I think (no - I Know) some people buy puppies from pet stores because they can't stand to see the poor little guy suffer in the cage anymore. They just want to get the pup out of there.

I just happened to catch "Good Morning Canada" on Saturday morning where they were doing a segment on someone in Montreal who had purchased a pug puppy from PetLand. The dog ended up to be so sick he died The whole issue was whether the people would be reimbursed for their vet bills.

I emailed the show:

People buy a puppy from a pet store who gets their animals from a puppy mill but you fail to (once again) educate the public as to why this is not the place to buy a live animal. Quebec is well know to be the puppy mill capital of Canada. It is not surprising this puppy was sick.
If you can't be part of the solution you are part of the problem!! Nice free advertising for Petland!

Their response was typical, but this is the part I found most amusing...

There are always "more" angles that could be done for any story, and I will contact the reporter involved in this one to see whether there is another story that it would be possible to do on tracing the animals ancestry and breeder. In case this is in fact a puppy mill case.

In case it was from a puppy mill.....!!

See - people don't know

 Quote: Janice Jarman

I think (no - I Know) some people buy puppies from pet stores because they can't stand to see the poor little guy suffer in the cage anymore. They just want to get the pup out of there.

Your right, I know some people that have done that too but that only creates a world where more of those puppies need to be rescued.

That would be like buying from a store that has sweatshop labor because they think they're somehow supporting the workers. It only inforces the industry and does nothing to stop the problem.

It's heartwrenching.

Ok- I just have to share.

There is a store in the chain you are referring to here in my town. The animal shelter where I volunteer has been fighting them since we heard they were coming to town. We lost, of course. (Can't stand in the way of progress is the city council's idea. Not to mention how unfair it is to consumers if the shelter is the only place to get a dog in town. ) Back to the story.

Last year we got a young male husky at the shelter. He had been bought at the pet store and apparently his purchasers did not realize he had hair or his big feet. Poor fellow.

When the store manager heard this guy was at the shelter, he called the shelter manager and asked her if she would give the dog back UNNEUTERED. (Did he think she was stupid or something?) He told her he had a buyer lined up. The shelter manager refused of course. (I kind of wonder why the "buyer" didn't just come to the shelter and adopt the dog.)

The store manager then asked if the store could adopt the neutered dog. The shelter manager again told him "no." The store manager was quite persistant. (Apparently the only thing better than selling a dog is selling the same dog twice.) The conversation ended when the shelter manager told the store manager that the shelter's contract prohibits the transfer of ownership. (I still can't believe he tried it considering the animosity that exists between the shelter and the store.)

I swear this really happened. (The husky did eventually find a home after one return and an extended stay.)

I'm actually surprised the store manager went that far. Usually it's...see ya!

Did you know that our local pet store's "guarantee" their pups for 14 days? 14 DAYS?!?!

 Quote: lee hanrahan

I just happened to catch "Good Morning Canada" on Saturday morning where they were doing a segment on someone in Montreal who had purchased a pug puppy from PetLand. The dog ended up to be so sick he died The whole issue was whether the people would be reimbursed for their vet bills.

I emailed the show:

People buy a puppy from a pet store who gets their animals from a puppy mill but you fail to (once again) educate the public as to why this is not the place to buy a live animal. Quebec is well know to be the puppy mill capital of Canada. It is not surprising this puppy was sick.
If you can't be part of the solution you are part of the problem!! Nice free advertising for Petland!

Their response was typical, but this is the part I found most amusing...

There are always "more" angles that could be done for any story, and I will contact the reporter involved in this one to see whether there is another story that it would be possible to do on tracing the animals ancestry and breeder. In case this is in fact a puppy mill case.

In case it was from a puppy mill.....!!

See - people don't know

As much as I will hate to admit it, I worked for that company for about 5 years, all through high school.
But that was about 20 years ago.
There would be nights that we would close at 9pm....we'ld have a couple of dogs...i'ld come in the next morning at 9am...we'ld have 6 more pups. Since when did puppies get delievered at midnight?? I never totally questioned it because A) I was young and B) back then i had never heard of a puppy mill.

