why isn't this stopped?

They usually get the dogs shipped in... the the puppy mill could be from 1,000 miles away.... hypothetically.
 
I don't know why they get away with it either... most like because they're "just dogs" and no DA's or law makers are gonig to step up to the plate and stop it.

Puppymills dont' need to be near you - they bring puppies in by the truckload, literally. [:@]

THe is an obvious demand for this.  If people didn't frequent pet stores and buy pups on a whim then these places wouldn't be up and running.  The only way to stop this would be to educate people about where to get dogs, so they won't be buying them at pet stores.  Once that happens then you will still have all these pups that won't have homes if the pet stores stop selling them...its kind of a catch 22.

The county I used to live in banned the "brick and mortar" retail sale of dogs.  It was a wonderful thing and not only had the immediate effect of stopping our market, but also created a place for rescues from surrounding areas to come and find home for their dogs.  The mall now even has a fancy "pet store" type place with lots of room for potential adoptees and fosters to interact and get some first impressions prior to beginning the adoption process.

We are still sadly prey to the local puppy millers who advertise in the papers (there's even one that drives a "puppymobile" around, yuck) but these are not nearly as convenient and having a law of this sort does make people more aware that there is a problem.

Small dog puppy mills are everywhere.  I used to train at a place that was right outside a major metro area, and one of his neighbors ran a puppymill right in their backyard, which was just across the main pasture from us.  The crying at feeding time was heartbreaking, and I wanted to do something really unChristian to the driver, every time I saw the tractor trailer pull up during my lesson (about once a week) and the wailing sounded like a porthole to hell had been opened up.  My trainer was very influential in the community but there wasn't a thing that could be done about it.

There was another small dog puppymill just about a mile from where I used to live.  They set up anywhere the codes allow them to keep "livestock" and the neighbors have no rights concerning noise or odor.

On the other hand, you don't have to live near a puppymill to get puppymill dogs in your local stores.  There are huge conglomerates who buy up puppymill puppies all over the country and ship them to your local pet store.  The guys behind my trainer marketed their baby dogs through Hunte, one of the biggest (google Hunte puppies and you'll get an eyeful!).

It's a horrible business that results in a great deal of needless suffering, from the breeding stock kept confined their whole lives to the unhealthy puppies who spent their most impressionable days in total misery and isolation.  I wish every American would figure it out and put these guys out of business - talk with their bank accounts and theyll listen.

And it's harder now than it used to be since the pet stores have caught on and tell the public that their pups are not from puppy mills, that it can be verified through paperwork, that they are from small hobby breeders, yadda, yadda, yadda.......which of course is all lies, but they know how to sell it better now.
 
In the years past I would go in and harrass them a little and also speak to folks looking at the dogs.  I would ask for health testing certificates, ask about the contract guarantee, whether they would take the dog back, etc.  They didn't like me much []
 
It just makes me sick to see them and I can't stomach it anymore.  I can't stomach knowing that Joe Q public has NO CLUE what the real world of dogs is about and that they are seen as simply the latest purchase in a long line of pure materialism in this country.
 
 

I was going to bring this up the other day, but forgot...

What do you say to people that are now selling dogs in their stores? I just saw a few suggestions, but anything else?

My favorite fish store, is no longer my favorite. I went in the store last week for the first time in a month or so. I was shocked to see bright colored paint on the windows, saying... "Puppies! We have puppies!" in giant letters. It looked so tacky. I thought that maybe the store was having a huge sale, until I read the words.

I was already there, so I got my 10 feeder gold fish, and headed for the cash register. A lady that has worked there for years helped me out. I asked her if the store changed owners, she said yes. I said... "That's what I thought, I know the old owner would NEVER sell puppies in his store" She said, "yep, you're right" And I walked out in disgust.

I am so pissed that they are doing this to one of the best local owned stores in town. They'll start selling dyed and hybrid fish next. I won't be shopping there, but I would like to say something to the owner. It's sickening. I've already stopped 4 people from using that store, just need to inform more.
 
Edited to add: The puppies had to be the ugliest things I've ever seen. They had a boston terrier that had a long, kinked tail. With a long face instead of the traditional short nose. The pom's fur was matted, and not brushed. It was ugly as well. They had about 10 different kinds of puppies in a setup pen. I wonder what they do with the puppies when they're done? They must have the old grooming cages set up as night time kennels or something in the back. This store is small, it was mainly used (for 10 years or more) for the fish. I'm scared to see what the tanks are going to look like in a few months.

My horrible neighbors sell dogs that they get from a puppy mill in AK. (We are in CO)The drive them back here in small crates in their van.

The trip across OK is hot and when one of our neighbors asked them if all the puppies survive the hot trip the said, "Not always."

This is a man that beats his wife and they party all night, they are in their 60's.

They used to have the dogs at their house, actually in their hot garageand they would cry all day. When my family did everything they could to shut down the business, including calling the police, ASPCA ect it started a full fledged war. They are in tight with the city manager. It was horrible. They harrassed my randparents, and threatened them.

They now have a business near bye and keep the pups in there. It has a front where they sell "dent and bent" groceries. They advertise in the paper. When people show up, she comes out and says "Follow me" and they go and get the pup from the business. I have overheard her say that it is a cash only transaction, so this is all under the table. This is their main source of income and they make A LOT!

