Pet owners: did you adopt or purchase your pet?

I've never paid for any of my dogs - they all needed homes so I took them in.

Best children have 4 paws!!

Good to see so many folks have adopted. Don't give a dime to the puppy mills. The need to be put out of business.

My dad had the pet given to him after inquiring about said pet.

My dog just kind of showed up on my doorstep as a sickly, but adorable, little puppy. I later found out a whole litter had been abandoned in the woods, but by that time, only two were still alive.

Both of my cats were kittens of feral cats. George the nine year old was abandoned at about three days old by his mother and I raised him on a bottle. My female BobBob was found by me in Idaho on a dairy farm in a potato cellar and was about six weeks old freezing,her tail was cut off with a gash in her leg. She is now around three years old and one of the smartest and funnniest and most loveable cat I have ever owned. She is named BobBob cause she is yellow about ten pounds and looks like a minature Bob Cat with the same fiestyness. My other cat George is close to thirty pounds: Hes a big cat but he is also overweight and because of this an insulin dependant diabetic and has been for about 5 years. I give him insulin injections twice daily which I understand completely because I also am a diabetic.

I adopted my cat. But it cost money

my friend found my pet walking down the street after someone abandoned her. nine years later she's basically my child.

Adopted all of my animals

For all the cats I've ever owned - adopted.
Pet fish were purchased.

I raised several snails as escargot.
Several of them weren't fit for eating, and I did not want to release them back into the garden.
They are now my pets.

They are actually demons disguised as cats. They started following me around in the Abyss. Their names are Pestilence, War, Famine, Death, and Insanity.

The poll is clearly directed towards pet owners and yet there's an option to pick you don't have a pet. Nice logic

My first cat was given to my dad by a man who lives near us. Then my second cat was basically thrown away by his owners who didn't want him. He just magically appeared in my families life never left our side. My third cat also magically appeared one day. She a bit intimidated by my other two cats so she's not ready to come in the house.

I can go on and on and on talking about my cats because I love them so much!!! Specially the first one his name is kitty LOL I know lame name but that was meant to be his name. My other two cats are ginger and twinkyy.

There are wayyyy too many strays in my area it makes me sad and just really mad. I'm sure there's about 20+ strays around here.

Many cats I have owned have found me. Migrated from neighbours' houses. Adoption or kind of stealing?

I adopted my labrador. He was having wounds on his back and was skinny. I am soo happy he is with me..

I inherited a bitch by my grand father

My dog was given to my dad by an elderly woman who was afraid of what would happen to her dogs if she died... so I'd say inherited :D

Was given to me by a family friend.

Uh... I got my cat at Petsmart some 10, 12 years ago. I'm not sure if that's buying or adopting.

I got him at a flee market when I was 9. Whah! I miss him!

I don't have a pet...yet.

If $20 counts as "paying" then yes, I did - and I think tha even people who adopt pets from animal shelters eventually "pay" for them. It's not like they are just giving them away for free. They are mostly paying for the vaccinations that the animals have recieved. Which is also why I had to "pay" for my dog - because she already had her shots when I got her..

my two rotis came with my bf so i guessed i adopted

We got our dog from the RSPCA (animal shelter, I guess).

I think (and vet agrees that it's a possibility)she'd been abused. She's certainly fucked in the head.

Depressing and disturbing, seeing as she was 7wks old when we got her and had been born in the shelter...

She's almost 7 now, and is almost entirely un-scared of being patted...but she still runs away from it sometimes.

She's lucky she's pretty and (mostly) nice natured, or we'd have gotten rid of her for her neurotic behaviour long ago

I received my puppies as a gift.

i adopted all of my wonderful children.

i adopted my dog and cat, but my sister bought our leopard gecko.

I adopted a Giant African Land Snail. Someone's snails had had babies and they were giving them away. His shell has reached about 20 cm which is a good deal above average. I'm proud of him :)

Friend gave him to me.. not really sure what that would be under >.<

If you adopt a dog, you never know what you're getting. When a dog ends up in the shelter, its for a reason and passing on the dog to someone else is just passing along the same problems that landed the mutt there in the first place.