I am appaled at what I see sometimes.
So if a cross between a Maltese and a poodle is a designer Malti-poo...does that mean Tucker, who is a cross between a Border Collie & a Husky is a designer Border Husky???
Please people, they're mutts!! Nothing wrong with that!
I don't understand why people still don't get it!

20/20 did an excellent expose on puppy mills and pet stores that sell puppies several years ago. I wish they'd repeat it.

We raise Leavitt Bulldogs, socialization amongst other key things play an important roll in the development of a great dog, at no point in a dogs life can sending your pups off to a pet store be beneficial. I feel the reason anyone would do this is trying to make a buck. What kills me are those people that sell to pet stores and call themselves breeders, when they are nothing more than millers!
In my opinion, If you are a breeder with the right intentions puppies are not about making money they are about bettering a breed...

JMO

Yes, "a fool and his money..." is definitely the best summary for this topic. However, there are just as many "breeders" selling genetic nightmares to unsuspecting folks who think they're getting something better than they could from a pet store. I get asked constantly if my Chihuahua is a "tea cup." I politely (or not so politely) respond "There's no such thing." They just look at me like I'm nuts and go away.

The general public will believe anything. People breed their pets to random breeds and deem them some cutesy little name and VOILA! New breed! Sickening.

While pet stores are definitely a HUGE part of the problem, I have to mention one pet store I know of that honestly does the best they can with pets for sale. This store has been in business forever, and has been written up in all kinds of national newspapers (Wall Street Journal, for one) because of their outstanding commitment to the health and care of the animals, as well as the fact that they actually take shelter puppies and kittens (and sometimes older pets) that there is no room for, and sell them in the store. These little ones would otherwise be euthanized. They sell these for the prices of the shots/altering, and that's about it. They bring them from out of state sometimes, if there's a need. A kitten is around $50-75, not several hundred like most pet stores, and they come with a free spay/neuter certificate.

They have a return policy on their animals that provides insurance that they will not end up in a shelter b/c of any of the 'usual' reasons. They offer health guarantees beyond what many so-called "breeders" offer. I think they guarantee against genetic defects for 2 yrs, then beyond that they offer money toward treatment or credit toward a new animal. The owner calls all the ads in the newspaper for puppies, then marks which ones were the same people, trying to come off like private breeders. He then hangs these ads with warnings in visible places. It's disgusting how many ads in the Sunday paper seem like private parties with a puppy to sell, but are actually puppy mills. Instead of buying from puppy mills, he has several breeders he's worked with for years and years, and they, too, are willing to discuss a pup with the owners. If there's a problem with an animal sold, they're willing to trace that dog back to the breeder and the breeder will offer assistance as well.

They were by far the first in the area to start selling all the really good foods, and they push raw. Not saying at all that I would set out to buy a dog from a pet store, but there are so many horrible stores out there that I just wanted to share the fact that there ARE a few folks out there trying to do a good job for the animals. And before you start calling me naiive, let me say that I know these things for a fact; the store owners have been family friends for years.

My Chihuahua was actually obtained from this store; he was part of an accidental litter of 3 by 2 dogs originally sold there. When they were 7mos old, the wife got cancer and couldn't care for 5 dogs. The store took them back and sold them on consignment, with the majority of the money going back to the family. They're purebred, but not registered, and I paid $120-ten dollars less than I paid for my shelter Pit Bull...and a few thousand less than my GSD,lol! Sorry to go on and on, but I just wanted to point out a tiny positive speck in an otherwise horrific industry.

And I would like an award for the world's longest post.

Oh and I forgot to reply to Janice's post; yes, absolutely this is true! I have heard store employees admit that they sell more dogs when people feel horribly sorry for them, so the disgusting conditions they're kept in are intentional to boost sales. Perhaps the most repulsive aspect of the business yet.