I "Adopted or Rescued" a dog

BEVOLASVEGAS

If you paid money then you BOUGHT a puppy.  You didn't adopt it.  You didn't rescue it.  You bought it. 

Rescues and shelters charge money for their dogs, so the dogs are bought.

I agree, Amanda.  I tend to look  when someone tells me they "rescued" a puppy from a pet store or puppy mill.  Want to rescue a dog, offer to buy the poor brood bitch! IMO, that's really the only legit "rescue" in that context.

Not sure how I would classify Kenya, since I did not pay a red cent for her, I generally just say "I adopted her from a breeder", not that I "rescued" her.  Coke's a "rescue" dog because his mother was a pregnant stray that ended up in the county shelter and was pulled by an all-breed rescue, that's where Coke was born and we did pay money for him, but we paid the rescue (and only a percentage of what they put in to his whelping, neuter, etc).

BEVOLASVEGAS

If you paid money then you BOUGHT a puppy. You didn't adopt it. You didn't rescue it. You bought it.

I wouldn't really care if they said they gave birth to the dog as long as it was in s better situation. 

I agree with you Amanda. I think a lot of people tend to say they adopted a dog when they really bought it from a breeder because it sounds better, but it's just not accurate.

I adopted Riley, but my family & I "bought" Cadie (I usually just say we "acquired" her ...again, it sounds better). Riley's from the humane society and Cadie is from a fantastic breeder, but we did not adopt her.

Luvntzus

BEVOLASVEGAS

If you paid money then you BOUGHT a puppy.  You didn't adopt it.  You didn't rescue it.  You bought it. 

Rescues and shelters charge money for their dogs, so the dogs are bought.

But see - now the difference between giving a shelter money, or a breeder, in a shelter - you're giving money to help the other animals - to cover the costs of having your newly pet speutered, vaccinated, microchipped, and who knows what other medical/behavioral work went into your new pet. With a breeder - you are paying for you pup, maybe a set of vaccines, and maybe a microchip - if you're lucky (depending on the breeder or pet store). With a shelter - the adoption donation (as well call it) IS tax deductable.

Casey was adopted. I filled out adoption paperwork, paid my $25 adoption donation. He was due to be euthanised (by the shelter I worked for previously) due to poor temperment and a bite history (of more than 2 people...). I guess you could call him a 'rescue' in that sense - but I just tell people he was adopted from a shelter.

erica1989

Luvntzus

BEVOLASVEGAS

If you paid money then you BOUGHT a puppy.  You didn't adopt it.  You didn't rescue it.  You bought it. 

Rescues and shelters charge money for their dogs, so the dogs are bought.

But see - now the difference between giving a shelter money, or a breeder, in a shelter - you're giving money to help the other animals - to cover the costs of having your newly pet speutered, vaccinated, microchipped, and who knows what other medical/behavioral work went into your new pet.

I see it the same way, Erica.  My grandparents & I adopted Angel from shelter.  It's a very small, rural shelter & they do what the can.  Their policy is to keep dogs for 14 days.  If they haven't been adopted out in their 14 days, then they are euthanized.  Angel was on day 12, so she was their pick.  Her adoption fee was $65.  I never viewed the adoption fee as "paying" for her.  I viewed it as me covering her spay, vaccinations, chipping, & 12 days of boarding fees. 

IrishSetterGrl

I "bought" Cadie (I usually just say we "acquired" her ...again, it sounds better).

Why should anyone feel the least bit embarrassed to say they 'bought' their dog? Are people that judgmental? Holy Cow!

AgileGSD

BEVOLASVEGAS

However, if you got your puppy/dog from a breeder, a pet shop, WalMart parking lot, flea market, your neighbor......... I'm sure I missed a few but you get my point.  If you paid money then you BOUGHT a puppy.  You didn't adopt it.  You didn't rescue it.  You bought it. 

 

 Really you bought the dog no matter where you got it, unless it was free. There is a rescue here that charges $400++ for dogs they "rescue" from auctions. The use of the word "adopt" is not really accurate when describing obtaining animals. Of course, it has become politically incorrect in this country to buy a dog which is probably a large reason why people prefer to say "adopt" instead. And the term certainly appeals to people who have dogs in place of children.

