There are many different ways to adopt a pet. Maybe you’ve been online shopping for the perfect mix, adopted one after volunteering at the local shelter or bought one from a box on the side of the road.
Having a pet, specifically a dog, can improve your mental and physical health, reduce stress and give you companionship. But is there a cost for how you got the dog? Or where it came from?
According to a Shelter Animals Count ASPCA survey, 2.8 million dogs were brought into animal shelters in 2025, with 2 million adopted into homes. Many rescue facilities are no-kill and will do what it takes to save an animal from death, but we live in a convenient world. Online shopping allows quick delivery from the comfort of our couch, all thanks to technology that gives us quick responses and instant gratification.
Does the same apply for our pets? Does convenience outweigh compassion?
The pet population in the United States exceeds 150 million dogs and cats. This overpopulation contributes to millions of dogs and cats ending up in shelters due to abandonment, surrender or other causes. Buying directly from a breeder contributes to the problem, while animals are being left in shelters without homes.
If you choose to buy a bred dog, how they were bred makes a big difference, as puppy mills versus a family-owned ranch are two very different upbringings for the animal.
Puppy mills are inhumane high-volume dog breeding facilities that churn out puppies for profit, ignoring the needs of the pups and their mothers.
Puppy ranches or farms, like Redden Ranch, on the other hand, are typically family-owned and designed to breed puppies in a loving and safe environment. Still, while ranches are normally cleaner, the purposeful breeding of more puppies contributes to pet overpopulation and unadopted dogs in shelters.
Additionally, buying from any kind of breeder is typically very expensive, ranging from $500-$5,000.
Adopting from a shelter, however, is much more humane and gives you the opportunity to give a dog a new life. Adopting can also be much cheaper than buying a bred dog, and usually ranges from $50-$300. My family adopted from KC Pet Project during its winter sale for $70. My dog had previously been abused, so my parents were set on saving her and giving her a loving family.
KC Pet Project is only one example of loving rescue shelters, though. Purple Power Animal Welfare Society is located right here in Manhattan and is a foster-based rescue that strives to place pets into permanent adoptive homes. Through donations, volunteers, foster families and full-time staff, Purple Paws gets to continue its mission of rehousing thousands of pets that otherwise may have been euthanized. Prairie Paws is another great option, with a location in Manhattan and three other locations in Kansas.
Every pet deserves a loving home, yet it makes a bigger impact knowing you are saving a life and giving a previously abused or neglected animal a chance at a happy future.
