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Originally Posted by rjwalt  Puppy Mills are bad news, period. But the reality is, the number of pet stores that actually sells pets (dogs/cats) is going down in the U. S. That's where the majority of these dogs are being sold, in conjunction with shady online sites. They are being choked out of business little by little.
But the reason dogs are ending up in shelters is not just because they were born in a puppy mill, or bred by a bad breeder, it's because people either don't really take the time to research and be honest with themselves as to whether or not they can actually care for a dog and the things that may pop up. The others end up there because they get lost, had undesirable owners, or life changes that happen and make it harder for a family or owner to continue to care for the animals.
With that said, choosing a breeder or a rescue is a personal choice and people are not necessarily going to go the route of a rescue because there are no puppy mill puppies available. Fact is, if you are looking for a 12 week old Yorkie puppy to add to your family, you will probably not find one at a rescue anywhere. You will find a breeder or someone with a litter. And there is nothing wrong with that if that's what you want, can handle, and researched. Some of the dogs in rescues in shelters probably came from awesome breeders, and probably have had tons of money spent on them.
It's more troublesome to go to a pound or rescue group and get a dog out of pity or because you couldn't get a puppy mill dog from a store that won't fit into your lifestyle or situation than to just go find the dog that is more likely to be the best for your lifestyle and the dog. That's the good thing about breeds, they make it easier to find a breed that's best for you.
Yes, by all means let's get rid of puppy mills and substandard breeders but the answer to dropping the number of animals euthanized each year is proper education, research, and possibly more organizations that help people who come up on hard times to pay for food and medical care. |
True people don't think things through. I have some beef with some rescues... there were some rescues, and pounds we met to check up on dogs and some of the dogs described one way were the opposite... also
what really makes me annoyed is kind of a blatant lie...
Like on the dogs page it'd say "Baby" and when you ask for the age- they'd tell you 8 years old. Then you'd correct them and they'd say something along the lines "well they act like babies"...
I know people are trying to find homes for animals-- but purposely omitting truths is shameful and deceitful.
A lot of the times I'd ask for the health, and the page would say clean bill of health but I'd ask them to make sure.. and then I'd get info on them describing some really intense lifelong illness... like one dog even being half blind.. or another dog having severe genetic issues, etc.
Again, omitting info like that is shameful and deceitful.
Obviously if you get a dog you will take care of it regardless of what it has-- but you don't purposely go seek out a dog that has the most illness... I mean not to sound cruel or anything... but not everyone is prepared to work with that on the first go.
Or how they'd say the dog is calm, friendly, nice, etc... and when you meet it in person it's showing dominant energy, mild aggression, doesn't like to be pet much or held, etc.
I could imagine them lying about something like a larger dog to person with children... saying how the dog is calm, friendly, good with kids-- and the moment they meet the kid hasnt done anything yet and the dog is trying to bite its face off...
I just think there should be more care in wording things, honesty, etc..
I had emails upon emails from different organizations which would clarify upon inquiry about a dogs personality, health, etc and stuff wouldnt be the same as what is on the post...