So sad, yorkie pup in pet store

[Mitzis Mom]

Originally Posted by SnowWa

I really doubt pet stores underfeed little pups to cause them to become smaller. This wouldn't work - you'd soon have a lot of seriously ill little pups that no one would want --- or worse yet - I'm sure a lot of them would die if they weren't fed enough.

The puppies I see at pet stores usually are healthy, robust, little guys that definitely want to go home with you. They are hard to turn down. And, of course, there are also some that are more fearful and shy - but they are little darlings too.

Every little puppy in a pet store deserves a good home - regardless of where they came from.

I hate and am against puppymills as much as anyone. And, I know that a lot of people think that buying these puppies is what keeps the puppymills in business. This is a sad state of affairs because as I said these little pups need homes too.

I think that not buying puppies at pet stores will be the slowest way in the world to close down puppymills. And, I know a lot of people will continue to buy these pups just because they are available -- and ooooooooh so darling when you go and see them. Plus - in all honesty - I know a lot of people who got their pups from pet stores and have ended up with the greatest pets in the world. It certainly doesn't always turn out bad for the people who buy them.

So --- rather than trying to keep people from buying these puppies -- I think the way to close the puppy mills is to have more laws, regulations, and better standards regarding any facility that raises large numbers of puppies to sell. No facility that raises large numbers of puppies solely to make money and abuses any of their animals during this process should be allowed to operate on these grounds alone.

Puppymill facilities should be shut down where they exist. I can't understand how so many of them continue to exist and continue to abuse so many innocent animals.

My fight with puppymills is not at the pet stores - I am certainly not against anyone buying any of these little pups and taking them home to a good home. They need homes.

My fight is with the facilities that abuse animals to make these little puppies available for sale. And - I think our efforts should be spent on instituting more laws and regulations regarding these facilities. There should be agencies that can visit any of these facilities at any time - and shut them down immediately if they are abusing any animals. Why does everyone drag their feet when it comes to closing these places down????

I have read about facilities that are known abusive puppymills and have read that sometimes it takes years to close them down. Why? I don't understand this.

If it's money that keeps our state and county agencies from being able to monitor these places, I am sure that a skeleton crew could be paid and that a lot of other people would be willing to become more educated and learn more about these facilities and would be willing to volunteer their time and work for free to help close many of these facilities.

I have no clue what it would take to get this problem solved and these places closed down. Perhaps thousands of letters to congressmen and petitions would help. But, I don't think that expecting people to stop purchasing puppies at pet stores is the answer. This would take forever and what would happen to these puppies if no one bought them? I think we need to attack the source of the problem - the puppymills, themselves. And, again, I just can't understand why they are allowed to operate --- they should all be closed "yesterday."



Carol Jean

We have to stop it at the source not with the victims!

[SnowWa]

I'm glad that some of you agree with me. Wouldn't it be wonderful if someday - puppymills didn't exist?

Carol Jean

[Brookef18]

Ok I will confess... My chewy (Chubacca }came from a pet store. But before you get upset with me let me explain that I didn't really know what a puppy mill was... Since I got him I have had people be really rude to me when they found out, every one asks where he came from.
I wanted a toy dog, and so did my daughter. i researched Yorkies on the computer and tried to talk my husband into it. He didnt want any more dogs since we had our Black Lab put down after 14 years. I took my husband into the pet store to play with our baby and he fell in love with in 5 min... Chewy melted my husbands heart. Now all I can hope is he is healthy and lives a long happy life because no other yorkie could ever take his place. He is so good and tried so hard to please.
Let me just say that there are toys in the pet store with the dogs... they are well fed and seem happy, and yorkies are there for a day or so before some one comes along and snaps them up. Our baby was in the store for two days before we bought him. I only know that cause my daughter goes to the mall just about every day and she was stalking the tore waiting for a puppy to come along!

[yorkieusa]

I hope he is healthy, too. I'm sure you have had him checked out by a vet, but another thing I would do with a puppy from a pet store is to have a bile acid test done. Perhaps some others might have some comments on my suggestion? I love the name for your yorkie. Cute!

[rosesmom]

I can't ever go in pet stores. Ever.

[Willow]

I am against puppy mills, but not petstore puppies. In my mind, there is no difference in buying the puppy from the petstore than the rescue groups buying the dogs from millers at auction. The rescue groups still lined the millers pockets even if they did just save another furkid from overbreeding. Personally, I think if we are going to shut down the mills then everyone needs to stop buying the dogs from the mills! This includes rescue groups and pet stores. NOT all pet stores get their pups from mills either. Some stores do get them from individual breeders who are NOT BYB. What we need is new laws that are enforced that make it illegal for people to have hundreds of dogs in little cages breeding them over and over. Hormone injections to bring dogs into heat cycles should be illegal! There should be a maximum number of breedable dogs anyone owner should be allowed to have, because I am sorry, but when you have hundreds of dogs that you are breeding over and over how can you possibly have the time to give them the attention they deserve? You don't!

