Four years ago, 8th grader Lizzie Deal’s family found a small white puppy near their home. Now, the puppy has been adopted by her family and has become healthy loving companion. “I was really thrilled when my parents said we could adopt Sally because that meant that she wouldn’t be dropped off at an animal shelter.” Lizzie recalls. “She is the sweetest, most lovable dog I could ask for, and she deserved to be loved in return.” There are countless dogs and other animals as sweet and loving as Sally right now, yet the only difference is, they’re not given the love they deserve.

Right now, about six to eight million dogs are sitting in animal shelters waiting for a loving family to come and take them to their “furever” home. According to American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or ASPCA, 28% of dogs are purchased from pet breeders and 29% of dogs and cats are adopted from shelters. When buying dogs, shoppers will justify their reasons by saying things such as, “This dog will be healthier,” or “The ones at the shelters are messed up,” but those are complete myths.

When someone brings a dog into an animal shelter, most of the time there’s nothing wrong with it. Instead, it’s normally the owners’ problems, such as divorce, moving away, not being ready for a dog, or because of lack of money or time. And as for a mutts’ health, their rough lives may occasionally leave them with disabilities, but overall their health is better and allows them to have longer life spans than purebreds.

Purchasing a puppy from a pet store means you have most likely gotten your dog from a puppy mill. And what is that exactly? A puppy mill is an inadequate, large-scale operation of breeding purebreds without much of a thought of the living conditions in the mill. It’s basically a gigantic commercialized house of animal cruelty. And the worst part is, these places are supported by many people and exist across the United States. You never know if you’re buying a puppy from a cruel place like a puppy mill so you may as well just adopt.

When adopting, you know you’ll be getting a well taken care of dog. Rescue centers have only one priority: to take the best care of dogs and to provide them with safe homes. At every adoption center, dogs have regular vet examinations, are kept up to date on vaccines, and are spayed and neutered as soon as they can.

And the ironic thing is, most purebreds are more “disheveled” than mutts, due to the last century’s breeding habits. To make sure the cute traits of the dog is passed down into their offspring, breeders will tend to breed siblings or parents together. This leads to less diverse and stable dog breeds. Simply take a look at the progress of popular dog breeds over the last 100 years. As you can see, many of them now may have tons of extra skin or adorable flat faces, but these traits are just not natural. Look at the English Bulldog. These dogs are absolutely precious, but also top heavy with a gigantic head, broad shoulders and very slim hips. This makes mating and giving birth almost impossible without the help of humans. And if that’s not enough, they’re prone to every possible disease for dogs and live for an average of six years.

When it comes to finding a furry friend, all signs point to adopting. There are no puppy mills involved, it’s cheaper, healthier, and you’ll have a lasting bond with the dog for years to come.