It’s that time of year where the classified ads are peppered with adorable puppies being sold for thousands of dollars (as high as $2,200 in the Saturday paper). There are so many good puppies and dogs in local rescues that need homes, and there are also rescues nationally and internationally that will fly adoptable dogs to you.
The more people breed and buy designer dogs, the more shelters and rescues have to put down dogs. According to the ASPCA, “approximately 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized every year (670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats).”
I’m requesting that The Columbian donate at least half of the ad revenue they receive from these puppy ads to either the Humane Society for Southwest Washington or Street Dog Heroes, an organization that rescues street dogs in the U.S. and internationally. I’d also encourage The Columbian to start peppering the classifieds with adoptable pups from local shelters at no cost to the rescues. I can personally attest that mixed mutts give just as much, if not more, love than designer and purebred dogs.