We need laws that help responsible breeders but at the same time make it hard on millers. Millers are horrible!

At our house we have a two litter rule. After the second litter, our dogs are spayed.

[JCarlson2004]

Originally Posted by red98vett

It's horrible isn't it seeing them ? I remember being in Petland a long time ago - before I knew they buy from puppy mills - and I was crying when I left - my husband actually had the nerve to tell me to stay Out of the store lol - but I was upset for days..

THEN I found out all about puppy mills - and how Petland is the biggest customer of mills - -and I won't go in ANY pet stores now. But it's so hard thinking of the ones in the cages day in and day out.

The reason so many people buy is they DO look so pitiful. I was told they intentionally try to keep the small breeds smaller by underfeeding them: They have no toys ....and many dogs actually get depressed in the cages - so they really do make us want to take them out of there...petstores know how to play on our sympathy - which is why they sell so many dogs

It's very hard walking away ...

Good post.

It's so hard to see those little darlings in cages with no toys and looking so sad. I can't even go into pet stores because it makes me sick.

[snickers mom]

hi all...
i have posted before that snickers is from a petstore... at the time i had never even HEARD of a puppymill until i saw the sign in the puppy playroom (when i was picking her up) saying they didnt buy from puppymills
then the more forums i joined and random searches tought me what i now know
and its really really sad.... alot of people just aren't educated
i have to say... i am so glad i have her anyway... we gave her a good loving home and its better than where she was... it was not a "nice" petstore to say the least and i couldnt wait to get her out of there. She was sick for 4-6wks and after a petstore puppy report i found that yes, she came from a puppymill, a particularly bad breeder, and an equally bad broker.
i felt sick that i contributed to thier pockets but still glad i had her
i hope that makes sense.
knowing what i know now i will never ever go the petstore route again altho i have to tell you it breaks my heart to think of all the horror these lil pups have gone through between birth at the puppymill...shipped too young to a broker...across the country to a petstore... that all couldnt care less
if anything i think these puppies need our love more
its sad that we really shouldnt take them home... and i wont ever again now that i know
its all about education... pushing the laws and lawmakers hard... and really shutting down these operations
both the puppies and thier owners pay for the fallout of these mills
hbo put out a special in the spring called "dealing dogs" i think it was a huge eye-opener for many
well thats my 2 cents.... and snickers is happy, healthy, and well loved and i am so glad she is ours no matter where she came from she was too young when i got her but i suppose i should be thankful she spent minimal time in those horrible places
thanks everyone for listening to my rant

[JCarlson2004]

Originally Posted by Brookef18

Ok I will confess... My chewy (Chubacca }came from a pet store. But before you get upset with me let me explain that I didn't really know what a puppy mill was... Since I got him I have had people be really rude to me when they found out, every one asks where he came from.
I wanted a toy dog, and so did my daughter. i researched Yorkies on the computer and tried to talk my husband into it. He didnt want any more dogs since we had our Black Lab put down after 14 years. I took my husband into the pet store to play with our baby and he fell in love with in 5 min... Chewy melted my husbands heart. Now all I can hope is he is healthy and lives a long happy life because no other yorkie could ever take his place. He is so good and tried so hard to please.
Let me just say that there are toys in the pet store with the dogs... they are well fed and seem happy, and yorkies are there for a day or so before some one comes along and snaps them up. Our baby was in the store for two days before we bought him. I only know that cause my daughter goes to the mall just about every day and she was stalking the tore waiting for a puppy to come along!

I'm sorry people were rude to you. Just ignore people like that ... they're a waste of time. Every dog deserves a loving home.

[JiggityJig]

In my mind, there is no difference in buying the puppy from the petstore than the rescue groups buying the dogs from millers at auction. The rescue groups still lined the millers pockets even if they did just save another furkid from overbreeding.

WHAT?!?! Some rescue groups do that?!?! You're right, that makes NO sense! The millers are laughing all the way to the bank.

[snickers mom]

Originally Posted by JiggityJig

WHAT?!?! Some rescue groups do that?!?! You're right, that makes NO sense! The millers are laughing all the way to the bank.

yes this is true i saw it on a documentary.. the premise is to "help" the mistreated dogs... alot of times what they area buying is retired breeding stock and the animals may have mange or either things wrong with them
it was really really sad
but the documentary also showed that millers buy from alot of these same auctions... and it showed what they do to some dogs they dont bother selling
(and thats stuff i can't bring myself to type)
its all kind of confusing but i feel alot of times its a no-win
the dogs/puppies are the ones that pay
to help the dogs often helps the millers and so it goes round and round

[butterfly]

I know all the cons about buying a pet from a pet store but I will tell you my experience.

