Hey Guys, I have a question, please help!!
 

Sorry I haven't been on in a few months I just graduated the police academy and actually am able to get on the computer!! Jasmine, the hubby and I are all great! But we went into a "pet store" (ugh, I hated it, but he wanted to look at their fish, we have a huge fish tank also) and I saw a Yorkie and was like aww he's so cute and wanted to play with him just because. but the lady was so intent on selling him to me (little did she know, I had no intention on buying him or any other animal right now, other than fish..lol) so she's telling me that is breeder is from Missouri and hes definitely not from a puppy mill and all this garbage but the name of the store is petland and i went on stoppuppymills website and there is something on there about puppy mills in missouri who sell to petland so it raised an interest in me. She said their "breeders" were inspected by the USDA and I was wonder two things, what types of inspections are they and is there anything I can do about this pet store, the last time I went in there they almost kicked me out because one of the puppies was sick and I asked what were they going to do with it and they didn't have a clue, I was ticked, and then one more thing, there was an 8 week old yorkie girl in there who was smaller than my hand (oh by the way the lady told me my yorkie was huge because she weighs 7 lbs) but the lady looking that the yorkie girl asked the employee do yorkies bark and I'm walking by at this point pissed and the employee says no, I have 3 at home and I never here them bark, I'm just like OMGosh are you kidding?? and I turned around and said "do babies s*it themselves, of course yorkies bark they are a dog...duh" and she gave me a dirty look and by that point hubby is like ok, it's time to go. Needless to say he is not aloud to buy fish there he was just looking for this specific one. But this place horrifies me! Please help is there anything I can do if they are buying from puppy mills, I'm almost positive they are, and what types of inspections does the USDA do? sorry this is so long thanks for all of your guys help, you guys are awesome!!

I believe most puppy mills can pass right through USDA inspections. I'm not quite sure what it entails though. I hope someone else can tell you more!

thanks, so pretty much the USDA inspection is pointless, this just drives me nuts Im so sick of seeing and hearing about puppy mills, I just wish there was something to do about them, that I could actually do.:(:animal-pa

Don't know about the inspections, but contratulations on crossing the blue line! Stay safe.

You are already doing good by not shopping there. Pet shop employees are liars. The always say "we don't buy from puppymills." If the pups come from Missouri, then how could an employee possible know it's not a puppymill? Puppymills are perfectly legal. All the USDA does if make sure the place is clean on the day of inspection and that the dogs have food, water and shelter. If a breeder is USDA licensed, they are supposed to keep their dog in a separate kennel building. That's not the kind of environment I want any of my pets to come from. Dogs, especially toy dogs belong in the house with their families. Failing a USDA inspection usually results in a warning or a slap on the wrist. There is also wide spread corruption among the investigators. I've even heard that many of them run puppymills themselves. If these tiny babies are only 8 weeks, how old were they when they were shipped to the broker and then again to the petstore? I can't believe that person had the nerve to say yorkies don't bark. Wait, yes I can b/c I once heard a petstore employee tell someone Jack Russels were great apartment dogs "just like on Fraiser." WTF? The best thing you can do to stop puppymills is to educate the public, good luck!

I know its frustrating. I go through the same thing every time I'm at the mall with my mom and she wants to look at the puppies that I know came from a puppy mill. I feel so bad for those pups, but the best thing I think we can do is spread the word to the people we know in our area about the facts and not patronize those stores for our pet's needs. Maybe you could write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper?

We use to have a Petland in southwestern PA when I was growing up. My grandmother bought a few dogs from there at different times. One died like 2 weeks later. The others always got sick after being brought home. My boyfriend (12 years ago) got a beagle pup from there and it had the sniffles, etc. as soon as we left the store pretty much. I know of another woman who bought one from there back then and it died after like 8 days (of course they only reimburse for death for a week). They make a killing off of those pups and they all look so sad, and make you feel sad to see them penned up :( I am not sure of any details about the USDA thing or mills, but I'd love to know if you find anything out!!

Puppymills are large commercial kennels who provide puppies for the retail pet industry/pet stores. They are required to be licensed by the USDA. Missouri has the largest number of puppymills in the country. This saleswoman is either lying or misinformed when she tells you that the puppy didn't come from a puppymill.

Here is more information on the USDA and puppy mills.

Puppymills - commercial dog kennels and the USDA

thanks for the link, the lady was lying I think. She said that she had 9 dogs all together and that Florida was the largest puppymill here and I was just like whatever lady, you're a moron. People like that get underneath my skin so terribly bad I can't see straight. One day I will save these babies.

The fact that they are "inspected by the USDA" tells you that they are a larger breeder that sells commercially. Responsible breeders do not sell to pet stores. Period.

Does anyone know of anyway that I can prove they buy from brokers or mills and if so how I can get them in trouble? Please help:(

If you can get the name of the breeder, I'm sure you will find it on the USDA "puppymill list".

http://prisonersofgreed.org/ListA2006.pdf

That won't get them in trouble, though. 99.9% of the puppies sold in pet stores come from puppymills. It's perfectly legal. :mad:

The pet stores just count on the fact that people don't do their homework and aren't aware of where their puppies come from.

I just looked on the puppymill list and he's not on there, I called the petstore to get his name and addy but he didn't have the full addy and I was not aloud to have his phone number unless I purchase that yorkie for $3000!!!! I told the man it was odd as my yorkie I have now I was able to visit her home and speak with the entire family. he said it was for privacy reasons, i think he's full of crap, i think its so women like me don't call and harass him all the time, I know this place buys from mills and brokers I want to do something about it, I just dont know what, it's a shame these poor babies there and no one there cares.

Do they know you are a police officer? I would make sure any time I went in I was in uniform. Maybe it will scare them into thinking you are investigating them and they will stop.

Did you say that this was a Petland? They get their puppies from the Hunte Corporation, the self-proclaimed largest puppy dealer in the nation.

Petstore Cruelty

The Voice for Dogs.org ~~ Help us encourage Petland to stop selling puppies and kittens from commercial breeders owned by the Hunte Corporation and support rescue adopt a pets instead. . Let's end dog abuse now!

You usually don't find out the breeder's name until you send in for the papers. Many people are pretty shocked to find out after the fact that their puppy came from a puppymill in Missouri or Oklahoma when they were told they came from "local breeders". That's the standard line.