so upset...puppymills and petstores...
 

i have to admit i had never heard the word puppymill until recently (after we fell in love with snickers) but i have to tell you it makes me sick... today i recieved my puppy report on snickers (yes she is a petshop puppy i didnt know...) and it makes me sick and want to cry. The breeders and the "pedigree" service have such a terrible record it is just awful and now i worry for snickers future health...
sorry to rave but i can't believe what people do to make a quick $$ and my new family member may pay the price
i could just cry

Sorry you havent got good records. I came close to buying a yorkie at a petstore too. Hopefully Snickers will be healthy in spite of it. I have heard of sick yorkies that came from petstores and I have heard of ones that were perfectly healthy so I wouldnt worry untill you have a problem to worry about.

I also have heard of sickly ones who have benefited from thier owners love and care and have become wonderful, healthy pets. Hopefully your little one will get over whatever his problems are and live a long life with you.

I'm so sorry that you got bad news? What exactly is it that has you so concerned?

Twenty years ago, I got my first dogs. Bichon Frises, and I bought them at a pet store - (had never heard don't do this) Maybe the puppymill thing wasn't so bad then (does anyone know?) I bet it was 5-8 years after that before I first started hearing about puppymills. Anyway, I breed my dogs, no one else around here new what Bichons were then.

My dogs did both have champion bloodlines and shared a great-great grandfather. They produced huge litters - always 6-8 pups. We only ever had one odd incidence and that was a pup from the first litter, who was the biggest pup from the day it was born - She grew to be almost twice the size of the standard.

My petstore dogs lived into their mid-teens and never had health problems until old age started setting in. So, lets pray your furbaby will be the exception, too.

I don't even think there is a petstore around here that sells dogs - but we need to keep getting the word out about petstores and puppymills! If you do have problems with your pup, please file a complaint with the attorney general in the state where you bought your pup, and if the puppymill is in another state, contact their attorney general too. I know in Iowa they are trying to crack down on these folks.

Best wishes

:aimeeyork :) Yorkiesmiles

The kennel conditions and multiple citations and lots of sick or deformed puppies.... one of those being a yorkie puppy purchased the same week i got mine :( Snickers went to the vet the day i got her and then again last week and all looks ok... i think i feel a lil guilty for contributing to a puppy mill but at the same time wouldnt trade her... and can't help to think of what possible lingering health problems may emerge
i guess i am being silly its just i am so attached to her its heartbreaking what people do to animals to make money... it was a large facility with alot of complaints etc... and its across the country (i was mislead to believe the petstore used its "own" "responsible" breeder.
i'm just sad about the whole thing but we love her
glad she is with us and not there anymore....

Please try not to fret over what the possibilities might be. Don't drive yourself insane watching for problems. Just love her and make sure you've got a fantastic vet that is really attune to any problems, so that they might be able to catch something in a proactive manner.

Also, if the pet store misled you. Get the word out. Contact them and let them know what you think of their practices and then contact the attorney general's office, the Better Business Bureau and anyone else who will listen, including the media.

I got my Yorkie from a family-owned pet store that has been in business here for more than 50 years.

He wasn't a puppymill pup. I got the breeder's name and have corresponded with her many times. My pup's parents are her pets. They have had three litters and my pup came from the last litter they will be having. She sent me pictures of the parents and some of the other pups they have had.

I learned that my pup's mother weighs 12 pounds and his father weighs 4.5 pounds. Go figure! She said that most of their pups have ended up at about 6 to 6 1/2 pounds.

My puppy is 6 months old and couldn't be healthier. He is friendly, playful, eats like a pig, holds his own very well with my 21-pound Bichon, and has grown like a weed. He weighs 6 pounds now.

I think it's nice to hear a good "puppy store story" once in a while. I will have to admit that this wasn't one of the larger chain-store pet stores.

Carol Jean

you are right...
 

its probably unfair of me to make such a general statement about pet stores seeing i dont have all the info on every store out there... i'm just upset at my lack of research i guess and concern for my little one... which is probably just me over-reacting
altho in all fairness i would probably over-react if i thought one of my kids could be sick or have a health problem in the future too
i am glad you have a nice pet store where you live and glad you have had such good luck with your babies... how nice of the breeder to keep in touch :)

Snickers Mom - Me again!

Even though I had a good experience with my pet store - I have to admit that after reading all the horror stories here on YT - I was concerned too.
But - I just got a healthy little pup - who definitely wasn't from a puppymill.

Anyway - of course we worry...I did too.

