• I'm in no way shape or form defending these puppy mills. But I do feel that it is wrong for that puppy at the pet store to suffer. He should be running in the backyard like all our B's do.


  • Nicholas, while what you say is true, for those of us who have had personal experience with puppy mills know what is behind the dogs they breed. You have a puppy that came from extensively health tested dogs, where temperment was considered, where the health of the puppy and sire and dam were considered. Puppy mill breeders do not care. There are puppy mills all over-Quebec (sorry) is considered the puppy mill of Canada. There is one puppy mill that has over 200 dogs where these people cannot be touched yet because the law, for the moment, is on their side. If you have ever saw a puppy mill in action, your stomach would definitely turn. Even hard core people who are used to this sort of stuff have issues with it.

    Let's look at it this way, they buy a bitch and a sire-we'll say $800 each, there is $1600. They start breeding at (we'll say to be fair) two years old. (Many breed first season) They have 3 puppies in that litter. The second litter they have 5 puppies. If they sell these puppies at (Robyn's estimate) $300 each, the first litter gave them $900, the second litter gave them $1500. They have now made a profit within two years-everything after that is pure profit. As you know I always return e-mails and phone calls. I also follow up on those that have inquired to see if they found anything and to talk further with them to make sure they know what they are getting into. Money for a true breeder (IMO) is not a must-I turned down a woman because she thought she could pay me whatever she wanted and receive a puppy! NOT! The more you perpetuate these puppy mills, they more they breed. The people on this forum are not saying do not save the puppy, they are saying to try to get it at a price that will deter the puppy mill and the pet store from getting more.

    We have a rescue right now that came back. She's definitely a puppy mill dog. She has personality issues, but she also has health issues that we have to delve into further. So far we have about $600 in vet bills so far. This is her second round back by the way. She's also only 4 years old.

    All I'm saying is there is no win-win situation. It's all win-lose. If you leave the puppy there, chances are he will be returned to the puppy mill or euthanized. If you take the puppy, at the price they are asking, you help the puppy mill in effect, but help the puppy and may put yourself in place for a lifetime of health problems. It is definitely a dilemma and there are no good answers.


  • @NicholasDenis:

    I'm in no way shape or form defending these puppy mills. But I do feel that it is wrong for that puppy at the pet store to suffer. He should be running in the backyard like all our B's do.

    Of course it's wrong , but like Lisa and Pat said it still perpetuates the cycle. You buy the dog, the petshop will replace the dog. Supply meets demand. Fighting puppies at petstores is like a game of chess, in order to win the war the smaller pieces are often, regrettably sacrificed in the name of something bigger. Getting puppymills to lose money on these dogs is pretty much the most effective weapon we have against them. Refusing to purchase puppy who should be running around in someone's yard is a painful and disgusting sacrifice, that the dog in no way deserves, however by purchasing the dog it paves the way for hundreds MORE puppies to be born in unacceptable and abusive conditions. It's these little ones for the greater masses of puppies unborn. We live in a sick world where people breed for profit, we can't save every single one. Furthermore the harder thing to digest is that by not saving one, we can save many. Animal justice does come at a price, everything worth having does.

    And just hope for the case by case basis, maybe the dog will get so old and unsellable (hopefully to the point they wont stock the breed again) that the store will allow Andrew to take the dog. One never knows.


  • This is why I never visit pet store animals!

    Some states are now attempting to regulate puppy mills and BYB. Maybe we should work with our legislators to help get these laws passsed - in ways that won't put responsible breeders out of business.


  • I am so glad as said before that there are not very many pet stores in California that still sell puppes (or kittens)…. anymore.... most were closed down by Animal control or they went out of business


  • I've never bought a puppy from a pet store but I do go to visit and socialize with them, actually my whole family does. We went to see them last Sunday but there was none, we asked what happened to the puppies and we were told that the store wasn't accepting anymore puppies b/c the local vet wasn't accepting anymore patients. Appearently a Vet passed last summer so the only other vet in Terrace was being ovr whelmed with patients that he stopped accepting new ones.


