Is It Better To Adopt From a Rescue Centre or Responsible Breeder When It Comes to Our Dogs and Cats?

Bringing a new pet home is always a happy occasion, but one which starts plenty of debate. The decision to adopt a pet from rescue vs acquiring from a responsible breeder or family with a litter is one which needs to be made thoughtfully and responsibly, navigating between what’s best for your home and your family along with what’s best for the pet themselves. 

Whilst puppies and kittens are undeniably adorable, there are many pets in shelters longing for loving homes too – so what’s the best approach? And does this change depending on the time of year too, i.e. the influence of the holiday season? 

We wanted to understand how the British public felt about the adoption vs buying debate and so surveyed 1,113 UK dog and cat owners to find out.

Rescue adoption vs responsible breeders

We love our pets, and for many of us they are important family members. From our research, we can see that an enormous 92% of people consider their pets as much a part of the family as any other member. 

It’s clear from this figure alone just how much we love our pets, and just how strong our emotional bonds are with them. They are key members of the family, we shower them with love, we make sure that their needs are met and that they’re always looked after. It goes without saying that our pets are deserving of loving homes.

But often people differ in their choice of where they get their pets from in the first place. In a lot of cases, it’s a debate between adoption and going through a responsible breeder. When it feels like there are advantages either way, it can be difficult to know what’s best. We asked our respondents how they got their latest dog or cat, and from our research we found that breeders are the most common source, with 31% of respondents choosing this option. Adoption sits behind at 24% - showing it to be a slightly less attractive option for the UK. Interestingly, 27% said they adopted their dogs and cats through family members. This might, for example, be from a Grandad who is no longer active to the level his dog needs, or an aunt who’s moving out of the country and can’t take her cat with her. There’s a feeling that our dogs and cats sometimes just fall into our lives.

Dogs vs cats

Adoption vs purchasing rates differ when we look at dogs and cats. Buying puppies from breeders is much more common (38% of people) than buying kittens from breeders (23%). For cats, people are more likely to get a cat from friends and family (30%) and from cat shelters (27%). Only 21% of people choose rescue dogs from shelters and 23% got their pooch from friends.

Age is a factor too

And we’re talking about the age of the owners rather than the pet! Adopting an animal from a dog or cat shelter is much more common with older generations. Just 8% of people aged 16-24 and 14% of those aged 25-34 had adopted their dog or cat from a rescue centre, whereas 30% of people aged 45-54 and 34% of over 55s had taken the same route. Is there a reason that older generations are more likely to consider adoption, perhaps a sense of an older animal being a little calmer and more mature?

What are people’s biggest concerns when bringing a new dog or cat into the family?

Yes, a new dog or cat brings love and fun, and bringing a rescue animal home can truly change their lives (especially for older animals), but it isn’t without its challenges too. There’s house training for little ones which needs to be taken into account, whilst older dogs and cats have established behaviours and character traits, so it’s important that they’ll need to fit in with the family. And there are always vet bills for older pets or pets with pre-existing conditions to think about too, which can further complicate things for people.

According to our research, the biggest overall concerns for new pet owners are:

That’s the cost of upkeep (29%), followed by veterinary care (26%), potential behavioural issues (24%) and pet insurance costs (23%).

Looking at rescue pets specifically, behavioural issues was the top concern with one in four new pet owners concerned about this. This was followed by an unknown medical history (16%) and bonding difficulties (11%) with a pet which has already established their own personality. 

And for those bringing pups or kittens home from breeders, cost (13%) and finding a reputable breeder (11%) were big concerns. 

Other factors identified by the respondents in our research included whether a new rescue dog or a puppy would get along with existing dogs that are already established family members. Being able to have a dog or cat in a rental property was an issue too, as was the cost of caring for a dog or cat when on holiday. 

Fostering cats and dogs

Caring for cats and dogs isn’t just about the breeder vs adoption debate. There’s a third option too - fostering.

Fostering is the temporary care of a dog or cat in a volunteer’s home, where foster carers provide a safe and nurturing environment for animals who for whatever reason, are not yet ready for adoption. Fostering can last from days to months, depending on the animal’s specific needs, and can be vital in setting up certain dogs and cats for their future homes. Cat or dog fostering also enables people with limited time to enjoy the love and companionship of a cat or dog without the long-term commitment of pet ownership. It also allows spaces in rescue shelters to be prioritised for homeless or abandoned animals. 

And it’s an option many 73% of respondents on our survey were aware of, with 50% saying they would consider fostering over the holiday period too.

Benefits listed by our respondents for fostering include

It’s clear our respondents feel fostering has a few benefits, including helping shelters (42%), helping with socialising animals (39%), having a "trial run" for adoption (34%) and choosing a temporary commitment over a long-term one (26%).

The perceived pros and cons of holiday adoption 

We can see from our research that spring and summer are the most popular times of year for pet adoption, with a 12% majority of respondents picking their pet up in June. Adopting during the winter period, particularly close to Christmas, brings its own set of barriers which can make it a confusing time for would-be pet owners. As our study found that 4% of owners adopt in December, it’s worth knowing what’s the best thing to do – would the holidays inspire more owners to adopt, and what myths and concerns are there around the season?

Nearly half of the respondents in our research (48%) said the season would influence their choice to adopt, as the thought of a pet needing a home during the holidays is just too strong. We all feel emotional around Christmas, and we feel it for our potential pets too. But what are the other reasons to make the decision to adopt at Christmas? According to our research, the reasons that people would consider adopting during the December holiday period include: 

• Helping overcrowded animal shelters (37%)

• Providing companionship during a potentially lonely time (32%) 

• Having more time to settle in a new pet when you’re off work (29%) 

• The spirit of giving at Christmas (28%)

Yet, not everyone believes it’s the right time of year to do it. We also asked respondents what would put them off during the holiday season, and found that:

• A pet should not be given as a Christmas gift (42%)

• The chaotic holiday environment (35%)

• The risk of overshadowing long-term commitment (35%)

• Routine disruption after the Christmas break (33%)

• Potential dangers from Christmas decorations and too many guests in the house (27%). 

So, we can see from the results there are conflicting views when it comes to adopting at this time of year. Whatever you decide, it's important to bring your pet home into a loving and stress-free environment which makes them feel welcome. 

Celebrating Christmas with your pet

Whether you’ve adopted your pet, bought one from a breeder or are fostering a cat or dog for the holidays, Christmas is coming, and with 92% of us considering our pet to be just as much of the family as any other member, we were curious to see the ways Brits would work their pets into the celebrations. How do we show our pets love this season? How do we involve them in the festivities? And how are we treating our pets during the most wonderful time of the year?

For close to one in two people (45%) their four-legged family members get a Christmas stocking too. One in three people (33%) treat them to a special Christmas dinner, whilst one in four (25%) dress their pets in festive outfits. We personally feel like our pets are adorable as they are, and if a garment isn’t designed to keep them warm or safe, your cat or dog will probably prefer to stay the way nature intended! 

Other popular Christmas treats include pet advent calendars (23%), Christmas-themed photoshoots (19%) and pet-safe ornaments (18%) - i.e. instead of using glass baubles, use felt or wooden ones which won’t break. Curious cats might require a bit more thought when it comes to putting up the tree, like one anchored to the floor! 

However you plan to spend Christmas this year, make sure you shower the furry family members in your life with love, attention and a few special gifts too. And whether a new pet arrives at Christmas or you’re feeding your loyal and trusted pets, give them the gift of biology-based nutrition to help them live their best life during the holidays and throughout the year.