Carol Jean

My first yorkie Lacey was a petstore puppy. I was only 15 when my parents bought her. They did not know any better. I did not even know we were getting a dog. I came home from school and she was on my dad's lap. I found Lacey's AKC papers the other day. I looked at them and she came from a breeder in Winnsboro, Louisiana. The pet store where my parents bought her was in Houma, Louisiana. Winnsboro is in the northern part of the state. We live near the coast. So Lacey was shipped a good 5 or 6 hour drive to the pet store. Lacey lived a very happy life with us for 13 and half years. She was very rarely ever sick. The only time we had to bring her into the vets was for her shots. Until she got kidney failure at age 13. I do however notice a difference between Lacey and my new yorkie puppy Chloe. Lacey was very skittish. She came to love us and was terribly spoiled. But, it took us awhile to win her over. Because she got sometimes scared everytime we tried to pet her. Not sure if she came from a puppy mill or not. Chloe is the opposite. She can't get enough of us and we only had her just under 2 weeks. Chloe seems more socialized than Lacey ever was. Chloe was bought from a local breeder instead of a pet store. I feel so sorry for any animal that has to spend part of their life in a pet store or a puppy mill. I wish I could rescue every last one. My heart just breaks for them.

When people buy dogs from petstores they are supporting the puppymills, you are funding them, What you dont see are the females who are in cages for their lives bread over and over, they are never touched, barely fed, and kept in the worst conditions possible. Even though you think you are rescuing this puppy you are just gearing up that poor mother for another long painful pregnancy. Please read this website www.puppymillrescue.com and inform everyone you can on this horrible practice

If everyone stayed out of the petstores the puppymills would have no one to sell their dogs to!!!

I have a big mouth when it comes to Pet Stores and Puppy Mills :eek: ....but we all have to start somewhere and learn as we go. It's too bad you found out so many bad things ....but the main thing is she's healthy and now with you in a nice home.... :) She sounds really great.

But to help other dogs....you CAN tell people about how most Pet Stores get their dogs. IF the conditions are so terrible that you read about... maybe you could check into this further?

I'm also against Pet Stores...most people like you learn about them AFTER they purchased a puppy....and many are not so lucky like you are to have a healthy puppy

The good Pet Stores are few and far between and many will mislead people and say they use "breeders". Well...usually that word is accurate... but it's the puppy Mill Female that is the "Breeder" in most cases...not a nice friendly dog lover around the corner selling puppies.

Don't beat yourself up about it. just enjoy your puppy and you were right - she's in a better place with you and I'm sure you're a great mom.

I never intentionally bought from a petstore. My parents bought my yorkie Lacey. I was at school when they bought her and I was only 15. My parents did not know anything about puppymills. They know now. That is why we knew we would not get our next yorkie for a pet store. And we didn't. We got Chloe from a very nice breeder. She only owns 2 yorkies and they were raised in her home along with the puppies. One is Chloe's mom and the other is a male. But, just her pet and not Chloe's daddy. (Her daddy lives about 40 minutes away) And we were impressed on how well they were kept. Along with plenty of love and attention. I understand that if anybody buys from a petstore, they are supporting the mill. But, I still feel so sorry for these puppies and know they need a home; too. The next dog I get will probably be from a rescue. I can't stand for any animal to be abused or not have a home. I could not even watch that documentary on TV the other day about puppymills. I could not stop crying. And I was outraged when I saw someone actually hit and slap a poor innocent dog on that show. I had to turn it off. I was sick to my stomach.

:thumbup:
Amen to that.

Snickersmom,
Please don't beat yourself up over this! In a perfect world, all pups would be born in lovely homes and they would be abundant, easy to locate and reasonably priced. Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world.

I got my pup from a petshop, too. It wasn't the ideal and it wasn't something I had planned to do but I think it was a blessing for me and for Bobby. The pet shop made no money on him and likely took a loss.

Frankly, I think the price people are willing to pay for a pup is the big problem, across the board. When people who have no business breeding -- and companies looking for a sure product -- see that folks will pay around $2,000 for a puppy, greed sets in.

There are some "reputable breeder" practices that I just can't stomach, too. A woman I knew years ago bred Dalmatians -- deafness is a problem with the breed and even the best breeders will sometimes have a deaf puppy. Most of them euthanize the deaf pups. My friend couldn't bring herself to do that so she would try HARD to place them and had success in learning sign language, teaching it to the dogs and training them to be companions to deaf children! Or she would agree to adopt the dog for a deposit that would be returned when the pup was spayed or neutered. Luckily, she didn't have many deaf dogs but when she did, it wasn't a death sentence. A lot of "reputable breeders" routinely euthanize less-than-perfect dogs. Many might agree with this practice but I don't. I think they should be given the chance at a loving pet home.

Please don't think I am advocating pet shops or puppy mills -- I'm just saying that the situation is a lot more complicated and it's not as simple a solution as "don't buy from pet shops." There needs to be a lot more regulation on animal care and sales, including price regulation. When there is a continuous market of people willing to pay $2,000 for a puppy, there will be a whole industry of people willing to provide them and many will not be ethical.

