comment: >
context: If you buy a pet, you still have to put in time, energy, money, and research to socialize, train, and treat any ailments that arise.
  There is no pet that you can just adopt and have them 100% fully trained, socialized, guaranteed healthy for life and ready to go.
  If you’re not ready to do all of those things, don’t get a pet. >
  
  As someone who has worked in multiple animal shelters and has been a pet fosterer, this opinion is not only unpopular, it’s just plain wrong. 
  The reason why the mantra of “adopt, don’t shop” first came to be was because of criminal breeding practices because people were so obsessed with a certain aesthetic in their animal that they wanted “pure-bred” animals which incentivized a lot of pet supply shops to buy from puppy mills and those dogs came with an unfathomable amount of health problems due to how they were neglected, but also their genetic bottleneck. 
  There are programs and organizations that help lower the intake of animals at municipal animal shelters that have to deal with being at overcapacity most of the time. As a fosterer, I am part of one of those programs to help said burden. 
  I have no earthly idea what the hell you have in mind, other than flat out euthanasia of unwanted animals. 
  Any animal you bring into your house is going to take some effort into properly acclimating them to their new environment. That said, from an anecdotal standpoint, shelter animals are some of the least destructive ones I’ve cared for and they don’t compare to the costs associated with health problems of purebred dogs by a long shot. 
  This is also not disparaging people who take in particular breeds due to allergies, as some breeds are less reactive to people’s allergies than others.
  If you really want to make a difference, go volunteer at your local shelter. You don’t even have to take an animal home with you, just get it out of its cage and take it for a stroll. Just stop posting ignorant crap on Reddit.