So when you looked at rescues you found a bunch of older dogs, mostly male, weird colors, health issues, bad habits to retrain? Where do you think these dogs came from? Think about it for a minute. Do you think good breeders produced these dogs? The reason I encourage people to support the best breeder they can find, is that I want the others to go out of business, and in supporting poor breeders, you are supporting more dogs being born, that people don't want. It's true, a beautiful healthy Yorkie, is going to be adopted much faster than one with health issues and weird looking. In addition, a good breeder's dogs seldom need rehoming, because they are selective in finding homes for their dogs. They want to teach you proper care of the pup, so it doesn't develop bad habits, and make rehoming necessary. I just want to add that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and rehomed dogs, take on a special beauty, and so do their owners.

I'm not blaming you for wanting a puppy, I believe that this is a personal decision, and if someone thinks that they have the skills necessary to produce a well trained dog, I say go for it, but I always encourage people to take the time, and find a really good breeder, and read everything they can on what to look for in a breeder and questions to ask. What's done is done, and I'm not trying to rehash old threads. I don't wish to cause you upset or anguish, but it just seems like you are whitewashing the whole puppy mill situation, and I hope you rethink some of your views, and as someone stated earlier, "If your not part of the solution, your part of the problem." How about starting a new thread that just says you will help with names, but don't mention any registries? If you hadn't mentioned APRI, I never would have replied. I think a naming thread would be a fun thread, and I'm sorry that this got hijacked, but I hope someday, you will understand why so many of us think this is so important.

All the best to you too !! All my cats were from shelters and wonderful.

I LOVE my (yorkie) girls but if ever given the chance or my circumstances change....I'll be saving a dog too. My life changed so much since my husband died that I can't afford another pet, but I do know I'll never 'buy' one again. I want to save one already born and give him/her a better life.

ps...edited to add - another very well said post Nancy

This post is out of control!! I guess thats what happens when it is full of opinionated women...

I would like to say this: I have been on here for about a year..I believe and I think ALOT of this women are very very opinionated, but they know what they are saying. I think Nancy was just trying to save you from spending money that you don't need to spend and that ends up going to a bad place. I think you (rachel) took it the wrong way and things got out of control.

Everyone has their own opinion, out of all my post I have never got mad at something that someone said to me or gave me advice I didn't agree on. I just took it for what it was worth.

I don't think there is any need to get mad or upset. Maybe sometimes you should really read what they are saying and try to understand it, if you dont ask questions.

I was not trying to be "outright rude and horrible". Let me explain to you a little about me since you only joined YT a little over a month ago. I came to YT looking for knowledge in August 2007 because I wanted to add a puppy to my home. I too had many misconceptions about where, how and who to purchase a puppy but I wanted to learn from knowledgeable people. It was months before I posted for the first time and introduced myself. By that time I had grasped as much knowledge as possible from the many, many post that I had read. I had also taken in a rehome Pebbles who was from my friend. Pebbles has many behavioral issues because she was taken from her mom too soon and under socialized with her siblings. I hired a trainer and read many book on dog behavior as I possibly could to further educate myself. It was during this time that I also became involved in rescue and began volunteering. I then added a little puppy Doodlebug to our little family who is a puppy mill rescue. His mom was purchased from an auction and he was one of her liter. I felt at the time I was making a difference by "help" save a rescue. Since that time I have become further educated and changed my views on this subject as well. I have since learned from YT that this practice enable the millers to continue the suffering within the mills by making a new spot for a younger dog as well as putting money into the millers pockets. :mad: Then I began volunteering with YHR and became even more active within the YT community because I felt KNOWLEDGEABLE enough to make a meaningful contribution. It is my belief that information that I have contributed to this forum is meaningful and informative. I have been both a student and teacher within this community. I have learned and tough while making friends and sharing fun stories. I spend most of my time in the Rescue Forum trying to help and save as many dog as possible. There have been members of YT that have decided to join YHR and other rescues to try and make a small difference in this sometimes cruel world we live in. Other have found wonderful new additions to their homes in the Rescue forum. I added both Truman my foster and also Bogey from the Rescue Forum. You can look at all of my posts and see that I have made a genuine positive contribution to the community with my 2,417 posts. Most :rolleyes: are well thought out and thoughtfully worded to provide information and guidance to whomever I am posting a response. Yes~I have been called rude in the past but sometimes the truth needs to be told and I sometimes it does have a little sting.

Sorry I don't get this one part, if Doodlebug was a rescue then how did you do anything wrong? Should the puppy have been put down instead? I am misreading this maybe?

Let me explain what I meant by this statement. Doodlebug's mom was pregnant when she was brought to the puppymill auction to be sold. The millers will sell dogs regardless if they are pregnant or not. She was ready to give birth to her liter who Dbug was part of. The rescue PAID the Amish miller for the mom and took her back to the rescue where she had her puppies. The problem with purchasing at these auctions is that you are making a free spot for the millers to put another more profitable dog into her slot and at the same time putting money into their pockets for a dog they no longer considered profitable. If they know the can even get $5 for one of their cast off it is still profit to the mills. Now if they gave away the dogs and didn't make a profit they would reconsider having so many dogs within their mills. It is a matter of supply and demand. Whether it is the public making the demand at the petshops or making purchases online or a rescue paying for dogs they will continue to "supply the demand".