I agree with Bevo, and this post does concern me, because, while I agree that rescues should not be buying dogs for resale, the fact is that many rescues bail dogs from shelters or from private situations when the dog needs help.  It isn't the size of the adoption fee that is concerning, it's the fact of how they are getting the dogs.  Some very reputable rescues with high adoption fees have those high fees because they are willing to do extensive health care, transport, and spay/neuter which other rescues do not necessarily do, or have the funds for.  I have gotten most of my dogs for a small donation to a local shelter - I think I gave $75 when I adopted Sioux (that is the biggest bargain I ever got in my entire life in terms of a donation).  But, I fully understand, having just dished out $100 out of my own pocket to get a dog from here to another state to his forever home, without any possibility of reimbursement, that these services are not cheap any longer.  One dog I adopted came from a shelter, and once I had her and took her to a vet, she tested positive for heartworm - I treated her and paid for it - in those days (1981), still more than $250.  Had a rescue done so, should they not have been reimbursed, so that they would continue to have funds to help other dogs??? 

By the way, many of us who don't have children still do not consider our dogs to be "substitutes" - if I wanted kids, I'd have had them.  You could start a whole new thread on whether people wanted their dogs for that reason, but this isn't it, and frankly, I resent generalizations about childless people the same way I resent generalizations about only children, people who live in trailers, or those who own German Shepherds (yes, you know there is a stereotype about people who own so-called K-9 breeds).  So, could we just stick to the facts?

denise m

IrishSetterGrl

I "bought" Cadie (I usually just say we "acquired" her ...again, it sounds better).

 

Why should anyone feel the least bit embarrassed to say they 'bought' their dog? Are people that judgmental? Holy Cow!

They shouldn't, as long as they got a dog from a reputable source.  I have adopted shelter dogs all my life, but I am happy to say I paid for Sequoyah, and bought her from a reputable breeder.

denise m

IrishSetterGrl

I "bought" Cadie (I usually just say we "acquired" her ...again, it sounds better).

 

Why should anyone feel the least bit embarrassed to say they 'bought' their dog? Are people that judgmental? Holy Cow!

  Yep - it is no longer politically correct to buy dogs.

spiritdogs

By the way, many of us who don't have children still do not consider our dogs to be "substitutes" - if I wanted kids, I'd have had them.  You could start a whole new thread on whether people wanted their dogs for that reason, but this isn't it, and frankly, I resent generalizations about childless people the same way I resent generalizations about only children, people who live in trailers, or those who own German Shepherds (yes, you know there is a stereotype about people who own so-called K-9 breeds).  So, could we just stick to the facts?

  Ummm I don't have children either and made no such generalization. In no way did my post imply that all or most people without kids have dogs as substitute children. I simply said the word "adopt" appeals to the people who do and those people are out there.

erica1989

Luvntzus

BEVOLASVEGAS

If you paid money then you BOUGHT a puppy.  You didn't adopt it.  You didn't rescue it.  You bought it. 

Rescues and shelters charge money for their dogs, so the dogs are bought.

But see - now the difference between giving a shelter money, or a breeder, in a shelter - you're giving money to help the other animals - to cover the costs of having your newly pet speutered, vaccinated, microchipped, and who knows what other medical/behavioral work went into your new pet. With a breeder - you are paying for you pup, maybe a set of vaccines, and maybe a microchip - if you're lucky (depending on the breeder or pet store). With a shelter - the adoption donation (as well call it) IS tax deductable.

Casey was adopted. I filled out adoption paperwork, paid my $25 adoption donation. He was due to be euthanised (by the shelter I worked for previously) due to poor temperment and a bite history (of more than 2 people...). I guess you could call him a 'rescue' in that sense - but I just tell people he was adopted from a shelter.

 Doesn't matter what the fee is going for. Bought is bought, so you can't use the blanket statement that if you paid money for the dog, then it isn't rescued.

I consider the $90 I paid for Emma paying for her spay. It didn't even BEGIN to cover the nine weeks of care that the shelter gave her. I always tell people Animal Services has the BEST bargain dogs around! For $50, they will neuter the dog, vaccinate it against rabies, and microchip it. Try to beat that, anywhere. 

Maybe the word "rescue" is best reserve for those people who take in the dog the first time and pay the medical expenses up front?  I have so much respect for dog rescues.  I never really feel comfortable saying I "rescued" Coke, because really what I did was look at a few dozen dogs on a website, make a short list of the ones that would fit our life, contact those people, and the first to respond were the people who had truly "rescued" Coke.  They were the ones that saved his mother and the litter from euthanasia, raised the litter, and took care of all the medical stuff.  When asked where is from I say, "we adopted him from a rescue organization."  Kenya I say, "I adopted her from a breeder" and Nikon I say "I bought."