getting a pet is an astronomical commitment, like having a kid. you have to research a research befor you find a compatible breed. if youve done your homework, you'll end up with a good pet, if not, you'll only add to the problem at the animal shelter.

example: lhasa apso. cute, cuddly looking, adorable, on the outside, controlling, dominant, independant, stubborn on the inside. this is common knowledge, but people dont even ask before buying a lhasa, and because of this, they are the #1 most common breed found in most shelters.

I voted other. I would get a pet from an small individual group which non-profit and gets animals from owners and recues. They tend to specialize in one type of pet (small, poodle, cats, etc.), and the animals live with volunteers so I get the impression the pets are better matched with new owners. But maybe this counts as a shelter.

Definitely a shelter or rescue group! I think it should be mandatory for everyone in NYC to take a tour of our kill shelter so they realize how important spaying/neutering is -- even and especially feral cats.

Of course I'm biased because I have done "sidewalk clean-up" (aka rescue) after other people for years and work with a TNR group.

If people would just spay their pets, those numbers would decrease dramatically. Myself and a few others have been implementing a trap/spay/release program on the strays in our neighborhood. We've spent, collectively, thousands of dollars and are barely making a dent. A few of the animals we've paid to spay were someone else's pets that they refused to properly take care of and allowed to roam, creating even more unwanted animals.

Lissy, we have a no-kill shelter that I volunteer for that takes in rescue animals. They have gotten a lot of pit-bulls from puppy mills in the south that would have gone to dog fighting rings. They are sweet dogs and it really is the training that makes the difference. I'm not sure if other shelters work the same way, but I'll always get a shelter dog.

In the past, I have gotten cats from shelters. But most recently, I bought one from a breeder. There is much less disease to deal with when dealing with a reputable breeder--all of the local shelters have sick animals. I have been very pleased with my breeders in town and would recommend it. It's nice to be able to select from a litter of cats all the same (preferred) breed. My niece calls me a "pet snob" now, but it is what it is.

There are many fantastic rescue organizations out there that have great pets in need of homes. My dad also had great success using Petfinder.com to replace me with his new son Thomas (a yellow lab). There are many organizations that deal in specific breeds that can help if you are looking for a certain kind of dog. If you have decided to go for a puppy than make sure the breeder is reputable to insure that the pet will be healthy and good natured.

Anybody who buys a dog at a pet store should be forced to visit a puppy mill. I think that would slow sales down a bit.

"If You Wanted A Pet, Where Would You Go?"

Flexpetz.

Selling pets in a store, particularly the bix-box variety or mall store, is disgusting. Wait a minute, selling them at all is terrible!

I marked other. I usually look in the paper for people who's pets have had offspring and they are unwanted, that way they're brought to a home BEFORE they end up in a shelter (yeah I know, if they were unwanted, the pet should have been spayed/nutered). In regards to buying pets, for proffit is definately disgusting, but to compensate the previous owner for shots/spay/neuter etc I have no problem with. Also, people/groups etc who are going to bad stuff with animals look for free animals. If you sell your kittens/puppies etc for ~$10, I have no problem with that either.

I get my pets from animal testing labs. some teachers who test animals in educational facilities actually reach out to animal rescue groups to take the animals so that they don't have to be killed after the test. Rodents are the most common, but bunnies and puppies are tested as well.

More about Mir, for anyone who is curious. I adopted him from a rescue group in NYC that takes in cats and kittens marked for euthanasia at various shelters.

I get my cats and dogs from local shelters,friends,and farmers.I got two of my cats from a local farmer.They get a home.I get a mouse free barn.The shelter cats get a new loving home.I would never buy from a breeder.The same applies to stores.

Look no further than your newspaper classifieds. This is where they start before going to the SPCA.

"Other"

The dog I adopted was found thru petfinder.com, and was being fostered by a local Pet Semaritan family. She was 9 months olde and had been given up *twice* to a shelter**, before Pet Semaritan rescued her. I have no idea why she would have been given up, because she is an awesome medium-sized mutt with beautiful colouring. Altogether, my adoption fees were $100 flat, and she was already chipped, vaccinated, and fixed. She is a wonderful dog, and I wish I had the space to adopt a couple more.

**Story: the first time I took her to a doggy daycare to get acclimated (it was also going to be the kennel where I would board her) she freaked a bit - scared and shaking - I had never seen her like this before. The person at the place asked if she was a shelter dog, and then it clicked: the place had a lobby with glass doors, concrete floors, and there were dogs barking out of sight... she thought she was being given up again. I felt really bad at first, but then the moment she went thru another door and saw that all the dogs were out of cages and in a big play area, she brightened up.

The Humane Society WI, for example, encourages pet owners to teach their dogs to behave in public and they will give the dogs papers to prove that they are good citizens.