Christmas time in 2003, my husband and I were in the pet store buying fish food, and they were cleaning the kennels and had all the pups out. Of course, we HAD to play with them a little. Well this little smooth coat Chihuahua tiny tiny sweet thing with light brown eyes and pink nose ended up coming home with us.

Mind you, we have always said we would NEVER buy from a pet store but we did. We call Rico Suave, our 'lifesaver' because it was the first christmas after our only child Sarah was murdered.

He is my husbands dog and lives to please him. He turned out BIG 13 lbs. He was sooo tiny when we got him we were suprised how big he got. He was FULL of worms is the reason. When the vet gave me the worm medicine I could not belive what came out of him....this was probably the reason he was so small.

I will never buy from a store again but he is wonderful and as I said he gave us something to focus on at such a horrible time. My dogs have really saved our life.

[yorkieusa]

All of these stories are so touching. These little babies are so well loved. I wish that was what happened to all of the others...

[red98vett]

Originally Posted by Willow

I am against puppy mills, but not petstore puppies. In my mind, there is no difference in buying the puppy from the petstore than the rescue groups buying the dogs from millers at auction. The rescue groups still lined the millers pockets even if they did just save another furkid from overbreeding. Personally, I think if we are going to shut down the mills then everyone needs to stop buying the dogs from the mills! This includes rescue groups and pet stores. NOT all pet stores get their pups from mills either. Some stores do get them from individual breeders who are NOT BYB. What we need is new laws that are enforced that make it illegal for people to have hundreds of dogs in little cages breeding them over and over. Hormone injections to bring dogs into heat cycles should be illegal! There should be a maximum number of breedable dogs anyone owner should be allowed to have, because I am sorry, but when you have hundreds of dogs that you are breeding over and over how can you possibly have the time to give them the attention they deserve? You don't!

We need laws that help responsible breeders but at the same time make it hard on millers. Millers are horrible!

At our house we have a two litter rule. After the second litter, our dogs are spayed.

Hi...I'm hoping after you do a little more reseach on this subject you may change your mind. I'm by far not an expert on this subject... but have spent hours reading and talking to people about this problem in our country....they are always different opinions - but facts speak for themselves - The fact is our country has a HUGE Puppy Mill problem.

You stated not all Pet Store Puppies come from Mills and many Pet Stores use a breeder.... and these breeders are NOT BYB's ? ....98% of PET STORES buy from Mills (approx) and what ethical breeder would sell to a Pet Store ? You may find the occasional mom and pop store that use a breeder ...but you can bet the breeder is worse than a BYB ...I really doubt the caring breeders with any ethics would do this.

and as far as the Rescue Groups going to auctions - they are usually people who love a certain breed- they go to auctions to SAVE the dogs - They buy them very cheap - provide medical attention.... and place them in Foster Care. It's kind of a version of the Underground Railroad - they are there to save dogs.... not line the pockets of the Millers.

The Rescue Groups don't come even close to the amount of dogs the mills sell to pet stores. You can't compare what Rescue does with Mills selling to Pet Stores. Thousands of puppies are shipped out in disgusting 18 wheelers every week - and many don't even survive the trip. It doesn't matter if it's freezing cold or wicked hot - they are mass transported across the country.

Then to make matters worse - they get stuck in yet ANOTHER Cage with minimal food, no toys & no human contact but for the occasional person that wants to pet them - Many pet store puppies are ill with parasites or worse and they get NO medical attention -

Their life now consists of nothing but food, going to the bathroom and sleeping ....WHAT Puppy is comfortable on a wire cage ?

So..when you say you want laws changed - Oh yeah - they need to be changed - IF They stop selling dogs in Pet stores - it would put a HUGE dent in Puppy Mill Profits - they would forced to stop mass breeding the way they do because their BIGGEST customers (Pet Stores) can't sell dogs anymore -

[Brookef18]

Thank God Chewy didn't have worms, and has been healthy... he gained a whole pound in a month! The vet was very thrilled by that. She saw him today. For Chewy I will say he had some matting in his fur when we got him, not bad but I cut some of it out cause it would have hurt,, and we took care of that real fast... he gets brushed twice a day now. But the other thing about him being a pet store puppy, he had a lot of shots for such a small dog and the vet office said they like to spread the shots out more then they did so that was upsetting... On the up side he has his shots and he is good to go!
He has always been a hand friendly baby and we are soooo in live with him.