Pet Store Animal Adoptions

You're right.  Leave it to me to miss the obvious!  But, at least the money doesn't trickle back to a broker and miller with the adoptions.......and the SALE of the pup doesn't add to the store profits.

Ok. This is a subject I feel so strongly about. Last year I started coming to these boards and a similar discussion was going on. And I was the one saying "But if we don't buy them, how can we rescue them. Don't they deserve good homes?" I was lectured into next Tuesday. The result was, I made it my project to research this topic. I learned about puppy mills,  disease they carry, the homes they live in, the atrocities I can't even think about withoug crying. And I put together a little slide show.
 
The puppy mill puppies they aren't bought, most likely, will somehow be killed. Its horrible and digustting and sad, and it breaks my heart. If you knew me you would know how true that is. I stop for EVERY single stray animal I find and try and find its owner. I donate money to local shelters. I cried when I accidently shut a dog foot in my door when it was trying to run in my house (it was someone elses). I am a huge animal sympathizer.
 
Those puppies go through horrible horrible things. And their parents are stuck there forever. How sad?
 
The puppy mill owner doesnt give a sh*t about why you bought that puppy. The only thing he cares about is the money you just gave him. You can talk about how sad it is until your blue in the face, the bottom line is you just supported that puppy mill. Because that mill owner is still making money he is not going to stop. The only way to stop them is take away the only thing they actually care about, and thats money.
 
Bottom line . . . if you buy that puppy you supported the puppy mill he came from.
 
I am sure I am going to upset a few people. But I did  research it, and I do feel stronglyy about it. It breaks my heart everytime I see a puppy in a store, b/c I know I can't help him, b/c more important to me than that adorable puppy, is his  momma still at the mill still dirty and disease and still spitting out new puppies. And I know the only way to save her and the millions of others is to NOT pay the miller.
 
There are just as many puppies dying in shelters across America, if not as many then more. The money you pay for them doesn't help support puppy mills.
 
If you really want to rescue a puppy mill puppy there are rescues for puppy mills . . .
[linkpuppymillrescue.com[/link]>http://www.puppymillrescue.com]www.puppymillrescue.com[/link]
 
 

Thank you so much for your reply Addicted2rescue. I just wanted some answers on the subject instead of raving fanatics throwing words around. I too was upset at the thought of what goes on and wanted to learn a little more about it. I did investigate and we really don't have that many around here. Most of our pet stores have adoptions from local shelters and the spca thankfully. However I have found that this is a huge problem in a lot of areas and am confident that I could recognize if this was happening in my area. I too was pissed that people were saying to not buy them "what about the poor puppies" but I see and respect your point and will spread the word aout such dealings! Please keep me and all of us updated if there is anything we can do to help out! I admire your big heart!

I completely understand the mentality that you just want to save those poor babies. Because it breaks my heart not to be able to buy them. But I know that one day, maybe far far in the future, this suffering won't happen. And the only way to do it, sadly, is to sacrifice a few generation to save thousands.
 
I don't know of any mills around where I am. But I know there are a few stores that sell puppies and kittens. I'm not the person that is going to go in and scream at people and make a big fuss. Thats just not me. Besides, if there is anything that I know, its people don't typically listen to a raving lunatic in their face. But anyone who knows me always asks my advice about their pets, getting a new pet, and all that. So I always encourage rescues and if you absolutely NEED a purebred,  a reputable breeder.
 
Puppy Mills need to be shut down. And we need to do the only thing that is going to stop it. We need to stop giving them what they want. Because like I said before, they don't care if your buying that puppy so you can save it, so you can beat, or breed it, or anything  else, alll they care about is the money. And point blank, if you pay for the puppy, you are giving them what they want.
 
 
 
 

There's a petstore (local dealer) who sells crap stock puppies at no less than $600 up to $1200 (depending on breed.)  I got nosy and asked where a few particular pups came from, and his answer after showing me their papers, was a farmer out in Kansas.  And, I'm quoting here...
 
