Looking at all these pets makes me want one really badly. Do they ever have purebreds in animal shelters? I'm not sure of how this works cause I've never owned a pet and id like a pomeranian like the one I used to babysit. I wouldn't mind paying for one either but how do you know if you pet is coming from a puppy mill or not? They have a lot of high end pet shops around here and its kinda hard to trust that they use reputable breeders.

I don't know about dogs, but I know you can get pure or very close breeds with cats from shelters or rescue operations. I got my boy Otis from a rescue organization that deals exclusively from Siamese and Siamese derivative breeds. He's not pure (he has a couple of white toes on one paw), but he's got to be close, as with the exception of those toes he looks very much like a traditional apple-head Siamese.

Try googling "Pomeranian resuce" and see what pops up.

My BF and I are getting a cat from a shelter for sure and I realllllllly want an english bulldog. I do know my next $2500 from poker winnings will be for the dog and her medical expenses.

What SGT said. There is regularly rescues for specific breeds although I'd imagine a pomeranian would be a tough find.

Look for AKCC registered breeders.

ITT, you don't want a pure bred. At best, they are going to have a high propensity to genetic problems because of too much inbreeding. I've got two mutts from rescue shelters (both are black lab/basset hound mixes, see above). There's probably 10 kids/adults in our neighborhood who were scared of dogs but after meeting ours, have turned into dog lovers because of the great disposition of both dogs. They were in shelters because there is color discrimination against black dogs (unbelievable to me, but true).

While rescue dogs require some training, they are extremely aware that they have a good situation once they settle in and will be loyal well beyond what a puppy from a mill will ever conceive of. Having a home shared by one dog at most and the attention of a human that cares for them is heaven for them. They know what a worse situation is.

I have had purebred AKC dogs (Scotties) and shelter dogs simultaneously for a long time. I would not hesitate to get another shelter dog. You just have to keep in mind that you may not know their entire history.
Personally, this does not deter me but it is something you need to be aware of. I have had 3 unique shelter dog experiences:

Bryan was a 6 month old abused stray Lab mix when I adopted him. We dealt with these complications for his entire life. Several times, my grandmother advised me to have him euthanized because throughout the years he had bitten children, adults, and other pets. I could not give up on him though. I resorted to segregating my animals any time I left the house. Overall, he was a great dog and a very smart, happy, scruffy, tough boy. But his early abuse did cause many problems, and I am sure 99% of owners who went through what I did would have euthanized him many years before he passed at 14.5 years old just a few months ago.

In contrast to Bryan, however, was my German Shepherd, Skye. I adopted her at 9 months old; she had been given up due to being "destructive" and yes, she was a puppy and did puppy things, but she turned out to be such a sweet girl and loved everyone in sight. She was def the favorite among all my friends, and was so full of energy. She passed away last year at age 12.

One of my foster dogs I ended up adopting was an elderly Shih Tzu named Charlene. She was a puppy mill mom, and was so rigid from having been confined for so many years producing litter after litter that her body was barely flexible. She could not be picked up without screaming out in pain. Change for her was traumatic. She she was very skittish and did not like social contact. I eventually ended up keeping her, simply to spare her the stress of going to and adjusting to another home. She passed away several years ago, but spent her last couple years happy with me, as once she warmed up, all she did was kiss me and jump up and down with her ears flapping. I remember the day when I first saw her get excited...it was a very happy moment for me.

Here is a pic of these three shelter dogs, they have all passed, but I think about every one of them every day.

It depends on the breeder. If you purchase puppy from a breeder that focuses on temperament and breeding healthy parents then this is not the case.

Katie-- adorable pic and interesting stories.

Katie thank you for sharing and thank you adopting strays who were abused. I don't think people like you get enough credit for helping animals such as these. They are beautiful just like you!

I think it takes a lot of patience and understanding to have pets in the first place, but certainly to take on an animal with "issues".

