The term “Adopt, don’t shop” was coined as a part of an awareness campaign by Los Angeles-based Last Chance for Animals (LCA), an international, non-profit animal advocacy organization. It was to educate people about the benefits of adopting a pet from a shelter instead of buying from stores and puppy mills.

The campaign was meant to make people aware of the adversity pets have to go through because of unethical breeders and non-regulated puppy mills and encourage them to give homeless pets a chance at a loving home.

However, over time, it started to become more of an attack mechanism on social media and was used against anyone and everyone who preferred a specific breed over a mix.

Don’t get me wrong when I say “I’ve stopped saying ‘Adopt don’t shop’.” I’m still in 100% support of dog adoption. Personally, my first option would always be adopting a dog because as a trainer, I know I have the time, patience and skills to work with the possible behavioural issues that might come with an adopted pooch.

However, I do not expect every dog lover to be a dog adoption enthusiast. Neither do I judge anyone who would prefer a Purebred over a mix.

A lot of rescue dogs and dogs that end up in shelters come with a bad past and are usually abandoned or given up on by their previous owners. It takes massive amounts of time, effort, knowledge and patience to work around with their trust and behavioral issues. Again, not all shelter/ rescue dogs are “problem dogs.” I’m talking about a particular scenario.