"Most of our dogs come from Kansas and the midwest.  The farmers out there have more time and space to raise puppies.  Most farmers around here don't want to bother breeding and raising puppies."
HUH?  The quality was terrible, many had respiratory infections.  But they still turn 'em over at a rate of about 8 to 10 per week (with an average of 32 in stock).  The older they get, they reduce the prices.  Eventually they turn them over to the local SPCA. 
 
Might I mention this petstore is in a town where the median household income is $68,000 so no assuming these are "backwoods folks who don't know any better".

I have been reading all these comments, and curiosity got the better of me, so I trundled down to the pet store in my area that purports to sell purebred registered dogs from local breeders.  First of all, they charge almost as much as a reputable breeder would for a pet quality companion animal.  Secondly, the dogs are registered, but they don't let you see the registration paperwork-the pedigree, etc will be mailed to your home after the sale.  The dogs appear to have digestive issues- as I saw lots of diahrea, and while the staff was vigilant about cleaning up immediately after an accident, I can't help but wonder if it had more to do with hiding the dogs' diahrea from prospective buyers rather than keeping the are clean and healthy for the pets.  I also saw pups with eyes running and mattered, what sure sounded like kennel cough.[]  Oh, and guess what.....after you have spent upwards of $500 or more, you must go to their veterinarian if you want the health guarantee to apply...Now is their designated vet going to give you an honest opinion of the dog's health?????  You own family vet doesn't count and they can get out of the health guarantee that they offer.  This issue goes far beyond the back yard breeders and puppy mills-the ethics of the stores selling are pretty seedy as well.[:@]  By the way, as I understand it, this store is part of a national chain of pet stores, and they also sell rabbits, guinea pigs, exotic birds, mice, rats, gerbils, lizards, fish.......Realistically, we all know the work it takes to properly care for one or two animals-even with several people working, how do you properly cover all that, and make sure that all animals get what they need.

If you notice, the seedier pet stores will only sell dogs that will either
A- sell quickly, or
B - are easy to keep. 
You don't see too many tough-to-keep-hard-to-sell puppies in there.  The same store I mentioned earlier kept sick dogs out in the same area as other dogs (looked like an eye infection in both pups) with a hand-written sign telling folks not to pick up the puppies but NO mention of why (sick/infected).... um, sure!  You know people are patting them and spreading whatever infection is there!  UGH!

I understand the concern about what happens to the pups stuck in that store... but that sentiment in part is what some of those sellers bank on - your sympathy to rescue them for $1200 a pop, plus who knows what more in vet care.  The stores only EXIST because people buy.  If we don't buy, it's no longer profitable and the stores begin to dry up. 
 
If you can't commit to researching and buying from a respectable breeder (if you must have a "purebred" dog - and I question that word in application to some of these puppies), then what sort of long-term committment is made to the dog purchased when they stopped in at a pet store and "just couldn't leave him there!"... ?  They end up in shelters... where many of us start looking before they go looking for left-behind-puppies in pet stores.

I ABHOR stores that sell dogs and cats.

I work part-time at my local pet store, and although we specialize in reptiles and fish, we work with a local rescue and have kittens in a large cage up for adopton - they go like wildfire! It's great.

I live in Virginia and up north, there is a chain called Petland that has received so many complaints and to selling sick puppies and kittens....they have them all in tiny pens built into the wall as glass display cases....they sell rabbits ands guinea pigs in huge bins packed with animals....birds in cages so small they cannot stretch...it is horrible. Petland is pretty well known to be a horrible place.
 
[linkhttp://www.petstorecruelty.org/Hall%20of%20Shame,%20part%202.htm]http://www.petstorecruelty.org/Hall%20of%20Shame,%20part%202.htm[/link]
 
Here is just a SHORT list of the atrocities at the Petland near me.

I saw the saddest, tiny italian greyhound there once....I just felt like crying...there was no WAY this pup was old enough for it to be away from its mommy. They always have upwards of 20 puppies there....none of them get exercised or socialized, I bet.

