I met a gentlemen this weekend who owns a pet store, inside he was selling his puppies and kittens, both parents of the puppies were in the store. He sales them with full guarentees, and was USDA liscensed..the first time I had ever seen one. He also offers dogtraining classes. The puppies never stay in the store overnight, but are in a fenced in area of the store. He sells the puppies with Limited Registration and makes the owners sign a promisary note of getting them spay/neutered. After this is done, he gives them a $150.00 refund-which I will be honest did impress me. He screens all potential buyers, they must fill out an application and he does a backround check. He has specific guidlines and requirements for the people who buy/adopt one of his puppies and he does visit where these people live. He also works with the local shelters to help adopt out pets too. After listening to him I will be honest I thought he had a good thing going for him, and didn't mind that he sold his puppies through his store. He said his hopes are to put the other local pet stores out of business by making customers more aware that the "competitors" are getting their puppies from Mills.

So my question is,what do you guys think? Could this start a wave of good pet stores, or force Puppy Mills to work even harder? Also what is your take on puppies and kittens being sold in pet stores? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

I would be very leary and tend to believe that he's still running a mill. Just has a better front to it. But, then, I'm suspicious of everything.....

Beth B. You need to change your displayed name to your real first AND last name to continue to post... just like everybody else.

It is really hard to say if the man you mention is running a mill away from his store. I worked for a woman who owned a grooming shop and marketed her puppies the same way. All looked good on the surface, until I visited her "ranch" in GA later that year. She had 65 dogs of various breeds and she would drive bitches in whelp from GA to CT where they would whelp out and sell the puppies. The things I saw on her ranch I would wish on no dog, though I have seen worse. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> I left her shortly there after... when I was managing the store and she demanded that I WOULD sell her puppies or she would replace me... I left. The shop closed when I walked out (no one to replace me, go figure) but from what I understand she has opened a mini-chain of pet stores in GA. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Well, anyway... my point is that people can seem really caring and that they are good people, but they still do bad things. Some are just better actors than others. I don't know how many people told me that the lady I speak of "has a heart of gold"... :rolleyes: lucky for them, they never saw what I saw. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

His business is attached to his house, so I got to see where he lives, he said he only breeds his 2 females 2 times a year. He owns the stud. He seemed true enough. This was also my concern Deanna-but he seemed sincere. Does anyone think this is a good selling scam....I didn't see any other purebreed dogs on his sight, just the ones from the human society.

Originally posted by Dee Dee Lulloff:
he only breeds his 2 females 2 times a year. Well, that means he breeds them every time they are in heat. What is he breeding for? To better the breed? I am guessing not. While his puppies may be great pets, I just don't see where people should be aiming their breedings to produce pets. It is his right to do so though, no one can tell him he can't.

Breeding a bitch every time she comes in is not good for the animal, and is more consistant with a "puppy Mill".

Having owned a Pet shop, and selling some limited Dogs and Cats, it is tough. We bred most of our own. In the dogs all of the parents were conformation champions, and we got some pups from friends (mostly to help the friend out), they were also from champion stock. With cats we didn't show because of the breeds we had. The show varieties have health problems.

It is possible to do. But it is going to be a break even or money loser for the shop. You do it because you like doing the breeding. We also bred 8 different types of birds, several types of fish, plus all the rats, mice, hamsters, Gunea pigs, and some other things. So it kept us busy.

What I know is very limited about the dogs, I was only in there for about 1hr.-that is a short time when I am in a new pet store. The dogs have show quality in the lines, but the parents do not, health guarentee for 2 years and yes he takes them back if they don't want them. These are Pomerianians that he has so if there are any other certificates I have no idea.

And I am sorry I did state it wrong, he only has 2 litters a year-each bitch has one litter a piece and he does this every other year.