My view on pet store puppies.....

[SnowWa]

A bunch of us were discussing pet store puppies the other night at my house, and the end result was that we all admitted that over the years - all of our families have had many wonderful pets that were purchased at pet stores. And - almost none of us ever ended up with a pet that was sick or didn't thrive. In fact, none of us have.

I hate puppymills as much or more than most people - and I think that every last one of them should be shut down. And, I think there should be serious fines and even jail time for most of the people who operate these facilities.

But, I don't think that not buying puppies from pet stores is going to solve this problem or even put a dent in it. We need to go directly to the source and shut down the puppy mills themselves. This is the only way they will every be stopped.

Puppies at pet stores are darling and cute and as loveable as any other puppy in the world, and they deserve a loving home as much as any other puppy does. For this reason - I have no qualms at all about buying a puppy from a pet store. I think during my lifetime I have owned four or five dogs and a couple cats that were purchased at pet stores. And, every one of them was a wonderful pet - and most of them lived a long and healthy life and died from old age.....or close to it.

I have also purchased three birds from pet stores - and have loved and enjoyed every one of them. (I still have two of them.)

I got my Yorkie from a long-time, family-owned pet store here where I live. I was given the breeder's name and have corresponded with her and have gotten pictures and have learned a lot about my Yorkie's parents. I know this doesn't always happen - it's just the way it worked out with the Yorkie pup I got.

I got my Bichon, that I also have now, on line and he was flown from California to me in here in Washington. I went shopping on the internet because there weren't any Bichons in my area. And - he is a wonderful cute little guy that I am very fortunate to have.

I was given a kitten for my birthday - bought another at a pet store - found one in a parking lot - and another was just a stray that showed up at my door. Two others were from a litter that one of my cats had. (Of course, I didn't have all these cats at the same time).

When I was a child - one little puppy I got came from the dog pound - what a joy he was for nearly 11 years of my life.

My point is that a lot of the most wonderful pets we will ever have will come from a variety of different places. And, all of them are loveable and deserve a loving home.

*** I always feel bad when I hear people say, "I saw the cutest puppy in the pet store and I felt so sorry for him. I don't believe in buying puppies from pet stores, so I left - but I've cried for days -- I still cry every time I think about him."

I wouldn't buy a puppy from a pet store if I didn't want a puppy, but if I did want a puppy, and I saw one in a pet store that touched my heart - he would be on his way home with me. And, he would be going to a loving home and have a good life. And he (like all my pets have been) would be worth a million dollars to me.

***** I'm sure if you are looking for a purebred and especially looking for certain traits, or if you're interested in breeding and showing, you are better off dealing with a reputable breeder. But, if your main goal is just getting a wonderful little pet -- why does it matter where it comes from? Especially, when we remember that we can't find a little puppy anywhere that doesn't need a loving home - and that won't love us back a hundredfold - if we give it a family to call it's own.


Carol Jean

[yorkieK9trainer]

My main issue is that a lot of Pet Stores/Puppy Stores are advertising that their puppies come from "PRIVATE BREEDERS" and I've got news for a few of you out there, that's exactly what you could label a Puppy Mill as!
A private breeder that mass produces three or more breeds. Not enough people are educated on the little lies (mostly by omission) to make a safe and smart purchase.

[Itspuppyluv]

Who wouldn't like to save them all from pet stores?

It matters where they come from because behind that adorable puppy are parents left behind in misery. They are the reason why anyone that knows mills exist should have qualms about buying puppies from pet stores.
It is not as simple as taking a chance on getting a healthy puppy or that they all deserve loving homes.

I don't know how to put an end to mills but I do know if you buy from pet stores...no matter how good your intentions...you are part of the problem. You are their customers. They couldn't stay in business without you.
I'm sorry if that comes off as harsh, I’m not trying to make anyone feel bad. Just my point of view.

[rosesmom]

I agree that no one should be helping them stay in business. I know people that have got petstore dogs and the it was horrible for them. One died and the other costs the person lots to keep it alive. I can't stand them having to live like they do just so they can make babies. When people buy puppies it makes the puppymills keep more dogs to live like that to provide all those poor babies.

[FlDebra]

You make some excellent points. Another would be that we should not assume that all puppies from pet shops are coming from puppy mills. I know our local pet shop gets their Yorkies from a lady near here who breeds from her home. They offer up the name and location for the asking and you can check for yourself. My mom had a pet store years ago and she did not buy from puppy mills but she did not always have dogs and cats for sale either. It was usually the occcasional pet owner pleading for her to sell their last pup or find a new home for their own pet. She mostly dealt with tropical birds and tried diligently to avoid the abusers. Talk about some horror stories -- people smuggling them in to the country wrapped in nylon hose so they don't make noise or move -- arriving barely alive. She made sure to find people who bred their own and had a facility open to visit. Responsible pet store owners can still do some investigative work to make sure they are not buying from abusive sources. And responsible pet purchasers can do a little investigative work to find the source of the pet store puppies. Some may wind up pleasantly surprised.

