altruistic1

I was talking to a friend of mine today and somehow we started talking about the price of animals.  I said that since I was brought up in the country, dogs and cats were plentiful.  People often would drive from town and drop their unwanted pets off, thinking that they will be fed and taken in by the owners of the farms.  The sad fact is that many of those animals get scared after being dropped off and start running, leading them into the woods, many times into danger.  Roads are always a danger for any animal and rural areas are not any different than city roads, cars and trucks travel them.  I know that some of the cats and kittens may be allowed to stay in a barn to become barn cats and keep the mice away. 

I grew up with purebred beagles, coon hounds and mutts for dogs.  We did not have cats, but my grandmother had house cats and my grandfather had barn cats.  I know that they paid for some of the dogs because they used them when they went hunting.  I know that they did not pay much though.  I know for a fact that no cat was ever purchased. 

When I was living in a suburb of Rochester, New York after getting married and moving there because my husband had an uncle that said he was able to get him a good job at a large company that he worked for, I was lost without owning an animal.  I went to the county shelter which was a first for me, I was overwhelmed by the amount that needed homes.  I decided on one pup and took her home.  I am not sure what I paid but I did not have much to spend at that time, so I know it was not very much.  The pup I chose was a mutt and she was a wonderful companion. 

That was along time ago and so many more animals in shelters need homes, purebreds as well as mutts.  I just am sad to see that people will go to a store that sells animals instead of going to the shelter.  I was so shocked when I went into a pet store and could not figure out why the price of the puppies were nowhere to be found, and then to find out that you had to go to a separate area with a store employee to discuss the price and financing was available.  You must be joking, financing a dog.  To this day I still do not understand it.  I am not sure what the price of a cat is either but everyday plenty are born and people need to find homes for them and are willing to give them away. 

Please do not get me wrong I love animals, all animals, I worked in a veterinary clinic for 6 years, grew up with them and will have them until I am gone.  Most people that are looking for a pet and not looking for show quality dogs should check out the shelters in their area first before going to a pet store and financing a puppy.  The amount that they would pay for the puppy at the store is enough to purchase one from the shelter and pay all of its veterinary bills and food for a long time.  Breeders are another choice if you just have to have a certain breed.   They all are Gods creatures and deserve to be loved.

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