Hope that makes sense ;) *BTW Dbug is a Morkie too :)

This was from a post on another thread but it really applies here.

I got Sushi, Sake, And KitCat strsaight from their breeders, and it's actually in the contract I signed that if I ever decided to rehome these babies I will have to call the breeder first. They would take them back any day. Two of them actually went as far as making me sign that even if at some point I found a new home for them, I have to get the breeder's approval for the new home. I guess they just wanna make sure that their babies are always looked after and with responsible reliable owners. And I can't blame them!

I know breeders have good intentions but this is exactly why many people are probably pushed away. Most people are going to love and care for their dog and breeders don't really need to do this. I think it is having the opposite effect and people are turning to petstores and less controling breeders.

I have come across many people who just walked away from the "reputable breeder" because they just wanted a girl (and the breeder wouldn't let girls go until you learn how to take care of your yorkie boy first-really just scared you were going to breed her maybe???)or who didn't want to wait so long to get their pup(meaning the breeder wanted to keep the pup until it was old enough for them to see if it would fit the "standard" and then if not they would sell it).

Anyway if good breeders would advertise more or make it a more accessible and enjoyable experience then more people would turn to them. I don't think their attitude is always positive in helping the puppy mill situation.

Oh my....I just now read this thread.

Talk about a headache. I think many of you might as well go talk to the brick wall that I must have hit my head on....you might get a better response! :p

Ok I see what you are saying now. Is is a blessing though that they were saved no matter which way you look at it. It is a really hard place to be in. Do you help the Mom and pups even at a price or leave them for further abuse. Neglected they end up with health issues making them less likely to be adopted or they get put down. Like I said in my earlier post, and I just feel so strongly about preserving animal life, but I would rather pups get to there forever homes early and get medical care. This is definatley a much more out of control situation in the US than in Canada. Maybe expecting better government control there is a dream? I only understand your system from what i see on TV.

May I jump in here and explain (and you probably already know most of this)

I have come across many people who just walked away from the "reputable breeder" because they just wanted a girl (and the breeder wouldn't let girls go until you learn how to take care of your yorkie boy first-really just scared you were going to breed her maybe???)

As far as not placing a girl in a pet home.....not true, what we don't place is a girl in a newbie show person's home. Why, because of the breeding factor. We want to know that the person's heart is in the right place and not wanting a female just to breed her.

breeder wanted to keep the pup until it was old enough for them to see if it would fit the "standard" and then if not they would sell it).

Since most reputable exhibitor breeders breed for themselves first, it's very common for them to hold a litter, because the litter looks very promising. So, yes there is a bit of a wait. It's hard for those that are wanting a puppy yesterday, but if one has done their homework and wants a quality dog they are willing to wait.

Anyway if good breeders would advertise more or make it a more accessible and enjoyable experience then more people would turn to them. I don't think their attitude is always positive in helping the puppy mill situation

You're right, most of us don't advertise, although many have websites to showcase their accomplishments. Most of us either have breeder referrals via YTCA, word of mouth and/or repeat buyers. I preferably don't care to have a website....just a bit old fashioned that way, the internet is a wonderful tool, but with it, it has brought some criminal elements.

You make perfect sense. The same theory applies to pet shops like you said. Once a puppy is bought - another from a mill is brought in to replace that puppy and the cycle continues.

It's very VERY hard not to want to save them but, in reality, people are keeping them in business by buying. It's all about profit.

I'm glad you mentioned auctions. That's another disgusting practice that needs to stop. It's like our country turns a blind eye to the plight of all these poor animals. Even on the news, when they have the tv adoptions, there is hardly any mention about the thousands being abused/neglected LEGALLY in Mills all over the country.

Our laws just SUCK.

Ok so with these two statements I just don't get it. If breeders really wanted to put puppy mills out of business then why not breed to sell and advertise to people to ensure they buy from someone who cares. I don't mean this in any mean way at all, but if you are going to tell someone not to go buy something they want from place A because it is bad and to buy from place B, but then you can't find place B and when you do, place B won't let you have the product.

There really is a conflict in that.

:thumbup:

I have had many discussions about this topic with other rescuers. People who pay the millers for pups say that they are saving pups that would "end up in the shelter anyway". Why would a miller take pups to the shelter when he/she could play on the sympathies of animal lovers and get them to cough up a few dollars?
And what about the poor pups who are euthanized in the shelters while people are going to auctions to purchase them?

But you still have to save them. No deaths justify the cause. Conception needs to be prevented. The laws do suck. Well said.

I am sure there will be plenty of people who will not get this.....but there are SO many people who want certain breed pups who have no business having anything more than a stuffed animal!

Reputable breeders and rescues do their level best to find GOOD homes..not just homes. They look for what is good for the pups, not what is going to make someone happy.

Responsible pet owners who really love animals know where and how to obtain them!