Journalism November 29, 2017December 6, 2017 Beth seifert 11/29/17 As soon as you walk into a pet store, what are you greeted with? For an average chain store, it usually those clear Plexiglas chambers which contain either puppies or kittens willing to welcome you upon your arrival. And often those upon those glass structure lies a sign saying “adopt me”. However more realistically those signs should say “buy me. Although the united states have an unwanted surplus of domesticated animals, an estimation of 17 million people will add another pet to their household this year. Yet regardless of this high demand for an animal companion, a collaborative 2 million cats and dogs are killed in American shelters on an annual basis. As information exposes, more people are willing to receive animals from either private breeders or pet stores rather than from an animal shelter. As statistics support, it seems as if our country as a whole has a biased opinion that animals found in shelters have a stigma similar to the comparison of a thrift store to brand named retail chains. Rather than adopting a “second hand” animal, people would rather place both their trust and money in an industry where their biggest concern is the profit rather than the wellbeing of the animal. Breeders, some whom only concern themselves with maximizing their incomes, can dominate an animal’s life solely for creating offspring. Along with breeding a risk, of medical conditions often follow. Common amongst in breeding, litters with organ failure, mental retardation, and other complications are almost inevitable. As seen in a local shelter in the greater Boston area, a purebred Siamese cat whom has been used as a surge in a kitten mill, suffered great setbacks when attempts were made to integrate her back into a life of normality. Rather than exhibiting her species average traits of boldness and athleticism, when exposed to the shelters rehabilitation experts, she was timid and sluggish. Although they were slowly able to gain her trust, having a life dedicated to breeding left a strong impact on any possible relation she create with humans. Many other stories similar to this is brought to human attention every day. And as long as Americans are still willing to continue this tradition, the escalation of these stories will only continue. With a constant demand for cut puppies and adorable kittens breeders will not yield for consideration for the future of the same animals their helping in creating.