As hundreds of dogs rescued from a puppy mill in Hillsville earlier this month are prepped for adoption, scores of potential owners up and down the East Coast have already lined up to take one home. But before making the next addition to your family, area animal health and welfare experts urge, do your homework.
"You're talking about a 14- to 16-year commitment, so it should not be a sympathy purchase with those big sad eyes looking at you," said Mark Finkler, owner of Roanoke Animal Hospital. "I think a lot of people get the wrong breed or wrong temperament for their lifestyle."
Potential mistakes are plentiful when choosing a dog.
Some people underestimate the financial commitment. Others make an impulse purchase. Still others don't know the dog's background, which might include abusive owners or less-than-ideal breeding conditions, Finkler said.
At the Roanoke Valley SPCA, some dogs that are adopted are later returned to the shelter because their new owners didn't realize what they were tackling when bringing a dog into their homes.
For more reading go to
http://www.roanoke.com/pets/wb/140317
Cheers!Dorothy
www.DogMillion.com
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