[erickajm]

Originally Posted by jencar98

T

I found the below very interesting and hope those rescues that do buy from auctions will take the time to read and think about it.

Small Paws isn't going to dog auctions right now, and we are also hoping that other rescuers don't go to these auctions and bid on the Bichons. This is why.

In the beginning for the first 7 1/2 years, we raised every cent we could, and bought every Bichon at auction that we could afford and some that we couldn't. It caused the millers breed even more Bichons to bring to auction for rescue and we knew this.
The good news was that with so many Bichons being for sale at these auctions, prices did begin to fall. It's the rule of supply and demand. Too much supply and consumer prices fall. Too little supply, and consumer prices raise.

Broker price, the amount being paid to the millers per Bichon puppy, was around $400.00 just 18 months ago.
Then we decided to see if the Bichon wholesale market, would react like any other commodity. If one of the major players pulled out, would the market fall?

We made a concentrated and calculated effort to try to control the Bichon wholesale market. We pulled out quickly, suddenly, and totally, and we did see a crash in the wholesale market!
Broker prices for Bichon puppies fell from $400.00 to only $40.00. Bichons began selling for nearly nothing at the dog auctions, in many cases down to $5.00 or LESS, and in some cases no one would bid on them at all. This caused those Bichons to be sent to Small Paws for free.

The millers began giving their Bichon stock to us in droves, about a year ago. We are getting more Bichons out of the mills for free, now, than we ever did by going in and buying them at dog auctions. "Bichons are not worth raising," we are seeing the millers post on their message boards.

Our goal is to continue to make these Bichons WORTHLESS to the millers so they will stop breeding them and selling them to the pet shops.

The numbers of Bichons that we see in pet shops are way down from what we saw when we first came onto the rescue scene back in 1998.

Presently, we are taking in between 40-60 puppy mill Bichons, each and every month, 12 months a year, strictly from the commercial kennels.

This is on top of the 40-50 other Bichons that we take in from kill shelters, owners passing away or going into nursing homes, and of course from owners who can no longer care for them.

Small Paws continues to be the leader in the country in breed rescue. We presently have several other breed rescue groups interning with Small Paws, so that they can learn to do for their breed, what we have done for the Bichons.

We hope to continue our work in the commercial kennels across our country. Though it is a difficult thing to do, we ask that other rescue groups please not bid on Bichons at this time, as it would only serve to undo all of the work we have already done. Sincerely, Robin Pressnall

Small Paws® Rescue

I think that this is worthy of reading a second time. It makes sense.