Although everyone is entitled to her opinion, I think it’s important to consider the consequences of sharing that opinion, especially when it puts the lives of millions of shelter animals in jeopardy.

Last week the Washington Post published an article called Why I’d never adopt a shelter dog again. The article, written by Erin Auerbach, is one woman’s account of owning 3 adopted shelter dogs. She describes the health and behavioral issues that plagued her dogs, including seizures, pancreatitis, and lymphoma, and goes on to say that “rescue and shelter dogs are a crapshoot”.

Because, you know, those things only happen to rescue and shelter dogs. {said in my most sarcastic voice.}

When you adopt a shelter or rescue dog, it’s true that quite often little is know about her past.

Even though she appears healthy and strong and comes to you vetted, spayed, and up-to-date on vaccinations (as the majority of shelter dogs do), there’s no absolute way to know what maladies might await her in the future. That’s a simple fact of life, and I’d never deny that.

But buying a dog from a breeder doesn’t mean you won’t end up with a dog with behavioral or health problems, and if you believe that, you’re misguided.

Knowing a dog’s past doesn’t promise there won’t be issues in the future. Paying hundreds of dollars to a breeder for a dog you could likely find at your local shelter or rescue group for a fraction of the price doesn’t ensure a happy storybook ending.

Know why? Because there are no guarantees in life. For any of us.

Had Erin Auerbach purchased any of these 3 dogs from a breeder rather than getting them from a shelter or rescue group, she might just as likely have encountered the same health issues because, as Forrest‘s mama always said, “life is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re gonna get”, and that’s as true of pet ownership as it is of everything else in life.

Nothing is promised, no matter how much you pay, no matter how reputable the breeder, no matter what.

Of Auerbach’s 3 dogs, one was diagnosed with lymphoma just 6 months after being adopted. Sadly, cancer isn’t a condition reserved only for shelter dogs; just like with humans, cancer doesn’t discriminate when selecting its victims. We’re all at risk; some of us more than others.

Did you know that 60 percent of Golden Retrievers will die of cancer? And it makes no difference whether they come from a breeder or a shelter. It’s genetics – a simple fact of the breed.

Another of Auerbach’s shelter dogs, a Pug, suffered from seizures. Again, this is a breed-specific thing. Maybe Auerbach is unaware that seizures are frequently seen in Pugs and are just as likely be an issue with a dog purchased from a breeder.

Auerbach’s third dog, a Boston Terrier, well, I’ll be honest. I can’t figure out what the problem was with him, other than the fact that he got old and developed some health issues, as all old dogs do.

Auerbach writes, “He had been reliably healthy for more than a decade. But I spent his last two years frequently rushing him to the veterinarian, each episode of senility and related problems slowly built up to the big goodbye.”

When a dog reaches 11-13 years old, which is just about the lifespan of a Boston Terrier, they start wearing out. Sad but true.

Older dogs require more vet care than they did when they were younger. Life gets harder for them, and I dare say more inconvenient for us owners. Case in point: just last week, I had my 15 year old Dachshund at the vet twice in one day!

Fifteen years ago before I was aware that I probably could find a purebred Dachshund in a shelter or rescue if I simply looked, I bought my little wiener girl from a breeder, and guess what? Despite the fact that she was happy and healthy in her early years, she’s growing old and wearing out, and each day life gets a little harder for her. She’s seen the vet more in the past 2 years than in the previous 5 years combined.

Isn’t that exactly what happened to Erin Auerbach’s dog? He got old and his body wore out, which is what happens to all dogs, regardless of where they come from. But the fact is, she got 10+ years out of a shelter dog — I’d call that a success, wouldn’t you?

Whether one adopts a shelter or rescue dog and saves a life or purchases their pet from a breeder or pet store is a personal decision. There are no promises, no guarantees either way.

But no matter where a dog comes from, its kisses and cuddles are sweet and comforting, and isn’t that exactly why we bring pets into our homes in the first place?

But the truth is, 4 million dogs will find themselves in US shelters this year, and more than a million of them will die because no one comes for them.

Much of that can be blamed on human ignorance, and trying to convince others that shelter dogs are somehow broken or imperfect is just wrong, both literally and morally.

Even if you had a bad shelter dog experience, Erin Auerbach (and in my opinion, that’s debatable), you should choose your words wisely and realize that just because you personally will never adopt from a shelter again, the message you send could be fatal to pets who are currently waiting for homes, as well as those that haven’t even entered the shelter system yet.

You are entitled to your opinion, yes. But when you voice your opinion simply to justify the fact that you chose to buy a dog rather than adopt one, it shouldn’t be at the cost of so many innocent lives, and I would think a true dog lover would understand that.

*****

Author’s note: The photos above are actual shelter and rescue dogs that are currently looking for forever homes. Learn more about Cashmere, Maddie, Brooklyn, Lia, and Moo by clicking directly on their photos.