  • When I was very young and ignorant, I worked at a large and well known pet store at the local mall. I know how pet stores run and I know what goes on behind the scenes. Pet stores do not euthanize healthy puppies no matter how old they get. The price keeps dropping until someone takes them or else they are given to an employee. At the store I worked at, sick puppies were recorded as "dead" and then given to employees without papers. The store got credited from the broker for the "dead" puppy and another one would be shipped to them. THIS is how I got my first Basenji in 1985. She had kennel cough when she was shipped to the store. She was isolated from the other pups but when the kennel cough just wouldn't clear up, she was marked off as "dead" and given to one of the employees. Kennel cough is no big deal but in a pet store situation, it can spread like wildfire and this means all the affected puppies must be taken off the market until it is erradicated. This seriously affects the store's profit margin and it costs the store less money to just give away the affected pup than it does to treat 30+ temporarily unsellable puppies. The employee kept the Basenji for a couple weeks and decided the breed was wrong for her. Knowing that I had wanted a Basenji since I was a little kid she gave the Basenji to me. The kennel cough cleared up within a couple of weeks and I had a healthy, energetic, and very annoying Basenji puppy.

    Edited to add: I know someone will ask so…....I only had her a few months. My ex and I both worked full time, lived in a tiny one bedroom apartment, and didn't know about crate training at the time. The Basenji was hyperactive and no matter how much exercise we gave her, she just never calmed down. I gave her to a family who was a more appropriate home. I never lost my love of the breed but I waited until the time was right to get one.


  • @NicholasDenis:

    I'm in no way shape or form defending these puppy mills. But I do feel that it is wrong for that puppy at the pet store to suffer. He should be running in the backyard like all our B's do.

    Agreed. We need strong legislation against these puppy farms, that in my opinion is the only thing that would change anything.


  • The thing is that the anti-breeder legislation that is being proposed specifically exempts puppy mills and target responsible hobby breeders. Most states do not want to lose revenue from puppy mills.

    Truly, the only thing that I have seen make a difference is education. If people do not buy from pet stores then they go out of business and their suppliers will too. Right now though there is an increase in online sales giving mills a new outlet for their puppies. Again, the only way to combat this is education. If people take the time to do their homework and make a conscious effort to obtain their next puppy from either a responsible breeder who is health testing, socializing, and active in the breed community or from a rescue organization then over time we will see a change. It is a slow process and can be very frustrating and often repetitive but it does work.


  • I read somewhere at this forum where in other countries puppies are never sold in pet stores. I wonder if this really cuts down on the "purely for profit" breeders, or do they just sell on the internet.

    There has to be a way to stop (or cut down) on the puppy mill operations. Perhaps legislation against the sale of puppies in pet stores is the way to start.


  • People need to stop looking at dogs (and cats) like buying a package of cookies from the local 7/11 store, cause they want it now and take the easy way, pet store or internet (I stole that from someone else that said it to me, but never the less a perfect statement)… and remember it is a living breathing animal and deserves the research on a breed (or breeds), what are the health concerns, how to find a responsible breeder and most of all learn to be patient... and understand that from a responsible breeder you might have to wait for a pup.
    If floors me that people spend more time buying a car then a living breathing animal.


  • I did this with some success. gather the phone number and contact info for the dogs you see on the internet or in the paper that come from one person. put them together (making sure you include pricing information). Send you your states Department of Revenue - they will get a 'visit' from the tax man.

    I figured if it shut down Al Capone - might work on some BYB and puppy mills.


  • My friend wants a boston terrior extremely bad. We happened to swing by the pet store a few towns over and guess what kind of puppies they had!? for 800 dollars. She wanted it so bad and i tried to talk her out of it. Told her it could have any number of diseases because theres a good chance it/its parents were not tested. I told her to look into the breed before she buys one, and how I had this forum to find that kinda stuff out and i'm sure she could find one for boston terriors. She could get one that she knows is healthy and will be healthy for the same price probably, if not cheaper. I felt proud that i talked her out of it 🙂

    I had to talk myself out of a 900 chihuahua though, i know i'd never buy from a place like that and the fact that i have 3 monsters already kinda set it in stone :):):)


  • Breaks your heart doesn't it. You have to leave them there and it just breaks your heart that some people can be so uncaring as to breed to make money.


