I have seen so many people online bashing people who shop for dogs. I agree that we shouldn't be buying from puppy mills but if you know a reputable breeder, it shouldn't matter if they bought it.

The first dog I adopted was a beagle/basset hound named Gigi. I found her at my local shelter. I was only 15 but I saved all my money to get this dog. She had no information but was super lovable. She was around 1 year old but still needed to be micro-chipped and needed shots. I've seen many posts online saying adopted dogs get all their shots and micro-chipped included but that's not always true. I had to pay extra to get this done. Unfortunately, Gigi died in a hit and run only after a few months of having her.

After Gigi died, not having a furry friend really destroyed me. I went to a pet store not thinking I was going to buy a dog, but I fell in love with one. I was able to play with this pup in a gated area and we clicked instantly. The dog I bought, Coco, is a Cocker spaniel/poodle mix. She was a spunky little puppy and was only a few weeks old. She had papers about the dog breeder and she got her first shots done when I got her at no extra cost. The breeder actually lives just a few miles away.

If you are thinking about buying a dog, you can ask the store for papers on the breeder. Then, you can look them up. Most of the documentation online is current and updated yearly when they have state inspections. I found Coco's breeder online with great reviews from customers and the recent inspector.

I've seen a lot of posts say it's cheaper to adopt, but that isn't always the case. After all of Gigi's shots and vet costs, she was about the same price of Coco.

There are many reasons why someone might want to buy a dog instead of adopting one in the shelter. Some people (like me) have really bad allergies. Hypoallergenic dogs aren't always found in a shelter. Also, some people just prefer having a specific breed, size of dog, or age.

As I said, I don't agree with puppy mills at all, but people shouldn't assume just because you buy a dog that means it comes from a puppy mill. When I decide to get another dog, I'll check both shelters and reputable breeders and see what each has then decided.

If dogs could read these hateful posts, they'd probably be really disappointed that humans are even arguing about this. After all, dogs are dogs and deserve love no matter what.