Ask my husband about our dog, Buff (right), and here’s what he’ll tell you: “He was the most expensive free dog I’ve ever owned.”

You see, we rescued Buff, then four years old, from a small dog rescue place in New Jersey. (As a golden retriever/cocker spaniel/beagle mix, 40-pound Buff was the biggest small dog they had.) We’d originally spotted him on Petfinder.com, a website that provides a one-stop-shop for pets up for adoption. Or, as the Petfinder site says, “The temporary home of 264,124 adoptable pets from 11,296 adoption groups.”

We weren’t just being frugal when we decided to get a “free” dog–we were going with our conscience.

Bill and I were brought up to believe that dogs should come from pounds or places like the ASPCA, from boxes in front of supermarkets, or from families that can no longer keep their pets. They should not come from pet shops or puppy mills–which is where Americans buy nearly 1 million dogs each year. I read any article today about a woman who had had her $800 schnoodle (schnauzer/poodle mix) stolen from her during a walk. I’m sorry she was robbed but I’m really sorry that she paid that much for a puppy. (The dog has since been recovered and is fine.)

Before we got Buff, collectively we had acquired pets as strays off the streets of Brooklyn, puppies being given away in front of Waldbaum’s supermarket, and found on a front lawn after being tossed from a passing car window.

* Truth be told, we ended up paying $200 for Buff, the “suggested donation” for the rescue group, which was fine with me (perhaps not Bill). We were told that this fee, er donation went to cover spaying and neutering of animals, and to pay for their care and housing while waiting for adoption. OK, so Buff was already neutered and from what they told us about him, Buff had only stayed with this rescue group for a few days. But I’ll bet Buff was one of the lucky ones, in that he came to them fixed and got out fast.

Now, it seems that folks will get to see exactly how much time, work and resources go into finding homes for pets like Buff (and why rescue organizations have to ask for these donations), now that Animal Planet is going to have a show based on the Petfinder.com website. We’re already big Animal Planet fans as it is–we love “The Planet’s Funniest Animals” and “Animal Precinct,” though both shows often leave us in tears (for different reasons). Starting in 2008, we’ll have to add “Petfinder” to our Tivo season pass.

Maybe once viewers get the inside scoop on how many adorable, adoptable pets are out there, then the puppy mills and pet shops will all go out of business.