FORT STEWART, Ga. - With permanent change of station season upon us, many individuals are tempted by their new found stability to spontaneously purchase that cute little puppy at a local pet shop ,but buyer beware.

Instead of dealing with the inconvenience and cost associated with PCSing with a pet, many service members opt to give up that once adorable puppy which has now morphed into a full grown dog.

Consequently, animal shelters are filled with unwanted pets. An estimated 5-8 million abandon animals enter shelters every year and approximately 3-4 million are euthanized; 60 percent of all dogs and 70 percent of all cats never leaTo prevent these needless deaths, before purchasing an animal, service members should consider adoption.

Unless an animal is purchased from a private breeder, there is no guarantee that the animal is not a product of a mill, where profit is given priority over the well-being of the dogs.

Most dogs used for breeding never leave the confines of their small cages their entire lives nor feel any human affection. Since it's legally difficult to define, it's very hard for states to pass legislation against it.

However, puppies from puppy mills are notorious for being sick; many often die from illness and display neurosis from being taken away from their mothers too soon.

Furthermore, Georgia does not have a law that protects consumers who purchase sick dogs from pet shops, unlike Florida that has "a lemon law" making pet stores/flea markets financially responsible for sick animals purchased from them.

Other factors to consider before adopting or purchasing a pet is whether the landlord allows pets, if any extra security deposit is required, medical bills, the cost of food, the time to properly train and exercise your animal, who will take your pet if you deploy or what happens to the animal if you have children.

Dogs also require a regular scheduled exercise and stimulation almost as much as people and suffer without it; most routine behavioral problems are caused by inattentive and inexperienced owners, not bad dogs.

Lastly, there are many benefits to adopting. The 25 percent of all shelter dogs are purebreds.

For one small adoption fee, usually $100 or less, the pet comes spayed/neutered and current on all its vaccine. Older pets are also great options as they are usually housebroken and have gone past their chewing phase. Many therapy dogs used to help Soldiers with PTSD have come from shelters.

If you honestly cannot handle the responsibility of a pet, but would like the benefit of being around them, many shelters, including Liberty County are looking for volunteers and since most are nonprofit, donations as well.

So the next time you walk into a pet store, remember all of the hard work, time and money that goes into that little puppy with the big brown eyes that is calling your name.

ve the shelter alive.