Is it really not a good idea to buy a puppy for a pet store?

[CookieandOatmeal]

If you ever think about buying a pet store puppy who most likely came from a puppy mill, you first need to read this book, Saving Gracie: How One Dog Escaped The Shadowy Workd of American Puppy Mills, to realize what their parents go through as breeders. The lucky ones get to leave the mill, the unlucky ones get chosen to stay behind.

 

[KathyTX]

Just for clarity: When we talk about puppy mills and buying from pet stores, we mean stores that actually sell dogs and cats. This includes chains like Petland.

There are lots of rescues (including the one I work with) who hold adoption events inside ethical pet stores like PetSmart. We'll go in for a few hours on a Saturday and set up a big adoption event with a dozen or so of our dogs. We may leave cats that are up for adoption there for a few days at a time. This is a great partnership and helps give visibility to the animals in organizations like ours where the animals live in foster homes rather than shelters where adopters can visit a facility.

 

[xjillianpaige]

There is a local pet store that has this on their website:

All Puppies are purchased through USDA certified, trained, and inspected Breeders/Dealers

What does that mean? Nothing? Or are they one of those rare, acceptable pet stores?

 

[mjkacmom]

There is a local pet store that has this on their website:



What does that mean? Nothing? Or are they one of those rare, acceptable pet stores?

Just because they say they do, doesn't mean they do. There is a bill here forbidding pet stores from selling cars and dogs, hope it passes. Until then? http://patch.com/new-jersey/paramus...ating-state-purchasing-law-attorney-general-0

 

[Hikergirl]

There was a pet store shut down here for selling animals that were sick. They had all their "papers" too, but turned out they were falsifying them. I'm not really sure whatever happened to the owners, but it would have been nice to see some kind of legislation come from it.

 

[DopeyDame]

If you have your heart set on a particular breed, you can usually find it somewhere near you through petfinder.com

 

[jrmasm]

There is a local pet store that has this on their website:



What does that mean? Nothing? Or are they one of those rare, acceptable pet stores?

I would think that it is extremely unlikely that any reputable breeder would allow his/her puppies to be sold in a pet store.

 

[BLAZEY]

The big chain pet store here are partnered up with the local rescues and SPCA. The store is a place to show them off but the rescue provides for the animal until adoption. They even have adoption events if a certain rescue group brings in pets from a more rural shelter.

 

[Magpie]

I would think that it is extremely unlikely that any reputable breeder would allow his/her puppies to be sold in a pet store.

This! A thousand times!

Reputable breeders care about their puppies. They try to place them in good, loving homes. They are almost always willing to take the puppy back, if for some reason the placement doesn't work out. Because these dogs matter to them. There's no way in heck that they'd stick their puppy in a window and let just any random stranger off the street purchase it.

Also, to all those folks thinking now that they should "rescue" the poor puppy-mill puppy from a pet store... there are a LOT of other dogs also waiting to be saved from shelters and rescue organizations. They need you, too.

If we purchase from a pet store, our money goes directly to - at best! - an unethical breeder. At worst, we're giving our money to a puppy mill. Which means that, in "saving" that one puppy, we've ensured the production of even more puppies exactly like the one we just purchased.

By way of analogy... Suppose you walked into a store and said, "I want to buy that dog!" And the store owner said, "Wonderful! Now, before you can purchase this one, you have to choose one of these other ones over here to be drowned in the Canal. Which one will it be?" Would you pick a puppy for drowning and then walk away with your new dog feeling good that you saved it? Of course you wouldn't! You'd be appalled and you'd refuse to hurt the other puppy. You'd say, "You're crazy! I'm not buying a dog from you!" Well, this is essentially the same thing, except it's happening out of our direct line of sight.

The only way to "save" pet store puppies is to refuse to purchase them, refuse to patronize stores that sell them, and lobby for legislation against them.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

You sell puppies in pet stores in the US! I would be super shocked to pass a pet store and see a dog or cat. Here in the UK it is highly illegal. They can only sell fish, small animals etc.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The big chain pet store here are partnered up with the local rescues and SPCA. The store is a place to show them off but the rescue provides for the animal until adoption. They even have adoption events if a certain rescue group brings in pets from a more rural shelter.

Petsmart does that around here (maybe that's the place you were referring to?).

 

[Magpie]

You sell puppies in pet stores in the US! I would be super shocked to pass a pet store and see a dog or cat. Here in the UK it is highly illegal. They can only sell fish, small animals etc.

