Look who's adopting and why...

Proving that money DOESN'T buy you love, some big-time celebs have recently decided to adopt pooches into their family, rather than buy them. Check out the stories and adorable pics of their new best friends!

Miley Cyrus (or Hannah Montana, I never remember which one is real) and her Aussie fiance Liam Hemsworth (who really only needs one word written on his resume: "HUNK") recently adopted a Chihuahua mix named Bean. Here's just one photo of the little fella; you can find about a million more on Miley's twitter.

And in Australia, the very talented and very lovely Missy Higgins went undercover recently in Griffiths, NSW to adopt Gizmo. I had to include three pictures of Gizmo - I hope you don't mind :)

So why am I always banging on about adopting rather than buying dogs and cats? "They're all the same aren't they??" Yep, you're right - they ARE all the same. There is nothing wrong or faulty with cats and dogs in shelters. (Did you see the dogs who were taught to drive in NZ to prove how wonderful shelter dogs are?) They've ended up there because someone who was meant to look after them hasn't been doing that. And that's not the dog or cat's fault.

Unfortunately, there are hundreds and thousands of these kissable critters stuck in pounds and shelters across Australia. Uncontrolled breeding, and worse - puppy mills! - have led to a massive overpopulation of dogs and cats. There simply aren't enough loving families for them to join. Buying from pet stores or online may mean you are giving money directly to someone whose only care about dogs and cats is to make money.

You can make a personal promise to all the dumped dogs and cats in shelters around Australia: that you'll always adopt rather than buy when you're ready to welcome a furry friend to your home. Take the pledge now.

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