Contrary to myth, PETA does not want to confiscate animals who are well cared for and “set them free.” What we want is for the population of dogs and cats to be reduced through spaying and neutering and for people to adopt animals (preferably two so that they can keep each other company when their human companions aren …

One guide dog takes about two years to train and costs a total of $45,000 to $60,000, covering everything from boarding a dog to extensive drilling by professional trainers in serving the needs of the blind to a weekslong period acclimating dog to recipient.

A German doctor, Dr Gerhard Stalling, got the idea of training dogs en masse to help those affected. While walking with a patient one day through the hospital grounds, he was called away urgently and left his dog with the patient as company.

Does PETA believe that people shouldn’t have pets? Please be assured that PETA does not oppose kind people who share their lives and homes with animal companions whom they love, treat well, and care for properly.

He was suffering from cancer, too. Had PETA not intervened, this dog would’ve endured a slow, agonizing death—outdoors, alone, and on a chain….How Many Animals Does PETA ‘Kill’ vs. Save?

PETA has a bad reputation because it engages in ridiculous grandstanding, kills almost all of the animals it seizes, and has been caught lying and fabricating evidence many times.

Many breeds of certain animal species – dogs and cats, for example – have a long history of being human companions, and keeping these as pets is morally good, since this is the natural way for these animals to live. It’s also unethical to keep an animal that is a danger to other people or animals.

The institution of pet-keeping is fundamentally unjust as it involves the manipulation of animals’ bodies, behaviours and emotional lives. For centuries, companion animal’s bodies (particularly dogs, horses and rabbits) have been shaped to suit human fashions and fancies.

Keeping wild animals as pets can be dangerous. Many can bite, scratch, and attack an owner, children, or guests. Animal owners can be legally responsible for any damage, injuries or illnesses caused by animals they maintain.

Breeding and selling dogs is not intrinsically ethical or unethical. It could be either, how you conduct your business and treat the animals is the deciding factor. Unfortunately there are many breeders who fall far short. Finding a responsible breeder can be very difficult.

Dogs are a long-term commitment and a huge responsibility. They depend on you for everything and can be expensive, high-maintenance, messy, and loud. They’re not toys you can put away when you’re done playing with them. If you feel you are ready to make a dog your number one pal, then adopt—don’t buy.

Less than half of states make a violation of the law a criminal misdemeanor. California’s law makes it a misdemeanor to sell a puppy under the age of eight weeks as does Nebraska’s. Even in those states with laws, the best action is to talk to a veterinarian in advance to find the best age to adopt a new puppy.

Puppies sold at pet stores often have serious health or psychological problems. Some of the illnesses common to pet store puppies include zoonotic diseases which can be spread to other pets and humans. Buyers are often faced with enormous vet bills or even the death of the puppy within days or weeks of purchase.

Adopted pets are just as loving, intelligent, and loyal as purchased pets. Adopting a pet from an animal shelter is much less expensive than buying a pet at a pet store or through other sources. Buying a pet can easily cost $500 to $1000 or more; adoption costs range from $50 to $200.

Breeding Trouble Inbreeding causes painful and life-threatening genetic defects in “purebred” dogs and cats, including crippling hip dysplasia, blindness, deafness, heart defects, skin problems, and epilepsy. Distorting animals for specific physical features also causes severe health problems.

The number of euthanized animals could be reduced dramatically if more people adopted pets instead of buying them. When you adopt, you save a loving animal by making them part of your family and open up shelter space for another animal who might desperately need it.

Each year, approximately 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized (670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats).

An amateur dog breeder is just as unethical as any puppy mill but on a smaller scale. And just like puppy mills, amateur breeders can breed dogs with health problems, passing along genes that cause suffering in litter after litter. These types of breeders may also cut costs by failing to provide proper veterinary care.