I agree with the investment, don't get me wrong. The real issue adoption process that I was describing was not shelters, but rescues, and they often do not get govt funding, and they need the money they charge in order to care for the next animal that comes in. It is just hard justifying an unpapered pup to hubby when it costs $250, and they want a home visit etc, he just doesn't understand, he comes from the mentality of if you want a particular breed, get it from a breeder, if you want a mutt go to the shelter. But I hate the shelters because a lot of shelters just go through the motions, and I feel I can't trust their temperment evals a lot etc. Plus I would not bring my dogs to a shelter to meet the new dog, as that is asking for Kennel cough or parasites to come into my home. I know Dave's shelter is great and well run, and from the stories and photos you can tell people care, but that is not the case with most shelters. I went to the SPCA before we got Lady, and the lack of care and socialization was disgusting, I could not trust one of their scared malnourished dogs to come into my home, no one was there to answer questions, or knew anything about the individual dogs, if I asked how it was with other animals, I got asked if I wanted them to take the dog out so I could see it. I got a kitten from Animal Control in NY, and it ended up feral, but I didn't want to take it back because they wuld put it down, so I tried to work with it. One day it ran at the door as I was coming in, I grabbed at her, and she mauled me. SHe got into the yard, and hubby ran out to try to get her, and when he got her she nearly took out his eye, so she stayed outside, we tried everything to coax her back in. No luck. She diappeared in a day or 2, I called animal control to ask for a trap to try to get her, and they said they had no reports of a loose animal lol wtf? They said they only deal with strays when I told them my animal was loose. So she was lost. I put out food and treats and tried to lure her back, but she never came close to me, so I left food in the yard, but after a day I never saw her again, I looked in the streets for her body, but found nothing, I called shelters, and vets and AC no sign of her. This cat came to me so messed up that after years of living in the house with us she was still wild. We were never able to pick her up, she sat near us in the house sometimes, but you couldn't touch her. All our other cats are fat and lazy and they beg to be touched lol. So shelters are often just a place filled with idiots who don't know anything, and don't care.