After President Barack Obama was elected into office, he promised he American people that the dog he had decided to get for his two daughters would come from a shelter. And after waiting months for news of the “first dog,” it turns out Obama didn’t stick to his word.

The Obamas are getting their Portuguese Water Dog from a kennel in Texas that is associated with Ted Kennedy and his family. Apparently this dog will be “re-homed,” meaning someone had taken this dog back to the kennel. But this is a poor substitute for rescuing a dog from an animal shelter. Instead, the Obamas are going to make a donation to the DC Humane Society.

Barack Obama had a chance to set an example for the rest of America. Far too many dogs in shelters are euthanized every year because people choose to purchase their pets from breeders and pet stores. By adopting a pet instead of buying, you’re ensuring that one less animal will be killed. I worry that this will lead to a sort of new fad, with Americans going out and buying similar dogs. The president is an influential person, and he failed in his responsibility to support animal adoption. We could be seeing a boom in buisness or breeders, and that is so very disheartening.

There are a number of problems with breeders, including inbreeding, inhumane conditions in the puppy mills/kennels, and contributing to overpopulation.