This is an opinion piece, a blog - and something most of us already know - but it is so well written, that I wanted to post it on YT - plus she is using a yorkie as an example. Love the title too - it says it all
Stop The Puppy Mills By Not Patronizing Puppy Pet Stores
Blogs @ herald-dispatch.com: Fighting Dog Abuse: Stop The Puppy Mills By Not Patronizing Puppy Pet Stores.
Today at work at Just Dogs! Gourmet, a family came in with a really pretty Yorkie. As I started to make conversation and hold the puppy, I was really impressed by this puppy's thick coat. I was shocked to find out that it came from a Petland. But, as I talked further, and found out the supposed age of this pup, I knew they had been taken advantage of. They said the pup was 12 wks. old. I have groomed dogs for many, many years, and have never, never seen a 12 wk. old pup with this type of coat. Then, I looked at the mouth and teeth. Low and behold, the pup is roughly 6 to 8 mo. old.
Here is another case of a pet store lying to sell a dog. The pup looked healthy, and for this family's sake, I hope so. They have to get her to the vet in 4 days from purchase, which was yesterday, Sat. Of course, I told them that any breeder that uses pet stores to sell their pups is not reputable. And, they wanted to know why. So, being me, I told them. I said, "did you see the parents of this pup?" "Did you talk to the breeder?" Each question I asked, they replied with "no."
No matter what, pet stores sell puppy mill pups. And, people pay these huge prices for dogs that usually end up with health or behavioral issues. Not in every case, I know of some that are O.K., but more often than not, there are problems. In LA, they are striving to have a puppy-store free LA, CA. The store that prompted this is called Puppy Love in Beverly Hills, CA. This store was selling really sick puppies from puppy mills. I think they sold to some major movie stars, and that is the reason it was brought into the limelight. The movies stars jumped on the bandwagon to stop pet stores from selling puppies and supporting puppy mills.
A puppy mill is a large, commercial breeding facility that is nothing more than an assembly line breeding place where the dogs are not cared for and are just a "cash" crop. The Amish are some of the worst for puppy mills. Stop the mills! Protest against places like Petland or any place that sells puppies. Remember, no reputable breeder uses a pet store or the Internet. Always research the breed you want and research the breeder you pick. Personally, I am an advocate of breed specific rescue groups, or a shelter dog.