[DJ MacWoW]

I don’t buy puppies from breeders. I get shelter dogs. They have been excellent pets and companions.

[Tamar1973]

I agree with you. If all you want from a dog is companionship, get a dog from the shelter. If you want to breed them or use them for a task (hunting, protection) then you need to look into purebred dogs.

[SamiGirl]

Same here. All of my dogs are from the shelter.

Save a life — get a dog from the shelter.

[peeps36]

I donated a $100 to get a mixed breed puppy for the first time in my life. He has been great for the two years we've had him. His mother was pure red nose pitbull and his father was half rottweiller, half great Pyrenees. It's like having 125 pound lapdog who leans on you and can't fall asleep unless he's laying against a part of your body.

[AJ504]

Here’s a breed you’ll love:

http://www.youtube.com/v/mMxGQhEYQSQ

[Irene Adler]

My three current pups and my cat are all shelter animals. That's the way to go for me from now on. Don't buy from a pet store, EVER, and, frankly, don't buy from a breeder, either.

Why not settle for a good approximation of the breed you want from a shelter? Shelters also have a lot of surprisingly excellent examples of purebreds there, too, mainly because a lot of people unwisely think they have plenty of time for a dog, spend big bucks for a purebred, and then find they are not patient enough, or available enough, or they have to move, or whatever, and turn in a lovely dog for someone else to adopt. Get on petfinder.com, put in your zip code, and see many wonderful pets in shelters in your area. I didn't use to think that shelters had 'good' dogs in them, but boy was I wrong! Try petfinder and see what I mean.

And many of the mixed breeds are very attractive, loving, and intelligent dogs. I confess, I used to be something of a 'purebreed snob', but I was wrong.

I was in our local shelter just today to take in some old blankets that they use for beds for the big dogs, and a loving couple were taking home a sweet Boston Terrier/French Bulldog mix that was absolutely darling! They were so happy with their new pet! Help out a dog in need. Adopt from a shelter. You won't be sorry.

[rintense]

I’ve gone the opposite way. Grew up and had nothing but mutts until last year. Now, I won’t get anything but a purebred Belgian Sheepdog. But no more puppies! I’ll rescue.