The customer show up every single day. I just don't understand it. Are they trying to get a good deal? The dogs are not papered or anything... and not healthy. I see people bringing dogs back every once in a while... I just don't understand any of this.

The spca said what they are doing is perfectly legal....
They view these animals like they are income, it is so sad. The Humane Society will not do anything, nobody will.

When my fiend came over with her Chi, they asked her if they could breed him. (He is neutered)

I am so sorry to use such strong words, but I really hope that they go to hell.

My small local pet store just started carrying puppies. The conditions they keep the puppies in are nice enough, the kind of enclosures that have a solid bottom, open on top like bunnies and guinea pigs are usually kept in at pet stores. They only have about 6 or 7 puppies and they have toys and people to play with them, so if they really did come from local breeders then I'd say that's actually not a bad thing. There's a sign on the glass that says the petstore owner is strongly against puppymills..........
 
Well, each of the puppies neckbands says Hunte on it. To my knowledge that's the largest puppymill out there!! I'm thinking of maybe sending an anonymous letter with info about Hunte. I'm going to try google and see what I come up with.

ORIGINAL: lazlowe1

My horrible neighbors sell dogs that they get from a puppy mill in AK. (We are in CO)The drive them back here in small crates in their van.

The trip across OK is hot and when one of our neighbors asked them if all the puppies survive the hot trip the said, "Not always."

This is a man that beats his wife and they party all night, they are in their 60's.

They used to have the dogs at their house, actually in their hot garageand they would cry all day. When my family did everything they could to shut down the business, including calling the police, ASPCA ect it started a full fledged war. They are in tight with the city manager. It was horrible. They harrassed my randparents, and threatened them.

They now have a business near bye and keep the pups in there. It has a front where they sell "dent and bent" groceries. They advertise in the paper. When people show up, she comes out and says "Follow me" and they go and get the pup from the business. I have overheard her say that it is a cash only transaction, so this is all under the table. This is their main source of income and they make A LOT!

The customer show up every single day. I just don't understand it. Are they trying to get a good deal? The dogs are not papered or anything... and not healthy. I see people bringing dogs back every once in a while... I just don't understand any of this.

The spca said what they are doing is perfectly legal....
They view these animals like they are income, it is so sad. The Humane Society will not do anything, nobody will.

When my fiend came over with her Chi, they asked her if they could breed him. (He is neutered)

I am so sorry to use such strong words, but I really hope that they go to hell.

 
Words can't even describe how sad and disgusted that makes me feel. And honestly, that man probably WILL go to hell. I just feel so terrible for all the puppies suffering in the meantime and for the poor puppies that don't even survive while in their care.

All I can say is that you need to educate these people.  Go to [linkhttp://www.prisonersofgreed.org]http://www.prisonersofgreed.org[/link] and see what conditions in puppy mills are really like.  It's a horrible thing to see the rescued adults that have been kept in total slavery. 
 
I've been trying to educate everyone that I come into contact about the puppy millers out there.  I stopped going to my local pet store because they sell puppies.  The owner was trying to talk a guy into buying one of her $1000 pups while I was there with my guy.  He was balking at the price and she pointed over to me and said that my guy probably cost twice as much. I laughed at her and said nope, a pet quality puppy is usually cheaper from a breeder than what you're selling.    If looks could kill I'd be dead already.
 
 

Hunte isn't a puppymill - they are a broker.  So they could technically be not getting the pups from Hunte.  There's a whole bunch of ways Hunte (and brokers like them) "distributes", including transporting litters to homes where the homeowners will pose as loving hobby breeders (and then sell to unwitting private parties and even mom and pop pet stores).

Hunte in its turn deals with mills that range from the small locals to the infamous gigantic operations in Pennsylvania and Missouri.  Pet stores know that these places are what most people think of as "mills" and can simply specify that their pups not come from really obvious places like that.

I was about to post that site too. It had a lot of information about what you can do to help. It's disgusting what people do to animals.
 
 

Ahhh, I've learned something new today, so Hunte is actually I broker. I visited their website and the problem is that they really gloss over the whole puppy mill issue. It looks like they actually do take good care of the puppies once they get them, one of the puppies I saw in the petstore was a black mini Schauzer that was really well groomed and already had his ears cropped. All the puppies were fairly friendly also, so I think it makes it really hard for people like the pet store owner I mentioned above to believe the puppies came from a puppy mill. And of course you KNOW that if they ask Hunte corp where the puppies come from they'll definitely not say they came from puppy mills! So how do I prove that they did?? Anybody have any ideas?

I was at the prisoners of greed website and I feel like I could throw up. The thought of those poor dogs spending their entire lives in a wire cage is absolutely horrible. And I think the Amish and Mennonites have to be some of the most callous, uncaring people in the entire world. I'm willing to bet that they treat their own kids like slaves just from what I've seen when I visited Lancaster, PA a long time ago.

After looking at all of the pictures on the prisoners of greed site, were those kennels with gross neglect shut down? And if not- why?!!

Yesterday, on Access Hollywood or one of those other shows like that, there was a segment about puppy mills in Mexico who smuggle dogs into the US. When they drove down to the big puppy mill area, there were literally tons of people standing along the roads holding up puppies and stopping cars to shove puppies in their faces. For an extra fee, some would sneak the dogs into the US for the buyer. The reporter later went on the warn people about designer dogs, which I thought was pretty interesting for a show all about Hollywood and celebrities. Too bad Paris Hilton wasn't watching.