• Being a vet tech for several years I always heard–"Do NOT buy pet store dogs". And until 2 years ago, it would never have been a consideration. 2 years ago I went into a petland and saw a little red and white basenji. I had never seen a basenji before in Columbus and immediately went home to research the breed. I also checked the shelters-nothing, BEAR- Dayton, OHIO's rescue-nothing, and breeders-nothing. (I had not heard of BRAT at the time) I waited as long as I could and decided that Pet shop dogs need rescued too. I have never regretted my decision and I believe that even good breeders may sell there dogs to pet stores for a profit. I think the main concern with buying a pet store dog is that you do not get the support you should get from a good breeder. If you are a knowledgeable owner I see no reason why you could not buy from a pet store. Unfortunatley, that is generally not who purchases them and I agree they most likely will end up in a shelter.

    It seems easy to say that ALL pet store dogs are from puppy mills but that simply is not the case. I don't feel it is fair to make someone feel guilty for giving any loving animal a home-regardless what the bloodline is.


  • i know the general consenses here is not trying to make anyone feel bad. i will however, argue that good breeders will not sell their dogs to a pet store no matter what. good breeders care enough about their dogs or at least their breeding program to keep track of the animals and make sure only desired breedings take place. i think if there were some emergency and a good breeder needed to place dogs they would go to other reputable breeders or brat for help, not a petstore.


  • Yes, you are probably right. I am very attatched to my little boy and very defensive. I think I typed in defense of feeling my little boy was being made fun of. :rolleyes:


  • <>
    COLOR="Black"]Well, IMO, that is just not true. Good, responsible breeders DO NOT sell puppies to pet stores. Good, responsible breeders feel it is important for them to know where their puppies are going, and to know that puppy is cared for for the rest of its life. They couldn't do that by selling to a pet store, and not knowing where the puppy ended up.
    The reason no one should purchase from a pet store is not about the life of the puppy they are purchasing...it is about the life their unfortunate parents live, and the other unfortunate breeding stock dogs that will be kept in puppy mills to make more puppies to sell. You are right, it is not fair to the puppies who end up in the store. They deserve wonderful homes where they will be loved...but in the big picture, it is really damaging to pay money for puppies in a pet store, especially at a price that will provide millers the incentive to breed more.
    <>
    Well, I suppose there may be a VERY small number of independently owned pet stores that sell puppies from backyard breeders. But the very, very large majority are produced by puppymills, and then handled and shipped by the Hunte corp...look 'em up on the internet. And that was what the most recent discussion on this thread was regarding.
    My intent is not to make anyone feel guilty. In fact, if someone feels guilt about purchasing a dog from a petstore, that is their issue, not mine. But I do want to educate people, so that they won't buy their NEXT dog from a pet store. I want ALL dogs to have loving homes...I don't care where they came from...but that includes the dogs that are being treated like livestock in mass production lines. This argument has nothing to do with bloodlines.
    And FTR there are a BUNCH of breeders in your area...I can't believe none of them directed you to BRAT if they didn't have any dogs available fitting your interest.


  • In order to be a responsible breeder, a breeder must know where their puppies have ended up so they can be responsible for them. A responsible breeder requires that if their puppy can not be kept for any reason during its lifetime that it will be returned to them so that they do not become a burden to the already overtaxed shelters and rescue programs. By this definition, anyone who sells their dogs through a pet store can not be a reponsible breeder. They have no way of knowing where their puppies end up.

    Breeders who sell their puppies through pet stores do nothing to ensure that the homes their puppies are placed in are educated about the breed, they do no follow up and support to make sure that the puppy makes a smooth transition into the home. They allow their puppies to be taken away from mother and siblings at a critical development period where they require socialization with mother and siblings to develop skills for future interactions. Breeders who sell through pet stores do not provide buyers with information about breed specific health problems and health pedigrees with verifiable test results are not available. All of these things are what make a responsible breeder.


  • I understand what you both are saying and for the most part I do not disagree with you. I will admit that I was very anxious to get one myself and via internet or paper could not find a breeder. I had never seen one in person before. I really wish I had known about BRAT and met you all before you all seem so pationate about what you do.
    I am not arguing with you, I just hate to see a dog end up in the pound to be euthanized-expecially such an amazing breed I have come to adore. 1 🙂

    Jennifer


  • Quercus, lvoss, and others are right on target with their advice and I agree with them completely.

    @Quercus:

    And FTR there are a BUNCH of breeders in your area…I can't believe none of them directed you to BRAT if they didn't have any dogs available fitting your interest.

    Quercus is right, Ohio has quite a few responsible, ethical breeders and any of them will refer to other breeders if they have nothing available. I'm not sure how you missed them Dash. I just Googled Basenji Breeder Ohio and most of them came up on the first 2 pages. But no, none of them will have puppies available at all times. No responsible breeder would. Sometimes there will be a wait to get a puppy from a responsible breeder but its well worth it.

    I do wish you the best with your puppy. It is obvious it is well loved and will be well cared for. 🙂

Suggested Topics