The agency I work with is very careful to be honest about what we know about a particular animal. And they are that, animals. You'd be astounded by the number of people who act surprised when we ask questions about how they would deal with the cat scratching the furniture, or making occasional messes. It either never occurred to them, or they specifically request a cat that doesn't ever throw up or scratch anything. Um, if that's what you're looking for, you don't want a cat, at least not a live one. Go get a stuffed animal. Cats scratch stuff, you have to clean their litter box daily, they meow, they shed fur. Dogs bark, chew, shed, and have to be taken out multiple times a day, and in many areas you have to pick up their waste (except some of our neighbors, who leave it in the grassy area between our side door and our car ). I mean, a pet is a joy (IMO), but also a chore.

My mom adopted a cat one year that showed up on her doorstep (not the first time that happened, either). He flinched every time you tried to pet him, and once inside with the other cats, there were fights all over the place as our one boy (he thought he was an alpha male, which was really more by default than anything else, and he was a big bully) did everything in his power to terrify and beat on the new and obviously previously abused cat. My mom almost gave him up, she was so worried. But she stuck it out.

It took years for the cat to stop flinching (less time than that for the other cat to finally leave him alone, thank God), but once he settled down, what a grateful and loving cat. He was constantly rubbing ever piece of furniture, and loved nothing more than to give head butts to his people. He had the strongest tail I've ever seen on a cat - when it would lash, it could actually hurt a bit if he hit you with it.

This boy (whom my mom named Ebenezer, but we all called Slinky because he of how he wound his body around everything) died as I was petting him from either a stroke or a brain aneurysm or something like that. Instead of a lifetime of abuse from where ever he came from, he ended up in a home where he was well loved, and he was happy.

I took this photo about a month before he died. He was a great cat.

I want to thank everyone for their information and advice. I found a site that does pomeranian rescue and ill see what I can do with that. I will definitely try to adopt a pomeranian that needs a home rather than purchase one.

SGT- I LOVE UR KITTY!!!

This is a great idea! One less homeless dog that will need one!

There are definitely lots of pure breeds at the shelter. They might not be available at all times, but come in. I get tweets from the NSPCA and I see poms all the time. You're obviously not going to get papers and stuff, but that only really matters if you're breeding.

But chances are that if you just go down there, you're probably fall in love with somebody.

I like how this thread has evolved and the direction it is going. It has become informative as well as entertaining.

I suggest we change the name to "Official Pet Pics & Tales of TWSS"

Yes/No?

Sounds good to me!

[12:43:05 AM] katie75013: should it be Tales or Tails?
[12:43:18 AM] hotjenny314: OMG TAILS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My husband went to visit his Dad in Utah and came back with a stray kitten. We' ve yet to name him as we don't know the sex yet (vet appt is tomorrow). Suggestions appreciated!



So far kitty's hobbies include meowing, eating, and curling up with a good book

OMG, Siamese kitten!

If I know anything about Siamese, you should name him after which ever friend you have who talks incessantly, since there's like a 75% chance your cat will do so as well.

O.M.G. that FACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And that little NOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, if you don't know the sex, it's probably a girl. Little boy cats have...well, boy parts. A fuzzy little nut sack. On a short haired cat this is usually kinda obvious.

My sister always wanted to get two Siamese and name them Anthony and Cleopatra when she was a kid. Now she's grown up and doesn't want pets, so I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you stole whichever one is appropriate for your little kitty.

I'm goin to pick up Oscar when I get back to Vegas (FRENCH LAUNDRY Y'ALL) and I wanna record what he's like when I get back because he loses his goddamn mind.

Have to share this Scottish cuteness with everyone. Took this yesterday afternoon in the back yard!

Awwwwwww!

Oscar wuvs his girlfriend.

It's Hallowiener in Las Vegas tomorrow!!! It's a party for the dachshunds of the city and a fundraiser to help out the rescue. 11 AM to 3 AM in the summerlin dog park, if you wanna come say hi do so!

the rest of that video is on a different website iykwim