I may have bought a puppy from a puppy mill unknowlingly.
 

I am FURIOUS and SICKENED. I don't want to go into too much detail since the breeder has multiple websites (go figure) and is very active posting for sale ads and advice anywhere and everywhere she can for ALL the different types of animals she has not just yorkies. BUT I wasn't looking for a puppy and haven't had one before but I was in a local pet store (again don't want to go into too much detail until I gather all the evidence I need) and saw this poor puppy (a designer breed for less than $100) and for some reason I knew I had to buy him and I did and promised him that I'd do my best to make sure his life was happy from that point on. Anyway I know nothing about dogs but I do know a little about people and there were so many things that this "loving breeder" did and said that just didn't add up, seem right, etc. I was there with someone who has dogs but is pretty nieve an likes to assume all people are good. Anyway I said (again only experience with puppies is friends and family) from the very beginning that something wasn't right with this poor guy. I got very little sleep the first 2 days I had him and there is a list of things a mile long that still make me thing this lady (that I bought him from) is not only a puppymill owner but I think she owns them in several states, her family members sell dogs, too and she has MANY expensive breeds that she sells for dirt cheap. I've been doing a lot of digging and I'm trying to put some pieces together before I make my next more but this is something I spend to invest as much time as needed on until I find out where this puppy came from and do the best I can to at least make sure she doesn't sell anymore sick puppies. I didn't get the puppy with the intention of keeping him but rather saving him from what I felt (with no proof at the time) was a very sad beginning. I fell in love with this baby in 2 days and and I work almost 7 days a week and at least 12 hours a day and even though I do have my own business I am busy at pretty much all times and I didn't feel that it was fair for me to not give the puppy the life he really deserved. He is not with my best friend and her family and he's happy as can be. This was not easy and I felt I did what was best and I also told her my feelings on the lady I bought him from. The second day I had him (I took him to my best friends family the next day) he starting having an awful growling in his belly and I could barely get him to eat. He was also digging at his ears and itching his little butt. He had THE WORST breath I've ever smelled and it's not puppy breath, it's so awful I really feel like it means something is wrong but I have no idea what. I told my best friend Sunday (the say I took him to her) that she needed to have him tested for everything asap and that I really believed that he didn't get his shots like the breeder said (she said she gave them to him herself). She has an appointment with the vet this week but went ahead and took a stool sample in and he's got hook worms. Not a huge deal but another thing pointing to the fact that my gut feeling in the beginning. I don't think this puppy had ever been wormed and I really don't believe he had any of his shots except 1 rabies shot that I know of for sure. This lady also said she got some of her puppies from her friends.

Before you tell me all these are signs of something bad please understand I have never bought a puppy nor had the intention to but when I saw that little guy something that I can't explain made me take him because I felt like his little life was worth more than any $100 and that is why it happened.

My questions are 1) where I can go to see if this lady has had other problems? 2) Is there anything I can do if she knowingly sold me a sick puppy 3) how do I report her?

Because of her (and I guess my ignorance) my best friend and her small children have now been exposed to tape worms as have I and my mother and my mothers dogs. This has gone WAY beyond just trying to make a buck. This lady intentionally lied to me, she lied about giving him his shots, she lied about worming him and I truly don't think she knew anything about the dog. Looking back I realize my gut instinct and common sense were right but if I'd known it would be like this i'd have never exposed him to anyone else or any other animals. Also that means her whole kennel of dogs probably has tapeworms and she is selling them like that.

To say that I am pissed is an understatement. I do not intend to let this die and I will do whatever I can to make sure that this lady is reported to wherever she need to be to get this stopped.

What should be my next step?
She has dog of her own and other animals so wouldn't they all be exposed, too? How does she keep from getting worms (she may have them she didn't exactly look clean).

TAPE or HOOK worms...I am confused?
People can not get canine tapes, but they can get hooks..usually kids who touch the poop and then their mouths...doesn't happen otfen, but possible.

My vet said he was exposed to every worm and parasite know to he canine and cat world and never got infected, so it is rare.

What was you question again..?

