Why should I adopt a pet rather than buy one with “papers” from a pet store, breeder or at the flea market?
Papers are easy to come by. Healthy, well-bred animals are not so easy or inexpensive to acquire. There are many breeders (who also sell to pet shops) who have papers for their animals, but have not had the parents tested for diseases and genetic problems related to the breed. If you want to buy an animal from a breeder, do your research and ask to see the tests run on that animal and its parents. If there is a problem with that, do not buy the pet! A responsible breeder does not sell to pet shops, they show at least one of their pets and are proud and happy to show you all the results of tests done on that pet and on its parents and grandparents. They will ask that you return the pet to them if there is any problem. They will either offer to refund your money or give you a replacement from their next litter. They will require that you sign a contract and will want to make sure that you have the pet spayed or neutered (unless you are investing quite a bit of money — after a lot of res