How do you find out legitimately where the puppies in pet stores come from?  There is a pet store near me that sells Weims, and I can't believe that they are really educating customers on what it takes to care for a Weim, much less an unsocialized one.  I want a way to find out where all these puppies are coming from without getting doors slammed in my face.  Here is the ad that the store puts in the paper:

________________________________________________________________
Family Owned Over 20 years of Placing Puppies in Happy Homes - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $200 OFF Semi Annual Sale No If Ands Or Bark! Sale Ends 6/30/06 www.puppyworld puppies.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Akita, Aussies, Aussie/ Eskimos, Basset Hounds, Bichon, Beagle, Boston, Boxer Mix, Bichon Poo, Cairns, Cockers, Cock a Poos, Chihuahua Mix, Dachshunds, Golden Mixes, Goldendoodles Havachon, King/Cocker, Labs, Min Pins, Pee Wees Peke a Poo, Pom a Poo, Pomeranian, Poodle, Rat Terrier, Schnauzers, Shih Poos, Shih Tzus, Sheltie, Sheltie Mix, Shih/Lhasa, Schnoodle, Tiny Mite, Westies, Weimaraner, Westie Poos, Hurry! Hurry! ASK US ABOUT OUR IN STORE PAYMENTS Financing Available Mon-Fri 11-9 Sat 10-6 Sun. 12-6 325-8147 27th/Layton/ (KMart Plaza)
__________________________________________________________________

It just gets me boiling mad.

I have had experiance with buying a kitten from the petshop and lets say we will not be buying any animals (unless there hamsters or something like that) from there again. WHY? We perfectly have our reasons since we perchased a kitten (4 yrs ago) from one petshop that was full of ring worms but we didnt know that when we bought him. We tried contacting the petshop after knowing about it and they wouldnt return our call. We ended up having to have him euthanized b/c there wasnt anything else the vet could do for him (they tried all medicenes and nothing helped). Poor lil tyke []. So never ever ever buy from a petshop even if they look cute and cuddly b/c that cuteness can hide a disease they have thats not visiable. Petshops are only good for getting rodents in my oppinion

**Edit: I didn't read anything before posting.  My question was answered.
 
 

ORIGINAL: suefitz

I have been reading all these comments, and curiosity got the better of me, so I trundled down to the pet store in my area that purports to sell purebred registered dogs from local breeders.  First of all, they charge almost as much as a reputable breeder would for a pet quality companion animal. 
 
*SNIP*
  Oh, and guess what.....after you have spent upwards of $500 or more, you must go to their veterinarian if you want the health guarantee to apply...Now is their designated vet going to give you an honest opinion of the dog's health?????  You own family vet doesn't count and they can get out of the health guarantee that they offer.  This issue goes far beyond the back yard breeders and puppy mills-the ethics of the stores selling are pretty seedy as well.[:@] 

 
Actually the pet stores in my area sell for way more than a reputable breeder would sell a pet quality dog.  Most pet quality dogs go for less than $1000, in my humble experience.  The stores selling prices for pups begin around the $900 range.  As we all know for one pup to make it to the market usually 3-4 die in transit or soon after.  It's a horrible waste of life.  A more graphic illustration of these events can be found on [linkhttp://www.prisonersofgreed.com]www.prisonersofgreed.com[/link] .
 
Puppy millers are also selling puppies over the internet.  With the same "you must use our vets" policy.  It is generally easy to spot millers because they carry "designer" dogs and multiple breeds.  I've emailed a few of these sites, in the guise of a potential buyer, and I get the same canned responses "no they're not show dogs" "I have no show champions" etc...because "our dogs are bred to be the sweetest pets."   Sugary sweet words can't cover up the bitter taste of what they're doing to the dams.  Imagine being bred every time you're in heat? 
 
Sorry, this is a very sore subject for me.  Lucky for the PH, they haven't become a popular dog and aren't the source of puppy millers desires.