And sometimes you never know. I bought our first 6 month old Yorkie from a loving owner who was having health problems. She had a very nice, clean home and obviously spoiled her Yorkie. But when we unexpectantly lost her, a little research on her breeder led us to the town puppymill. So, although I thought I was buying from an excellent source, originally she had come from a cement block building with no a/c and no heat, a building stacked with cages and adult Yorkies who never know play.

This time around I am buying puppies that I have seen as newborns and got to socialize a little along the way. Both come from home breeders who are very knowledable and have years of experience with their own Yorkies. I got to interact with the parents of both puppies and see just how loving, alert and happy they are. This is ideal for me, but I know it is not the only way to wind up with an excellent pet or even show dog.

[MeganS]

Honestly, I would go in and buy every single one of them. Who doesn't want to go save them all and give them a happy, healthy home?

But, while they're living with a family, their mama is still back at the puppy mill. as soon as they get sold the owners call up the puppy mill "we need 3 more yorkie puppies." then the mama gets bred again.

Another reason I will never again buy from a pet store? I don't want to do business with people who'll stand there and lie right to my face. "Our puppies came from private breeders. Not far away at all!" Why would I GIVE money to someone who's lying to me? Especially if I know they're lying to me?

And then there's one more reason, the biggest one for me, that I will never buy anything, not even dog food, from a pet store again. I got a puppy last year from a pet store. We got him on my birthday (he wasn't a surprise, I went and picked him out and everything). He was my little pal. He followed me EVERYWHERE. For the time we had him, we were inseperable. Then, when he was 14 WEEKS old, and we had had him for a month, he started having seziures. I remember the day my dad and I drove to the vet and he was sitting in my lap. He was tired. I remember going into the vet and having him say that Bandit would need a lot of money put into him if he was going to survive. I remember asking my dad if he would live. I also remember when at 10 that night he started seziuring and my dad rushed him off to the vet. At 3 in the morning he called and said that the vet said there was nothing left that anyone could do, and Bandit had to be put to sleep.

And, finally, I remember that my parents almost had to sue this stupid pet store owner to get any sympathy from him. He said that we shouldn't have put Bandit to sleep, we should have brought him back. What for? So he could suffer there until they got off their butts to bring a vet in? I couldn't even go with my parents when they went to get the check (almost 6 months later), because one look at that guy and I probably would have killed him.

and those are all of the reasons I'm against pet stores.

Sorry for that rant/vent/incredibly long post. I just feel very strongly about this subject.

[chachi]

I wont even buy my fish food from a pet store

[JESSY_RN2B]

I know one person too many who have bought pets from petstores and most are either sick, or have behavoral issues.......not my cup of tea.

[Brookef18]

Carol Jean,

I think you are right on and agree 100% I love my little guy and wouldn't trade him for anything. It's to bad that people have such a hate for pet stores that they cant remember we are talking about babies with feelings, and love to give and needing love to thrive... Shutting down the puppy mills would be the first step in helping these dogs... since no one can do that these poor babies will be born and sold... I hate to think of the parents... I hate to imagine any poor dog suffering... but if I can save one
baby and make him part of my family I will!!! (I DID)

[annaschaben]

I think that there are tons of people out there that don't know that you can get a dog from any where but a pet store. And while I won't get a dog from a pet store, I don't hold anything against people who do.

The whole puppy mill thing just drives me nuts though, and I think that pet stores are a very small part of their market. Puppy mill people are just everywhere. and sell there puppies in all sorts of different places, including a couple that have tried to sell puppies on YT. If I know of somebody looking for puppies on places like puppyfind I tell them to make sure to click on their name and see how many other dogs they are selling. It's amazing how many dogs some of those people have listed. One person had over 5 pages of puppies. I think that puppyfind should be responsible and turn these people in as a puppy mill. Also I warn people that just because a breeder has a web-site and the web site only has Yorkies on it that that doesn't mean that that is all that breeder breeds. I know of one person who had a different web-site for each of her breeds (like 5 different kinds). And on each site it sounded like she only breed that kind of dog. It just pisses me off.

Of course if there weren't any puppy mills out there to flood the market where would all these people wanting $200 Yorkies get theirs from.

[BubblPopElectrc]

This topic has been beaten to death over and over again.