  • @hdolbow:

    My friend wants a boston terrior extremely bad. We happened to swing by the pet store a few towns over and guess what kind of puppies they had!? for 800 dollars. She wanted it so bad and i tried to talk her out of it. Told her it could have any number of diseases because theres a good chance it/its parents were not tested. I told her to look into the breed before she buys one, and how I had this forum to find that kinda stuff out and i'm sure she could find one for boston terriors. She could get one that she knows is healthy and will be healthy for the same price probably, if not cheaper. I felt proud that i talked her out of it 🙂

    I had to talk myself out of a 900 chihuahua though, i know i'd never buy from a place like that and the fact that i have 3 monsters already kinda set it in stone :):):)

    So Heather, how much is it a Pound for that Chihuahua? (Just Kidding)


  • @tanza:

    People need to stop looking at dogs (and cats) like buying a package of cookies from the local 7/11 store, cause they want it now and take the easy way, pet store or internet (I stole that from someone else that said it to me, but never the less a perfect statement)… and remember it is a living breathing animal and deserves the research on a breed (or breeds), what are the health concerns, how to find a responsible breeder and most of all learn to be patient... and understand that from a responsible breeder you might have to wait for a pup.
    If floors me that people spend more time buying a car then a living breathing animal.

    I went to some dog shows this past weekend and a group of us set up some x-pens on the lawn at the hotel for our b puppies to play in together. We could have sold those puppies at least 5 times over with the number of people (i.e. hotel guests, drivers going by, and people exercising) who came up to us asking us how much money we wanted for a puppy. It was actually shocking. I am constantly amazed at how little planning people do when they are going to be responsible for a living, breathing animal for 10 - 15+ years. I'm a planner, I don't get it. 😞 How do you make a snap decision like that.


  • @renaultf1:

    I went to some dog shows this past weekend and a group of us set up some x-pens on the lawn at the hotel for our b puppies to play in together. We could have sold those puppies at least 5 times over with the number of people (i.e. hotel guests, drivers going by, and people exercising) who came up to us asking us how much money we wanted for a puppy. It was actually shocking. I am constantly amazed at how little planning people do when they are going to be responsible for a living, breathing animal for 10 - 15+ years. I'm a planner, I don't get it. 😞 How do you make a snap decision like that.

    Exactly… it is an impulse purchase... many do it... except that this is a living breathing animal. One of the biggest problems with pet store selling... they are cute all of them when so small and just a ball of fur.... People don't think that they need take care of that pup.. not just buy it and throw it in the yard, especially when they have housetraining problems, chewing problems as pups, behavior problems because they don't take the time to train the pup and when coming from a pet store they were never properly socialize to begin with.


  • @YodelDogs:

    Kennel cough is no big deal but in a pet store situation, it can spread like wildfire and this means all the affected puppies must be taken off the market until it is erradicated. This seriously affects the store's profit margin and it costs the store less money to just give away the affected pup than it does to treat 30+ temporarily unsellable puppies.

    Is it totally wrong of me that I read this, and immediately formulated what sounds like a pretty good way for someone (I would never dream of such a thing) to sabotage a pet store's puppy sales??? :eek:

    Next time anyone kennels their dog or brings home a shelter-pull and ends up with a case of kennel cough, get all good & slobbery and pay a visit to the puppy store to pet all the puppies. The sniffles aren't that bad for the pups but while they're in quarantine, the pet store has to sit and watch profits drop like a stone.

    Imagine if there was a concerted effort to do this all around the country?? Repeatedly? Everytime a new truckload of puppies came in? They'd all be quarantined way past the "cute stage" and pet stores would be losing half their profit margin on every puppy.

    Yeah most puppy stores have the hand sanitizer. Most of 'em don't watch to make sure you use it, though…..

    I'm horrible. I should be ashamed of myself. :o
    (But I said it anyway!) 😃

    Danielle, Fred
    Jibini & Tana


  • Im just so glad we dont have puppies and kittens in pet shops here. Much as i know you shouldnt buy them and encourage the pet shop to get more in, i just dont think i could see some poor little baby sitting in a cage and growing up in that miserable life, i'd have to buy it!! Im so bad with things like that, if i lived in america i'd probably have about 50 dogs!!

    That poor little baby, i feel terrible for him..


  • Andrew have you been back to the pet store to see if he's still there?

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