WHAT PET STORE’ SALEPERSON WILL TELL YOU AND WHAT NEVER WILL
Every pet shop that sells puppies will assure you, solemnly, that their puppies are different. Their puppies don't come from puppy mills, but from fine local breeders.
The reality is that responsible breeders will never place one of their puppies in a pet shop or anywhere else for resale or consignment. Never, ever, ever. Any breeder who has placed their puppy in a pet shop to be sold has immediately disqualified himself as a responsible breeder.
WHY?
Because, as commercial establishments, pet shops are required to sell a puppy to anyone who can pay. Legally, they are not allowed to "screen" buyers for suitability. Responsible breeders wouldn't be able to sleep at night wondering which of their puppies might have gone to an unsuitable home and was not being properly cared for.
But my pet shop says...
The pet shop industry has manuals and trade journals that teach pet shop owners and employees exactly what to say to persuade you to buy. Their marketing ploys include:
But my pet shop says...
"We buy only from local breeders."
When a salesperson says they get their pups from local breeders it could either be what they were trained to say or it could mean they actually do get their puppies from local commercial kennels. "Local" doesn't mean that they aren't from a LOCAL puppy mill. Our local pet store has "local" puppies too...straight from the local puppymill
What difference does this make? Whether a breeder is local or lives in Timbuktu, whether he has produced only one litter or many -- if he has placed his puppies in a pet shop, his breeding practices are irresponsible. Geographical location makes no difference at all.
But my pet shop says
...
"We buy only from private breeders."
First of all what defines a private breeder? Nothing. If there are private breeders, who are the public breeders? There's NO such thing! So when that sales kid tells you that the pup is from a private breeder he could be talking about ANY breeder in the country.