I understand how terrible the problem is, and I actually thought many more than 11 million dogs a year are put down at shelters. I've worked at rescues, rescued dogs, and done a lot of free helping of owners who have problems with their dogs, in hopes that it would help them keep and get along with their dog.
Even so....I'm not going to agree 100%. For a couple reasons.
One is that to support rescue organizations, you don't have to adopt a dog. You can volunteer time, resources or supplies to them. You can put on a demonstration with your dog at a fund raiser. You can give donations of money. You can do so many things.
One reason is, that there are a ton of totally volunteer organizations, non shelter based, in the US that ALSO rehome purebred dogs. MANY of these are aided greatly by breeders, and breeders quite often take dogs that are in trouble and rehome them themselves. High dollar kennel dogs are just as at risk for getting into the pipeline as mongrel dogs or poorly bred purebreds - people die, move(and yes, actually, a great many people these days are getting foreclosed out of their homes, and have to move into apartments that don't allow pets, or with relatives where they are already imposing and don't want to further), get divorced, die, etc. These organizations do fantastic work, and so do the breeders that aid them. They educate the adopters about the breed, they volunteer to retrain the dogs, they give a great deal of effort to the cause of helping dogs.
Purebred dogs are not necessarily 'bad' or less in need of help than other sorts of dogs. And purebred breeders aren't necessarily out of the loop in dog rescue - in fact, many are very MUCH in the loop. Supporting them ALSO means supporting dog rehoming and education.
Another is, I feel that buying a dog from a REPUTABLE, non-puppy mill breeder is fine in and of itself, for those who can afford it and are prepared to take care of the dog properly and be responsible. They may want or need a dog more likely to have certain characteristics - such as a guard dog or a herding dog, or a working dog to protect their autistic child, or things like that. They may need a hypoallergenic dog or one that will mature to a small size, for say, a fragile elderly person. There is a usefulness and a place for purebred dogs, and for buying them.
That said, there are lots of problems in the purebred dog market. There are puppy mills and irresponsible breeders and sellers of purebred dogs, right on up to the national champion level.
Neither money nor the lack of it will make a dishonest man honest - they tend to just stay dishonest, and they exist everywhere, in all segments of the pet market. But that doesn't mean I am going to shout out to every person to boycott all purebred dog purchases.
For some, it is the right choice. I'd certainly encourage everyone to consider rescuing a dog when they can.
For example, someone who wants to lure course, might be able to do that with a rescued greyhound (no, not all can lure course - the courses are open and unfenced...). Perhaps a person who needs a guard dog could rescue a dog that looks like it's part Rottweiler or German Shepherd. Someone who wants to do flyball might be able to do that with any agile, quick, high energy dog. Someone looking for a herding dog might find a border collie cross.
But I don't think adopting from shelters is what everyone must always do.
And, it really bothers me that a young person is so down on herself and berating herself for 'killing two dogs' when she acted with the best intentions as a child, it bothers me immensely one would write a piece like the above.
There are so many places other than shelters to get dogs. A neighbor might have a nice pup from an unexpected litter, or a college friend might need to find a new home for his pet when he leaves school. A service man might have to leave his pet behind when he goes abroad, or an elderly relative may pass away leaving his pets.
We've gotten pets most of the possible ways - from shelters, found running loose on a farm, relative passed away, left in a garbage can down the street (kitten)...and bought from purebred dog breeders. And most of those purebred dog breeders were rehoming and rescuing dogs themselves! I WILL support breeders like that!
