just get a man to wander into my yard.......

[Feanorcurufinwe]

15. One I got at a breeder, one I got as a stray.

I like getting them really young like you can from a breeder but if a stray adopts me I feel a responsibility.

[flamingyouth]

16. Shelters/pet rescue

[Wonk]

17. I inherited him. My grampa got him from a family that

had acquired him as a "Christmas puppy" for their kids from I'm not sure where, but then found out that it's work to take care of a dog properly.

[opihimoimoi]

18. A stray Persian conned us into giving her food/shelter/comfort

Sleeps like a Republican and eats like a horse....hunts like a Dem and hates Bush