Want a Dog? Don’t Go to a Pet Shop to Buy One!
When considering where to buy a dog, you have basically three options: a breeder, a pet shop, and the local humane society or rescue organization. The humane society, or other animal rescues, adopts out rescued pets for a minimal price. A breeder specializes in a certain breed and will have the dog’s genealogy well documented. A pet shop buys their dogs from puppy mills and then markets them to you, the consumer.
Puppies that are for sale in a pet shop window are hard to pass by. Their sweet faces and wagging tales bring in many customers to the store. Pet stores rely on this marketing technique to get you into the store to buy things, whether it is a puppy or other pet supplies. While the puppies are temptingly innocent, what you aren’t told is how the store acquired the puppies.
Pet store puppies are bought from puppy mills. Even if the store has a sign saying the pups are from local breeders, they are still from a puppy mill; it may just be one that is in the local region. Puppy mills are operated with the sole purpose of making money. The mother dogs are kept in small cages and are bred twice a year when they are in heat. Their sole purpose is to whelp puppies so the breeder can make more money. Often these dogs never step foot on grass or leave their cages, and they are often sick. The females breed and whelp puppies until they die. Because the mother’s body is taxed and sickly, often times she will not have enough milk and many of her puppies will die, as well.
The puppies are taken from their mothers at about six weeks of age and are shipped off to pet stores around the country. Oftentimes they are stuffed into small cages, and then packed into the back of a freight truck. The trucks deliver them to the pet shops where they are then placed on display to be sold.
Since the breeding is not strictly regulated at puppy mills, the pups are subject to several genetic disabilities and illnesses. They can end up costing their owners several thousands of dollars in veterinarian bills down the road. The pet store does not claim any responsibility for the health of the puppies, nor are the defects reported back to the breeder. These puppies can suffer from physical abnormalities, severe allergy problems, heart defects, etc. Sometimes the problems don’t show up for several years, and sometimes they become apparent right away.
If you are looking for a specific breed, a better choice is to purchase one directly from a respected breeder. Breeders will have the pedigree of the dog mapped out, and you will be able to see and interact with the puppy’s parents and sometimes grandparents. Breeders will warranty their dogs from defects and will want to know of any problems that may occur with your dog. That way they can remove the parent or parents from the breeding line. Sometimes the breeder will take the dog back and find it another home if you are dissatisfied with it or are unable to care for it anymore.
Another option is to adopt a dog from the humane society or other animal rescue program. Rescue dogs, as they are often referred as, are very glad to have a new home. They are neutered or spayed, so you basically pay enough to cover the costs of the surgery. Rescue dogs may have been abandoned by their former owners, or dropped off because their owners felt they could no longer care for them the way they should. You will find that there are many loveable, friendly dogs just waiting to be adopted. Another advantage to adopting a dog is that they are usually already house broken. You would not have to go through the house training process like you would with a new puppy, thus saving some time and energy.
Whatever you do, please reconsider buying a dog from a pet store. It may seem convenient, but it will cost you in the long run. Plus, you will be supporting the puppy mills, and it is not fair to condemn a female dog to a lifetime of servitude. Think instead of adopting a rescue dog or going directly to a breeder. You won’t regret it.
For more information about dogs, or to choose from pet products, choose from one of the following links:
Pet Supplies | Dog Food | Pet Meds
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