However, I think it's ignorant to think that if people stopped buying puppies from pet store, it wouldn't effect puppy mills. It's all about supply and demand. If people didn't buy puppies from pet stores, the pet stores wouldn't buy from the puppy mills, and the puppy mills would suffer.

[Donna Jean]

Sadly enough though, their are a ton of BROKERS, who look for these puppy mills, buy whole litters for very little, than try to make a ton of money off these babies.
If you want a nice puppy, go the the dog shows, find the breed that you have an interest in, met the breeder, and know where your dog is coming from!!!!!! Visit the breeders home, meet the parents, grandparents, and maybe even the great grandparents, get references, Vet, neighbors, and other breeders, get the pedigree, and make sure it is AKC, and after you have done all your homework on the breed you want, you will be going in the right direction!!!!! You will most likely have these babies for 15 years or more, problems seldom show up before 6 mos. and than it is to late, that baby has your heart, and you will spend a ton of money trying to make the puppy whole, healthy,sometimes unable to even save this puppies life, it is the most heartbreaking thing you will ever live, watching a beautiful little puppy dying, pleading to you to help it, and sometimes you can, if you have enough money, and sometimes all the money in the world can not save this baby. believe me you get what you pay for!!!!! You either pay the price for a great puppy from a wonderful breeder, or you buy an cheap yorkie, and in a year it could triple the cost of what you could have paid from your show breeder, puppy mills do not show!!!!!! I doubt you would even be able to ever see the parents or grandparents of that puppy, they are probley dead or close to death. Do not buy any puppy unless you know exactly where it is coming from, spend the money to fly to the breeders kennel, check out all the dogs, they should have energy, should be well groomed, have a sparkle in their eyes, should know their names, should be friendly, happy and well adjusted, and should show great interest in their puppies, if a mom is not interested in playing with her puppies, she is worn down and needs to be rested. You don't want to see a mommy, tired, depressed, or in bad coat! You get wonderful dogs from show breeders, they may cost a little more, but in the long run you will save a lot of money and heart ache! This puppy is a 15 year investment, when you spread the extra cost over 15 years of maybe1,000.00 divided by 15 years is 66.00 a year, 5.50 a month, when you do the math you will be able to see which is the better deal! Have a puppy that is thriving, in good health, and a beauty to look at!!!!! Their is nothing more beautiful in this world than a yorkie in full silk coat to the ground, when they walk or run and that coat blows in the wind, it is breathtaking, you literally can not take your eyes off that dog!

I guess by now you know I love the dog shows and the breeds are all the best that is out their. So do yourself a favor, next time you want a really nice puppy, spend a little extra, you won't be sorry, and you will thank yourself over and over, and will most likely have a puppy that you just can't quit bragging about, and a puppy that will not give you any health problem, just a little puppy that will be a great joy to own, and for sure one you can be proud of. Yorkies that are a bargin, beware of. As I said before, you get what you pay for!!!!!!!!!!

[MeganS]

Donna Jean - I agree for the most part. The only thing I disagree with is if you buy from a pet store you're buying a cheap puppy. Most dogs in pet stores are actually VERY expensive and it's actually cheaper to buy from a good breeder most of the time.

[Rae Rae]

I would love to save a puppy from a petstore one day! My boyfriend ALMOST bought me a yorkie from a petstore until I found out what he was doing. I told him to get his deposit back ASAP and he did. He knew nothing about puppy mills and just wanted to make me happy, so I couldn't blame him, but then I helped him and we found the perfect one together

Anyways, when I did a research on the store he was going to buy from, I got so many bad reviews. It was almost as bad, if not worse as the reviews we hear of one specific "breeder" whose been lurking on around here lately, threatening lawsuits. I wouldnt want to buy from a petstore, have my pup get sick and dye, and not even be creditting anything for it. I can't afford to spend that kind of money on an animal and have it pass on with in a year, only to have to spend more money. Also, I don't want to go through the heartache of buying a sick puppy. The worst moments in my life was having to put my dogs down, I can't imagine how hard it would be to put a puppy down . I know even the best dogs things can happen, but why make the chances higher?

I try to avoid the heartache all together and not go to stores that sell puppies. In the malls I go to theres really no pet stores, just pet boutiques. Other than that we go to petco and petsmart who don't have puppies. So to me it's like if I don't see them, then what am I missing out on?

[Rae Rae]

Originally Posted by MeganS

Donna Jean - I agree for the most part. The only thing I disagree with is if you buy from a pet store you're buying a cheap puppy. Most dogs in pet stores are actually VERY expensive and it's actually cheaper to buy from a good breeder most of the time.

OMG I know! My boyfriend was about to spend over $2G on a yorkie for me! I've seen them priced around $1 so many other places! Also, his friends spent like $3G on an English Bulldog from the petstore!