As someone who works in pet care I always find myself biting my tongue when I see people saying stuff like "adopt don't shop" and "don't support kill shelters"

Like. There's so much more to it.

Adopting can be a big gamble,especially for mixed breeds. You have no idea where the dog came from, what health issues they could have down the road. Of course they could be perfectly healthy with a perfect temperament! But they also might not.

Getting a dog from a REPUTABLE breeder ensures you know their health history, a good breeder will have record of what health problems their dogs might develop, you can meet the parents and get an idea of temperament. It's so much less guess work

Also there's nothing wrong with wanting a particular breed. And there's nothing wrong with people wanting to continue the breed either! It's the backyard and puppymill breeders that are the problem. The ones churning out dogs with no regard for health or safety of the animals

AND THEN THERE'S THE "NO KILL" VS "KILL" SHELTER DEBATE.

"kill" shelters are usually the mandatory government run facilities. They are obligated to take *any* animal that shows up. This is why they end up euthanizing animals- to make space. And with this whole idea that they're evil floating around that means nobody is adopting-

And if nobody is adopting then they will always be full.
"no kill" shelters are *private organizations* which means: they can afford to reject animals if they don't have space.

Neither one are evil and both are doing their best to help the animals under their care. Adopt if you're able and ready to deal with potential health and temperament problems. Do your research on your breeder if you're getting an animal that way! Just. Use your head.