Pets - where did you get them?

[JPkempo]

So did you buy your friend or get it from a shelter?

The cat I had came from under the back deck a stray.

My parents just got a cat from a shelter.

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

Normally I would go to a shelter, but I fell in love with my cat at first sight in a pet shop. My neighbour's dog had puppies, and one of them decided to move into my place and keep me...couldn't be without her now.

[Bizarro Amy]

My family is involved with animal rescue, so all of my pets are from there, strays, or the result of having strays around. My older cat is from a litter born when I still lived at my mom's house. His mama was one I took in before a bad storm hit. My other cat is a stray that was living on the neighbor's porch and we took in before snow hit. My dog is one that was brought in by the rescue group. I don't know how other states are, but in Pennsylvania, there are a lot of puppy mills which unfortunately supply many of the pet stores. I will never buy an animal from a pet store again.

[toys2cool]

I was going to pick one up at the shelter when a Doctor friend of my wife's gave us his dog

[Joe90]

The Dog Pound via the SPCA. My Dogs were street kids...

[livnxxxl]

All six cats are strays if you wish to call them that. The Momma cat was abandoned by some moron idiotic fool. I started feeding the Momma cat out of the kindness of my heart. Momma Cat had babies and that was that.....I have never ever had a cat in my life nor did I ever think that I ever would. Now I love those little fur balls. They are all really good cats for being strays. Now they are a bunch of spoiled rotten fur balls thanks to me.

[Mikey]

I got my cat at Walmart --- for real

A woman and her young daughter were giving away free kittens in front of my local Walmart.
A deal I could not pass up

[ScottA]

Got our dog from an ad in the paper. Got my son's rabbit from a rabbit farm. Got my daughter's guniea pigs from the pet store.

[4NDR01D]

CATS
Tory- a stray that followed my sister home 19 years ago, still have her.
Turtle- she was picked up in a trailer park, and we got her from a cat shelter in town.
George- pure bred persian we bought at a pet store.
Abby- was a stray that somebody was shooting with a bb gun.
Sushi- pure bred maine coon from a breeder
Harrison- bure bred bengal froma breeder.

Dogs
Ferris- yorkie/maltese cross froma breeder
Henry-yorkie/dashuand cross free from friend.

[Mikey]

Out of all the cats and dogs i've ever had in my life, I never paid for any (not counting shots, vets, etc)

I can't see "buying" a dog when there's so many homeless ones out there.

I also like mutts, so that helps

[Godzilla]

I think most of the pets I have had have found me rather than me finding them.

[Mikey]

Best dog I ever had was a mutt.

Back in the 70's I got him from the local dog catcher.

He was still a puppy and his owner used to beat and mistreat him.

I took him home and he was so scared and frail, at night I had to keep him in a box on the side of my bed with my hand dangled down in it all night.
If I took it out he'd yip

This went on for 2 weeks.

He grew up and was the best dog I ever had.
He lived to be 14 years old.

His downfall came when a rabid skunk bit him.
I knew the skunk was rabid because I shot it, cut it's head off and had it analyzed.

I took my dog to the vet and had him put down.
One of the saddest things I ever had to do.

[Adam West]

Our first dog was a pure bred Golden Retriever. There was an ad in the paper and literally it was a situation where a couple of neighbors each had a AKC registered Golden Retriever and decided to have a litter and make a little cash.

When we went over to look at them, the father and mother were both on premises and both seemed to be very nice dogs. The puppies looked like they were really treated well and we bought one. We had her for 14 years and one of the greatest dogs I ever had. I cried like a baby when she finally died about 4 years ago.

Around 5 years ago, my wife wanted a 2nd Golden Retriever which I didn't want at the time which is a bit odd since I love dogs and she really isn't a pet lover. I gave in and we bought a 2nd purebred. This was bought from a breeder and although the dog is beautiful has some strange quirks to her that make me think she came from a puppy mill.

Over the years she has mellowed out quite a bit and I have grown to love the dog quirks and all.

[jessica]

My first pet I bought from a pet store, an Asian water dragon. My poor lizard. Lived to about 10 years of age. Had to force feed her crickets towards the last year of her life. I was kind of relieved she passed on. Forcing her mouth open to force in a live cricket dusted with calcium powder was kinda gross.

[Wise4671]

I stole my dog. I was out by my parents house and this A@#hole that lived by my parents would beat his dogs or take them to the woods and shoot them cause they barked. Anyway he had a black lab that just had pups and he was statring to miss treat them so I went over to his house one day to confront him and noone was there and saw a little black lab limp up to me so I took her. Im happy to say I have had her now for 10 years and she is in the greatest of health and a happy dog (BTW I named her Shadow cause she is always following me around)