The truth about pet stores

(Why you should NEVER buy a puppy from a pet store!)

YOU are walking in a mall; you pass the big window of the pet store; inside are adorable little puppies, playing. You think to yourself "awwwwww".

I used to think the same way ... until I learned some disturbing facts. Now when I see those cute puppies' faces, instead of "awww", my heart drops in my chest and my throat gets tight. Not only am I terrified for them and their rather shaky future, but thinking about where they come from. How is their mother? I wonder if she is dirty, hungry, still alive? If she is, she is most definitely pregnant again! The fact is that most puppies in pet stores are products of commercial breeders ... puppy mills!

Puppy mills are in a sense dog farms. They mass-produce puppies for the pet store market. Some boast that they are "licensed" or "inspected". This by no means indicates that their dogs are cared for in a proper humane fashion, or that their stock is of good quality. In my opinion all it means is, because they are running a huge business, the government wants its fair share in tax and requires them to be licensed as a business - for a fee!

They use poor quality dogs as their breeding stock and do not care if they have inheritable genetic defects, which they WILL pass on to their pups. These dogs are kept in overcrowded, cramped and often very filthy cages and never have any meaningful human contact. They are bred as soon as possible when they themselves are still babies and they never get any type of medical tests or veterinary care.

The breeding dogs are destroyed and discarded when they outlive their breeding usefulness or are bred literally until they are bred to death! Serious and careless inbreeding occurs at a disturbing rate. As a result, these puppies are plagued with health problems and many of them never adapt to life with humans.

Something to think about ... how many of that "puppy in the pet store's" siblings actually made it to selling age? Not all, I assure you. Don't believe the store clerk, who tells you: "We only get our puppies from good, private small breeders." That is a lie, plain and simple! No good breeder ever sells to pet stores or brokers - NEVER! In fact, it is against the bylaws of all the breed clubs' Codes of Ethics!

A lot of the pet stores do get their dogs from brokers, who buy the dogs from puppy mills and dog auctions and in turn sell to the pet stores. Some get their pups directly. And if the plight of the parents of these pups does not tug at your heartstrings, think of the many possible problems you will encounter owning one of these pups. The pet industry is a billion dollar industry these days. Even more than ever before, the dollar is the bottom line. Health, temperament, avoiding careless inbreeding are NOT considerations at all.

Temperament problems: Puppy mill dogs are kept in overcrowded cages, and they are continually inbred. They are not properly socialized with humans, and because of this, are fearful or aggressive with humans, especially small children. Most are usually dog aggressive as well. They are usually taken from their dam way to early, between four and six weeks of age. In doing this, they are deprived of the essential time with their mother, who teaches them bite inhibition and what is acceptable behaviour and what is not. Most puppies from puppy mills are likely to have unsound temperaments and aggression is a common problem as they mature. Due to missing the important lessons from their dam, improper socialization and questionable genetics, puppy mill dogs require a lot more work with their training. They are even harder to teach the basics, like housetraining. If you do encounter temperament problems, the behaviour training bills could break the bank ... and there is no guarantee that anything can actually be done to improve the genetic predisposition of these pups. Most wind up being euthinized before the age of three years old, especially the males.

Health problems: Puppy mills, due to disgusting sanitation practices, are a breeding ground for many conditions seen in pet store puppies. According to the HSUS, "Half the puppies sold in pet stores are ill or incubating a disease." Some of theses include: coccidia, giardia, upper respiratory infections, parvovirus, distemper and mange. Some of the symptoms will not be seen right away, until after you take your puppy home. Due to unsound breeding practices, pet store puppies are more likely to suffer from serious genetic defects as well. The more commonly seen of theses could include hip dysplasia, eye diseases (PRA) which causes blindness, liver and heart diseases, thyroid conditions, autoimmune disorders and others.

The puppy millers do not care if they breed two dogs with any of these debilitating, sometimes deadly disorders. Once that puppy is sold to the pet stores and then to you, they don't care what the future holds for them ... or you. Remember, a lot of genetic disorders do not show up until after the second year of life.

So if you see that cute puppy in the store window, don't give in to impulse and buy it. I know its hard not to think: "But I can save this one". However, in doing so, you are only perpetuating the puppy mill industry and condemning it's parents to a life of horrible misery. You are also causing yourself a lifetime of incredible heartache and expense. Keep in mind, if you do "save" this puppy, you are only facilitating room for another puppy mill puppy to take it's place. The only way to stop this horror is to wipe out the demand ... then there will not be a need for the supply.

Please check out http://www.nopuppymillscanada.ca/ OR http://www.critterhaven.org/victims.htm for more information about puppy mills and the horror they cause. - Sariena Foley, R&S Foley Farms