We hear this expression all too often these days. It means: adopt an animal from a shelter instead of buying one from a breeder. But is it as simple as that? And is there anything wrong with buying a dog instead of adopting one? Follow me during my search for a dog.

Be sure to watch the documentary below.

So adopting an animal from a shelter in Belgium is not that simple. We noticed this after our many phone calls and our conversation with Laure. Going to a breeder doesn’t always seem right. There are puppy mills who only want to make money. Think of our findings about ‘Happy Doggy’. Of course there are also reliable breeders. Remember our conversation with Sabine. It’s up to us as potential buyers to do good research. 

Finally, you can also adopt an animal from Spain, as the organisation ACE SHIN makes possible. We talked about this with Kathleen, who gave Luka and Lily a happy life. 

The conclusion of this whole story is as follows: ‘Adopt, Don’t Shop’ is an idea that we should pursue. Even though it is often not easy and you have to go through a long adoption process. 

On the other hand, shopping and therefore going to a breeder is far from being a criminal act as many of us think.  Buying a puppy is also okay, as long as good research is done so that you don’t contribute to puppy mills. But whatever you do, you give a dog a nice and warm home and that is what it is all about. 

Documentary & text: ©Amaryllis De Bast

Photo: ©Amaryllis De Bast