Pet Store Supports Puppy Mills

[EmilyB]

Originally Posted by Ephraim

There is not alot of people that are going to drive all the way to the acreage to view these animals and adopt them.

That would be terribly inconvenient. And pretty much sums up the mentality of many of the puppy buyers.

We drove to Seattle and back to adopt a greyhound. Do you see the difference?

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by EmilyB

That would be terribly inconvenient. And pretty much sums up the mentality of many of the puppy buyers.

We drove to Seattle and back to adopt a greyhound. Do you see the difference?

I've got a line on a pup that is currently in Illinois...ya, that's inconvenient, but well worth it for the right dog..

[Patrick1]

Wow,

I thought the MH vs T5 was a hot topic on here. But serisouly, the common ground here seems to be that fact that you all care deeply about the welfare of animals. I think that is the most important part. And it would be a good idea for everyone to just keep that in mind. I would hate to see friendships turn sour after this debate. It looks like everyone has the same end goal, the best care for an animal in mind. And if things get heated just keep in mind every one here wants the best outcome for any animal. Right Tang Police?

[dsaundry]

Well I have watched this thread with interest and my question to Emily still hasnt been answered. What proof do you have that this store supports "puppy mills"? I dont care whether you drove to Mexico to buy a dog, the thread you started states that this store?? supports "puppy mills" I am neither affiliated with this or any pet store but if you are going to accuse a company of this, you better back it up with facts. Whether it is someone smuggling parrots, or fish, or whatever, the accusation has been made by you. So what proof do you have? Have you seen this "mill"? I would stand behind you 100% if you actually have some proof and not hearsay from a disgruntled employee. Is this employee willing to swear about what he has actually seen? If you don't agree that dogs should be sold in pet stores, then what about other animals? Cats?? Ferrets?? Hamsters?? Reptiles?? even Fish?? it boils down to the type of care that both the pet store provides to the animal. I don't deny there are pet stores I would like to see crumble to the ground, but there are still a select few that actually provide good care to all their animals. Maybe not many, but there are a few. So my question which you have still not answered remains. What is your proof that they support "Puppy Mills"? Simple question..maybe not a simple answer.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by dsaundry

What is your proof that they support "Puppy Mills"? Simple question..maybe not a simple answer.

Yup, pretty simple answer. Reputable breeders of dogs DO NOT sell their puppies to pet stores. Pet stores DO NOT pay the price charged by reputable breeders. What is left is discount high volume breeding kennels, commonly referred to as puppy mills, because they can pump out the dogs at wholesale prices. The other source of pups for the retail stores comes from the private backyard breeder who either can't sell privately or doesn't want to take th etime to find suitable homes for the pups they may or may not have planned on.
Neither of these sources are good sources for a quality dog. Not gauranteed to get a "bad" dog, but certainly not gauranteed to be a good dog. Example. My parents bought a dog from the pet store that (eventually) was confirmed to have come from a "mill" at 5 months of age, it's heart exploded. The dog died in my dad's arms. The pet store stated that it was not the only dog from that litter that died of heart problems. Parents out one dog.
A reputable breeder would have worked hard at avoiding this ever being intorduced into their breeding line, and should something like this have happened, their would have been a gaurantee to either replace the dog or refund the purchase price.

So yes, although we may not have video footage of the dark alley puppy transaction, we can be well assured that "most" dogs from a pet store did not come from a reputable breeder.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by dsaundry

I dont care whether you drove to Mexico to buy a dog,

There is an agency that will assist Canadians in adopting Mexican dogs if you want one, no need to drive all the way there

[Der_Iron_Chef]

Interesting. I never understood the rationale behind the assumption that pet store dogs came from these puppy mills or backyard breeders. Thanks, Brad.

The last few times I've been to these big pet stores, they have dogs in two categories: puppies for sale, and rescued adult animals (they usually have a typed up story behind the animal--where it was found, age, temperment, etc.) I don't see any harm in the latter. Kind of a satellite SPCA...sort of?

I'm curious then, since I'm mostly a cat lover, where do the cats come from, and do cats have the same genetic issues as the dogs do? What about the birds and fish? Reptiles, etc.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Der_Iron_Chef

I'm curious then, since I'm mostly a cat lover,

We lika ya Drew, so we won't hold that against you

I'm not sure of cats, but I suspect that if PB cats may be in th esame position as dogs. Again, most pet stores only sell gray cats or orange cats, again from often unexpected/wanted litters. They are given to the store for free and sold at a nominal cost. Purebreds again suffer the same fate as dogs. Professional Maine Coon breeders do not sell to pet stores and vice versa.
Birds from stores are mostly wild caught, although the occasional hand fed locally bred birds do make it to the pet stores, mostly from hobbyists that had a try at breeding. Not the same game as dogs and cats.

[Aquattro]

Here is a typical description on buying puppies. This comes from a site I'm currently reading on BCs, but is applicable to all breeds;

"Where should I get my dog?

There are several options, some good, others not so good. If you choose to get an adult dog, you can get one from a shelter, from a Border Collie rescue organization, or from a breeder who is looking for a home for an adult Border Collie. If you decide to get a puppy, you should do some research and find a breeder with a good reputation. Do not buy a Border Collie puppy from a pet store. Although these puppies are adorable, they are generally from puppy mills and are incredibly overpriced. Most people don't realize that they can usually buy a very well-bred, well-socialized, pet-quality puppy with exceptional guarantees from a reputable breeder for less money than they can buy a puppy from a pet store. Pet store puppies have usually been bred for profit with little consideration given to long-term health. They are often prone to many problems, such as epilepsy, hip and joint problems, and early blindness. They are also usually poorly socialized, which means they can grow up to be timid, fearful dogs. Do not even buy from pet stores advertising that their animals are not from puppy mills: no reputable breeder would ever sell puppies to a pet store! You will often encounter the same problems with health and socialization with puppies sold through ads in the newspaper. The best way to find a good breeder is by asking people who already own healthy Border Collies with good temperaments."