Did you buy from a breeder or from a pet store? If it was a pet store, then yes, they are all from puppy mills. No caring, responsible, ethical breeder would ever allow someone else to sell their dogs for them, nor would they sell them in a store setting. A caring, responsible, ethical breeder screens all potential puppy parents, and is proud to show the future puppy parents where the pup grew up and who their fur mom and dad is.

not sure what you should and shouldnt do in this situation....but i just wanted to say....good luck ....and im so glad you got that darling out of that situation.

Good for you
 

I'm unsure who you should contact either, but I'm sure you'll get good advice here. The local Humane Society will possibly be able to advise you. I admire what you did. It is so sad that uncaring people treat precious little animals they way they do. It really saddens me. :animal-pa

I agree - you said you weren't even looking for a dog and I'm so sorry he's in such bad shape healthwise...the people who let dogs get into these conditions make me sick too :mad: and there's LOTS of them out there. Poor little guy - I hope he's going to be ok and keep going after that so called 'breeder'

we have a word for that - GREEDER - and she actually may not even be one - she could something else and be lying about what she really is. From what you posted it sure sounds like it and sounds like she is a disgusting person.

Karma is a beoytch and I really hope she gets hers

Sounds more like a broker.

that was what i was thinking also.

I'm completely confused here. You said you saw the pup in the pet store and thought he was worth saving. Then you said you bought him from a lady. How were you able to buy him from a lady without seeing how she lives and see her breeding program. She should have given you a shot record.
First you say he has hook worms, the you say he has tape worms.
Maybe you mean well, but you should really consider placing this puppy with United Yorkie Rescue so they can take care of all his medical needs and place him in a wonderful home.

I'm very confused too. She contradicts herself.

How old is the puppy? How long has it been since you purchased the pup? I'm surprised you purchased a pup for only 100 bucks at a pet store...I've never seen a pup go for that cheap at a pet store.

Is your question how do you find out if she (the breeder) is running a puppy mill? Did you check the USDA list for her name? We really need more information to help you. Is the puppy being treated for the worm issue? If you give us the name of this woman we will be able to direct you in the proper direction to get to the bottom of your issues. Who has this puppy right now? Do they want to keep the puppy? What breed is he~Yorkie????:(

A bit of hookworm history
 

Infact , people Can get Infected by canine tape worms and hookworms.

Tape worms pretty much have to be ingested in order to for humans to be infected and No human in their right mind would ingest a tape worm. However, if a dog was infected and would cough and then quickly lick you on your lips, you could infact get a dose of tapeworms from his/her saliva !!!
Good to know: canine tapeworms cannot reproduce in humans,but they can live in the human gut for a good while.

It used to be very common in the southern U.S. for more than a few folks of all classes, to be infected by hookworms and all you had to do to become infected, was to walk barefoot in either dog,cat,or human feces.

Infected people became anemic, they became slow,sleepy and to healthy people they seemed to behave as if they were lazy. Infected people of a certain hue were called 'Poor white trash'.

The feces doesn't have to be fresh either! They,(hookworms) can go right through your skin!!!!
Then indoor bathrooms became popular !!! Now it is rare to step in human poop that has been infected with hookworms and with the invention of meds to both prevent and get rid of hookworms,etc. well, it is Rare anywhere in the USA for humans and their pets to become infected with parasites.
I learned this in my first semester biology class taught by a veterinarian at the first college I attended.

By the way,vets don't usually get infected by worms,germs,etc because they are taught aseptic techniques,(the art of being sanitary) through out their schooling.

For puppymilinfo, some pet stores that sell dogs,cats,birds have a guarantee for a year as to the health of the animal and require a visit to a vet of their choice,(usually free) and there is some kind of paper showing all of this information that the buyer is required to sign.

Did you sign anything like this and do you have any recourse from the seller? Can you complain to your state Attorney General? (Its free!!) Does the pet store that you bought your dog from belong to the better business bureau? If so, then you can complain to them. They may or may not do anything. You have to ask them if they can do anything about it I think.

Sometimes it is the disappointment of humans that brings relief to the animals they take pity on. When enough people become disappointed for the same reasons against the same people, then laws are made and hopefully enforced.

Good luck with your new puppy