I don't know how many times I see people basically say "Yes, a purebred _____, in a shelter!", often followed by how you can find purebreds in shelters and you shouldn't dare go to an "evil" breeder.
Ok, look, if the breed you found is in the top 50 AKC registered breeds, that means squat. OF COURSE you can find popular breeds in the shelter. Especially the top 10. Plus various bully types, be they actual American Pit Bull Terriers or those American Bully things, or mixes of.
But! It doesn't mean they're well bred. Those popular breeds are....well...popular. And are readily bred by questionable people EVERY SINGLE DAY. Why? Because they're popular and people want them, even when they haven't don't one iota of research or spent any actual time with them.
It may be based on a friend of neighbor going "Oh yeah, they're great, perfect dogs! Not a single problem. You should get one." Because everyone gets along with peanuts and onions, right? No. -.-
It may be based on looks. Often times, it is. They see a cute puppy, where ever they are, or in some book or on a website, then they want one. So they go buy a puppy of that breed or mix like they buy shoes....actually...no, I think even shoes often get researched more than when people decide to buy a dog. -.-
It may be based on some reputation, like being a guard dog. And then you have people failing to realize that to be a well balanced dog that isn't a liability and gonna get your ass fined or sued, you have to SOCIALIZE AND TRAIN IT. And even then, depending on breed and personality, there's MANAGEMENT!
And often, these breeds people get are readily available, commonly seen, often bred by people who have no idea what they're doing because they're doing it because "everyone wants one".
So what happens then?
People are shocked when that adorable Labrador puppy tries to chew and eat everything, and needs surgery to remove a bunch of rocks and socks from it's belly. People are surprised when they realize how much that Golden Retriever sheds. They're taken aback when they don't understand why their 1-year old Boxer hasn't settled down like the 7-year old they met! They are horrified when their Siberian Husky tries to eat the neighbor's cat. They are appalled to find themselves in danger of losing everything they own because their German Shepherd threatened to eat a kid.
And then off to the shelter they go. Popular breeds, more likely to end up in the wrong hands, more likely to be gotten without research, more likely to be shipped off to the shelter.
Really, you don't see Dandie Dinmont Terriers or Sussex Spaniels everywhere. So
typically, hardly anyone knows about them, and you don't have a
plethora of "can't be bothered to research a living thing, but oh I'm going to research the shit out of these headphones" members of the public falling in love over
dumbass reasons and getting them willy nilly. And even if tomorrow, everyone wanted one, the circle of breeders is so small that they just don't produce many litters, and the breeders are highly protective of their breed. Occasionally, one will fall into a shelter or rescue. It happens in rare breeds, I'm not going to deny it. However, depending on the people in the breed, how the breed is or isn't promoted, and the area, it can vary greatly. Which is why you're far more likely to see a Dogo Argentino in a shelter than a Sussex, why you're more likely to find a coonhound in the south rather than on the north coast, more likely to find more Chihuahuas in cities, and herding and livestock guards in rural areas.
Even if a rare breed does end up in a shelter, a rescue (breed club rescue or otherwise) may pull the dog, the responsible breeder may pull it, there may be someone who was waiting longer than you, or it may simply be a mislabeled mixed breed-which happens a LOT. Furthermore, you may have to travel, or possibly wait years and years.
So if you're one of those people who is in love with a popular breed that can be readily found, and doesn't give a shit about proper temperament or health testing, go.....feel free to find your next dog at the shelter.
But stop being a Judgey McJudgerson for those who do care or are in love with a breed that is difficult to get even when going to a responsible breeder (some waiting lists for the rare breeds can be years long). And stop acting like it's some impressive feat to find a common, questionably bred purebred in the shelter. It's not.
When thousands of Goldens, Labs, and German Shepherds are registered every year, and you're lucky if there's 16 new English or American Foxhounds...there's a huge difference in availability no matter where you go.
Common=More of. Easier to find. More often to end up in the wrong hands. Simply.
