Breeder or Shelter

Both of mine came from the same breeder[]

Lily is from the Chicago Animal Care and Control-(the city pound) and Charlie came from my old work.  I used to work at a doggy-day care in Chicago and the owner knew his past owners who apparently were going into a nursing home.  He was rehomed a couple of times and came to stay with me for a night and never left! 

Oh, I forgot to say, before my aunt gave him to me, she got him from  breeder. He got him after she saw my grandma's dog (Willie)  and went to the same breeder.  So Riley and Willie are littermates!
 
Anyways, she kept him until he was 2 years old, and then she gave him to me.  he is 4 now.  His birthday (and Willie's)  is on St. Patricks day.  Riley has had several litters with my aunt's other dog, Natalie.  She looks like a coyote.  They decided to keep one of the male pups, and named him Champ.  Champ looks like a Cairn and Coyote mix!

youngest to oldest....

sydney - local humane society shelter. we adopted him in jan 2006.

amelia - rescue group (not really a shelter though). we adopted her in jan 2005.

gidget (cat) - she found us. showed up on our doorstep in the middle of the night. after trying to find her owner for a while, we gave up. she has been with us since feb 2000.

sasha (cat) - my wife adopted her from the spca in northern ca before we met. she is approx. 10 yrs old.

Scotty out of the local rescue group, and Max a rescue group out of PetSmart and stella a breeder,  Batty Stellas puppy.

When I was a kid, we were a purebred Lab family - my dad hunted.
 
Since then, my only "real" dog (I've had lots of fosters) is one I got free from a neighbor's oops litter. She was 5 weeks old, they were moving and just taking hte mom with them- so I took a pup. It was terrible timing- a cash-strapped 20 year old college kid/waitress in an apartment adopts a heeler-rott mix. Anyway, it's been 9 years and I still have her.
 
BUT- I don't think that I "must" always rescue one if I go to a breeder or breed dogs myself. love mutts, but if I want a mini bull terrier than I have every right in the world to go to a breeder and pick my dream puppy, too. I like working with rescue efforts, but do not feel that I shouldn't get the up I really want  because of some idiots out there, and I would never fault someone for going to a breeder for a dog.
 
That being said- since I just want a nice pet, I also don't think I would go to a breeder and pay top dollar for a dog when I don't care that much what kind of dog I have. On the other hand, it is worth something to start your pup on on top nutrition and with early socialization... so while I forsee a lifetime of mutts for myself, and do like the idea of helping an unwanted dog, I see distinct benefits to getting a pup from a breeder.

Babydoo, Midnight and Gizmo all came from the same breeder.  Gizmo was giving back to the breeder cause his first family found him to jumpy to hyper he howled to much and pulled to hard on a leash.  Sky came from an Opps litter a family friend had. I forgot to mention Babydoo and Midnight are full sisters.

Jazz was from a classified ad. Someone was looking for a home for her. When we get settled in our home I'll want to bring a new dog intThere are a lot of sweet looking pups there-even without meeting it I am sure I would be able to gage how her temperament would be by the shelter workers. We'll see! I'd like to..

Overly simplified:
 
Prince, Cheyenne, Baxter, and Akasha (dogs)- rescues
Maya, Muffin, Midnyte, Tiger, Paws, Boots, Bear, Salem (cats)- rescues
Romeo (lovebird)- breeder
Blue (budgie)- inherited
Tyson (hamster)- bought
Heifer (g. pig)- bought

Tasha stray 12 week old puppy. We had no plans whatsoever to get a dog, but we instantly fell in love and never considered any other options.
 
Wolfgang: Tied up outside a bar in the rain. I went in and talked to the homeless couple who had him and gave them $100.
 
Floyd: Rescue. He bit the dog catcher and was in quarantine for five and a half months before his wonderful foster mother saved his life. After meeting this wonderful person and acquiring a wonderful dog, I too have fostered.

Chyna came from a breeder. (My brtother bought her & couldn't keep her)
 
Bevo was sort of a rescue.  He was brought into the vet clinic I work at for euthanasia at 11 weeks old, because his previous owner was a head case.  She thought that a doberman puppy would be just the right dog for her son with cerebal palsy sp?  With a special needs child, there just wasn't enough time to spend training a very high strung dog.  Bevo was not socialized and was not reliable at all around people.  He in short was a bite case waiting to happen.  Thanks to the behaviorists at Texas A & M University, he now has his CGC & CDX titles and we are working towards therapy dog certification.
 
Brinxx was tied outside my office over the Christmas holidays last year.  She was covered in mange and would have been euthanized if I had not taken her.
 
Shooter was another euthanasia case at the clinic.  He was 6 weeks old and had parvo.  His owners decided it would be cheaper to put him to sleep and buy a new puppy, so I asked if I could have him.  They said yes and the rest is history.

I rescued him.  Long story.  But he had 2 owners before me.  I have a feeling he was originally from a pet store.  He's one of those too cute dogs.  And he was really hard to house train, which is a sign they came from a pet store.  That is also the reason his first 2 owners abondoned him.

I also have 2 cats.  One was a drop off at the pet supplies store I used to work at.  She was only 3 weeks old at the time.

The other cat came from a shelter.  His previous owner died.

All the dogs and cats I grew up with were all from shelters.  I don't think I could ever go to a breeder.  I would much rather know that I saved an animal rather than left another to die.  I don't have anything against responsible breeders or people who purchase their dogs from responsible breeders.  Some people know what they want and won't settle for anything else.  But I am willing and capable of rescuing an animal that would not be alive without me.  Even if they are, "as some people call them" damaged, I know that they will be ever more appreciative and loving, because I am their savior.  Nothing builds a bond like that.

Tux - Rescue
Wes - Local Shelter
 
I will continue to have dogs from rescue/shelters but I also one day want a show puppy.  I'm a member of my breed club and would find a breeder that fits with my ethics.[]

Blue- shelter
 
The others....
Mocha - stray at the flea market
Eli- Free to a good home
Tigger- Pet Store
Chilli- Pet Store at work

Misty, American Shorthair, (brown with black tiger stripe, green eyes), (5? - 88 to 2-17-05), received from first wife's grandma's sister, found wandering the street.

Shadow, Siberian Husky/Lab, (Black, Brown, Red, White, iridescent amber eyes), (7(?)- 03 to present), received from a friend who's adoptive family was going to euthanize him to be mean to her and had already done so to her two cats. Labor Day Weekend 2004, when we said we would take him if he liked us, she left that very minute and was back in an hour. Another hour and he was mine.

Jade (Jan(?) 2006 to present), American Shorthair, (Pure White, jade green eyes), plucked out of the tree of a friend here in town. Normally, she would sleep under their old car.

In the future, when it is time for another dog, I will go to the shelter. I have seen purebreds there. $44 includes adoption, vacc, and spay/neuter at supporting vet. Most of the dogs there are either surrenders or strays.