Julie

I wouldn't jump to any conclusions about her health. My first Yorkie came from a very reputable breeder with a big price tag and was unhealthy for the first 3 months and eventually died at 12 from Cushing's disease. My second Yorkie I bought from an inexperienced home breeder at a reasonable price and he is very healthy and now a year old. Both were the same size at maturity, just under 4 pounds.

Snickersmom, Im sorry to hear about this but we all live and learn!! If this were me, I would be taking my baby back to the Vet, get a full blood work done, and especially check her liver. Im sure you will give her the best life possible!!

Complicated!
 

Snickersmom,
Please don't beat yourself up over this! In a perfect world, all pups would be born in lovely homes and they would be abundant, easy to locate and reasonably priced. Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world.

I got my pup from a petshop, too. It wasn't the ideal and it wasn't something I had planned to do but I think it was a blessing for me and for Bobby. The pet shop made no money on him and likely took a loss.

Frankly, I think the price people are willing to pay for a pup is the big problem, across the board. When people who have no business breeding -- and companies looking for a sure product -- see that folks will pay around $2,000 for a puppy, greed sets in.

There are some "reputable breeder" practices that I just can't stomach, too. A woman I knew years ago bred Dalmatians -- deafness is a problem with the breed and even the best breeders will sometimes have a deaf puppy. Most of them euthanize the deaf pups. My friend couldn't bring herself to do that so she would try HARD to place them and had success in learning sign language, teaching it to the dogs and training them to be companions to deaf children! Or she would agree to adopt the dog for a deposit that would be returned when the pup was spayed or neutered. Luckily, she didn't have many deaf dogs but when she did, it wasn't a death sentence. A lot of "reputable breeders" routinely euthanize less-than-perfect dogs. Many might agree with this practice but I don't. I think they should be given the chance at a loving pet home.

Please don't think I am advocating pet shops or puppy mills -- I'm just saying that the situation is a lot more complicated and it's not as simple a solution as "don't buy from pet shops." There needs to be a lot more regulation on animal care and sales, including price regulation. When there is a continuous market of people willing to pay $2,000 for a puppy, there will be a whole industry of people willing to provide them and many will not be ethical.

Julie

Julie,

I totally agree with you...as long as their is a price on their heads there will be puppymills and backyard breeders. Unfortunately it is the nature of the beast and while we can crack down on some of these there will always be a new one to pop up in its place...makes me sick to think of it...If Breeders are charging a large adoption fee for these babies then others will continue to make their profits. Some people will go as far to sell "Champion Lines" for 10,000 dollars...are you telling me it cost 10,000 dollars to bring a puppy into the world? You're right the situation is a lot more complicated then not buying from a pet store or closing down a puppymill. We live in a country where life is monopolized, and as always it is the innocent that suffer.

she has been to the vet 3X this month - once when i first got her for a once over and then because she was sick... i asked about the bloodwork but they said it wasnt necessary and i also asked about liver shunt and basicly they told me not to worry about it...
should i take her to a different vet? i am new at this i dont know anyone else with pets so i was kind of on my own about it... but the place was really clean and the people nice and friendly and have always taken her same day i called...
what should i have done?

Snickersmom,
If they said not to worry about it, then maybe she wasn't showing any signs of serious disease? LOL, in my experience with vets, if there is even a possibility of something wrong they urge you to do the tests. They're not shy about suggesting testing!

Please do think positive that your baby is reasonably healthy! My Bobby sure is! Three days after I bought him, I had him at the vet and the little peanut is perfect! No fleas, no worms or parasites, everything is GREAT!!!! So, basically, this pet store puppy is healthier than my bulldog puppy was, and I got her from an awesome breeder! My bulldog pup had worms and a stubborn fungal thing on a spot on her face from birth.

Julie

Maybe you should try to find a vet who has experience with smaller breeds like Yorkies. Yorkies have a lot problems with liver shunts and I guess if I knew the dog came from a puppy mill (or a breeder with no regard to health), I would want to test.

I will now be doing annual blood testing just to be safe for my Yorkie even though the Vet says shes healthy. I mean, it really cant hurt and I think it would help calm your fears.

Pet shops always have to maintain records on each animal and a person can ask to see them. Of course, I am like Villette, and I can't go in and ask to see puppies and papers any more. Mouthed off once too often and I think they have mypic on the wall of the post office..LOL I have a friend who is a nurse also, and her son owns a pet shop!!!!!!!!!!! She will hear no part of the business her son is suppoprting..I would have to beat my son over the head with a, forgive me but I gotta say this, a carcas of one of the animals that died in his store or on its way..Man, my anger is flaring......
The paperwork that is given to the buyer might have zero to do with the puppy you get. If there are 5 Yorkies in a crate when it leaves the mill and 2 die on the way and get thrown in the trashcans along the way, the driver is not necessarily reliable to mark the right set of papers. then, when the half-dead ones are delivered to the shop, whatever papers are on the cage are given.. I have heard that very little of the info on the paperwork can actually be proven to relate to that individual puppy.