In Canada, it's regulated on an individual municipal basis. But many cities have already banned the for-profit sale of cats and dogs by pet stores, and many more are following. Even in my town, where it's not yet technically illegal, there are apparently only three pet shops (out of about 20) that will sell for profit. The rest have all partnered up with adoption agencies and rescue organizations. And there was a bylaw passed recently that means the remaining three stores will have to phase out their sale of cats and dogs in the next few years.

We're on the right path!

 

[mjkacmom]

You sell puppies in pet stores in the US! I would be super shocked to pass a pet store and see a dog or cat. Here in the UK it is highly illegal. They can only sell fish, small animals etc.

They still have puppies for sale at pet stores in our shopping malls!

 

[bcla]

Shelter pups tend to be heartier and live longer; and yes, if you do buy from a breeder, make sure you can view the grounds, the parents, and the process should be intense. I had a friend who worked for a breeder and they actually had it written into the contracts that if the buyer changes their mind, the puppy would be returned to the breeder, not re-sold. I wish everyone would adopt from a shelter, but I understand not wanting to. But don't rush into it. It concerns me that you say you want the dog "yesterday." Buying a dog should not be an impulsive action - take your time, research your options, and be very serious about it.

I get why some people avoid certain shelters and rescue organizations. Or breeders that may be "reputable". It may be a lot of extra work, and sometimes it feels like being interviewed for suitability.

My last dog was adopted years ago from a shelter, and there were a few things that gave me pause. One was that they charged a deposit for the dog to be neutered by one of their vets at a future time, but eventually I figured out that it already was. Another was that the adoption paperwork gave the shelter expressed permission to come on my property at any time and take back the dog. That's somewhat of a scary thought - that possibly it's never really "your dog". It never happened, but I had worries that my dog could be taken away on whim of some shelter employee.

 

[BrinkofSunshine]

There is a local pet store that has this on their website:



What does that mean? Nothing? Or are they one of those rare, acceptable pet stores?

http://www.thepuppymillproject.org/relevant-laws/

It seems like the USDA just ensures they're kept as well as commercial agriculture animals... which is often not well and not how dogs should be kept.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

They still have puppies for sale at pet stores in our shopping malls!

Well there is a place to adopt only cats in the main shopping mall in my area but it's a rescue/shelter (as mentioned previously) and has a strict adoption process. I have no doubt that there are still places where there are true pet shops located in malls but there are also shelters/rescues that are located in strip malls or shopping malls rather than a stand alone location too. I actually volunteered for a shelter when I was in high school. They were located in a mall that eventually was closed down and then they moved elsewhere.

 

[Hikergirl]

The store in our mall is a pet store where you purchase them.
We have a Petco that has adoption days where shelter animals are brought in.
Our Petsmart also has cats for adoption on display. I'm not there often so I don't know if its random or on specific days.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The store in our mall is a pet store where you purchase them.
We have a Petco that has adoption days where shelter animals are brought in.
Our Petsmart also has cats for adoption on display. I'm not there often so I don't know if its random or on specific days.

I forgot about Petco! They actually are teamed up with KC Pet Project for cat adoptions in multiple Petco locations around me.

 

[sonnyjane]

http://www.thepuppymillproject.org/relevant-laws/

It seems like the USDA just ensures they're kept as well as commercial agriculture animals... which is often not well and not how dogs should be kept.

That's what I was going to say. USDA doesn't ensure humane conditions whatsoever. It basically means that when USDA did their inspection, there weren't dead animals sitting on the floor or rats wandering around etc. I used to work for a facility that was USDA inspected and had to be familiar with the manual and what inspectors might issue citations for. It's really nothing major. Animals could be in deplorable conditions but the facility could still pass USDA inspection.

 

[wilkeliza]

There is a local pet store that has this on their website:



What does that mean? Nothing? Or are they one of those rare, acceptable pet stores?

The USDA certification doesn't mean much. It just means that at one point probably several years ago the USDA stopped in the facility and saw it was okay. I think our breeder told us it is something like every 5 years and they aren't really random inspections so they can be planned for. It is kind of like when CPS gives a warning before they visit somewhere. Oh great that CPS says everything is cool but they gave the parents a heads up so all the bad stuff can be hidden. USDA is the same way, we give you a heads up so you can be prepared but prepared to some is getting rid of all the sick and injured dogs or hiding the cages etc.