The complicated kindness of rescuing pets

How could anyone take home a puppy from a breeder, knowing there are poor doggies at shelters just waiting to be rescued?

Rescuing may seem like the obvious, good and 'kind' way to go but author and animal lover Jon Katz says rescuing pets can sometimes be a misplaced kindness.

"The idea of getting a dog has become a moral statement...I think people are looking for ways to do good and feel good and it feels good to rescue something. The problem is getting a dog is a very complex and serious thing."

Jon says that when getting a dog you have to acquire it thoughtfully, with real consideration for what is right for you, your family or for the animal itself.

According to Jon, the number one cause of death for dogs in America is being returned to shelters by families because the animal was the wrong choice.

Piya chats with Jon about why people are drawn to rescue animals and what effect it has on animals and pet-owner culture.

"We are very frustrated with our ability to help people. Helping people is very complicated. It's a natural human impulse for us animal lovers to do good...I think it can become very arrogant when [rescuing] becomes a kind of moral superiority."

This story appears in the Out in the Open episode "Perfect Strangers". It originally aired on May 7, 2017.