The Scoop
Pet Store Puppies a Poor Purchase
By Marian Buechert | Photographs by Michelle Riley/hsus
Keep cruelty off your gift list this year: that's the message that the Humane Society of the US (HSUS) would like everyone to take to heart this holiday shopping season.
Every animal lover should now
be aware of the terrible conditions dogs endure at puppy mills.
According to the HSUS , buying puppies from pet stores or over the
Internet supports puppy mills, so people seeking a new pet should stay
away from those sources.
"When consumers stop ‘demanding' the ‘product' the puppies at pet stores and online, these mills will go out of business," says Stephanie Shain, director of The HSUS' Stop Puppy Mills campaign.
Sadly, many soft-hearted buyers will be drawn into "rescuing" a woebegone puppy from a store or will be deceived by retailers who promise their puppies don't come from mills. The truth, says Shain, is that, no matter how good the intention, buying a puppy from a pet store simply makes room for another pup to be produced at the mill, while stores that say they don't sell dogs from mills are probably lying.
To make the public aware of these and other issues, the HSUS has declared November 16 to 22 as Puppy Mill Action Week. For more information, including six simple things you can do to fight puppy mills, visit stoppuppymills.org.
-Marian Buechert
I think this story is another lazy atempt at a bad situation. It is very easy to jump on the band wagon and say don't buy puppies from pet stores, but this is not the solution to this problem, most of these people are very careing of the dogs they sell to their customers. The problem is not the stores but it is the federal, state governments and the people who need to demand more strict laws and penalties for sub-standard breeding facilities and practices. This is what will really help put an end to this. Ultimately the goal to have responsible breeding and a betterment of the breeds.
Gary it's too bad you don't see the truth as Modern Dog and the HSUS is trying to show, puppy mills are REAL and it's not up to the law makers to stop it per say, it's up to the consumer and puppy buyers to stop it. Responsible, reputable breeders don't allow their puppies to become stock in pet stores in the first place.
Please do some research on where well bred dogs really come from.
MIA
www.nopuppymillscanada.ca
While I agree that there should be better laws regulating breeding, the fact is that there is not enough money available to ever insure the proper overseeing of these facilities. By all means, write to your congressional representatives and demand a change. But first and foremost, take matters into your own hands and do NOT buy a puppy from a pet store or over the internet. It would be lovely if those who ran pet shops selling puppies were in fact caring individuals, but this is not the case. They know where those puppies come from, and they don't care that many of the puppies they sell to impulse buyers will wind up in a shelter or, if they are lucky, in a rescue.
Want a dog? Do your homework. Buy from a responsible breeder or, better yet, get a rescue dog.
I bought my puppy from a petstore. She's sweet and I love her to bits. What would happen to her if I had not bought her? Would she be put down or put in a shelter?She was 4 months old by the time I bought her and not so cute and tiny anymore.Not all breeders treat their puppys well,and i'm sure a lot of them are out there just to make a buck. I feel that I did the right thing wether I bought her from a shelter or from a petstore won't really solve the problem of puppy mills. That's not the answer.
I guess that people just want to believe what they want to believe.
Ever hear of supply and demand?
If you don't buy the cute dogs in the pet store, they will no longer be bred and their parents won't be subjected to lives of misery.
If you must buy a puppy, go to a breeder that you find through the breed's organization, i.e. The Yorkshire Terrier Club of America. Of course, you will then find that you might have to wait as reputable breeders do not have pups at all times.
Reputable breeders never sell through pet stores or on the internet.
I bought my first dog at a pet store and he had so many health issues. It took me a good year to get him over all of his issues. That was thousands of dollars that didn't need to be spent if he would have been well taken care of. I am not saying that I regret buying him, he is my best friend, but I do feel awful for the conditions he was put through for the first 4 months of his life. Even at the petstore they are not treated humanly. This practice must be stoped. I will never buy a dog from a petstore again!
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