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I would read the Yorkshire Terrier Club of America's Code of Ethics and Conduct - http://www.ytca.org/frame_index2.html

It does state under the code of conduct section (number 4) that :
Puppies will not be sold or consigned to pet stores, agents, or other commercial enterprises nor sold to disreputable breeders, and neither puppies nor stud services will be offered as prizes or for raffles.

I would consider a broker a "commercial enterprise" so according to the YTCA a breeder should not sell a puppy to a broker. You may disagree. However, as a breeder I subscribe to this standard.

If I ever had a situation where for whatever reason (emergency situation - hospital stay, etc), I need to place a puppy quickly and I do not have a buyer at my price ($2k male/female regardless of size), I would GIVE the puppy to a good home for free before I sell to a pet store or broker.

I'm not saying that the broker you state is bad, but I wonder how they can be sure of the history of the puppies they purchase especially if they are from out of the country - genetic defects, living/breeding conditions, etc. They might be taken care of once they reach the broker but brokers (again not saying this particular one) are part of the problem (along with pet stores) that keep puppy mills in business.

I live in PA about an hour east of Lancaster. As many people know Lancaster is puppy mill central. The Amish are famous for their way of life and also infamous for their puppy mills. Its a sad situation.

Good luck in your search.

Terrance Ferragame

So, let me get this straight you dont care where your pup was raised, you dont care about the parents, you dont care about the living conditions of where these pups came from? But its ok that the puppies are taken care of now? Its because of people with this mentality that the puppy mills are thriving. Who cares that my pups parents are bred every heat over and over again until they die, who cares that my pups parents live in total filth with little to no food and water. Who cares that my pups parents live in a little wire crate. You know what YOU should care where those pups came from.
Do you care that your puppies mother's home looks like this?
Ughh, I know I would care

Is that a picture taken from the facilities she uses???? :2omg: :2omg: I've only been a memeber for a whopping day, but top notch yorkies was immediatly recommeded to me. I've been goggling and searhing yorkie talk about them all day. I can't believe thats their breeding facilities!! I didn't know they also sell big dogs? I thought they only sold yorkies and mixes?

No it is not!!
But its a picture from many of the anti puppy mill websites. Alot of puppy mills have those types of living conditions. http://www.stoppuppymills.org/
Topknotch is not a breeder but what you would call a broker. She buys pups from breeders and then resells them.
No reputable breeder would sell a puppy to a broker. Good breeders want to know where their puppies are going and screens buyers.

OH! I thought that was a picture of her facilities! So why would you say "Do you care that your puppies mother's home looks like this?" I apreciate the help you've given me on the previous thread, so thank you for that. But that comment was a little misleading. How do you know she gets her puppies from puppy mills? :confused:

I apologize, thats what stinks about email, you read it a different way then I meant for it to be read. The person i was replying to said Regardless of where she got her puppies from they are being Well taken care of now !! So when I was replying I was thinking this is why there are puppy mills people dont care where the puppy came from when they should care where the puppy came from. Alot of pain and suffering comes along with a puppy mill pup, the pups parents are paying the price for the greedy millers.

They may not come from full blown puppy mills but they dont come from reputable breeders. No reputable breeder will sell their pups to a broker.

Ask the breeders on this forum if they would sell their puppy to a broker.
Most of them are going to say no way

You don't have to tell me about puppy mill pups!!! There's this little pet shop in Point Pleasant, that I have ALWAYS been repulsed by. Well one day me and my boyfriend at the time went to look at them. There was this adorable yorkie and I more or less just felt SO bad for him, so we asked them to let us take him to the play area. Well by the time I left I was crying and unfortunatly my BF surprised me and bought him for me a few days later. It was a no brainer that he was from a puppy mill, I had always heard that rumor about the place but on top of that when I tried to locate the breeder where he was purchased from, I just ran into dead ends. On top of that I had to learn about the NJ pet lemon law the hard way. He had kennel cough from the begining and only later did I know that I could have returned him. A neighbor ended up adopting him six months later. I was VERY honest about my suspitions with her, but she wanted him anyway. He was the worst dog I have ever encountered. He just bit all the tine and ate his poop (I know that puppy mill/pet shop pups do that because they've never seen their poop). Did I mention he bit???? I was so mad at my BF for giving them buissness in the first place! I would never buy a puppy from a place with a bad rep. EVER!

Anyway....... Why is it not possible that top notch yorkies gets her pups from a good place? Or any broker for that fact? Ovbiously I'm not in the breeding world, but not all brokers can be bad. I mean it IS possible that there are some good ones out there. I'm just a little skeptical of generalized judgement is all. I prefer to go by reputation by first hand experience. .

A lot of puppymill pups eat their poop because that was the ONLY nourshiment they had once they were weaned..pretty sad and sick if you ask me.

As far as how does Chrissy KNOW that a broker gets pups from a "bad place"... it's pretty simple. NO DECENT REPUTIBLE BREEDER on this planet would sell pups to a broker! PERIOD.

I don't care if this Broker woman is the nicest, cleanest, friendliest woman in the world... the point is, she buys her pups from people/places who do not care enough about their puppies to raise them and choose their perfect homes themselves..they'd prefer to sell them "in bulk" for the $$ and let this woman do all the work for a profit. Lets face it, it's not hard to pop two dogs together with the right "parts" and make puppies, the pups aren't much trouble til after 6 or 8 weeks when they learn to eat on their own and mom quits cleaning up their poop.. once they become "work"..out the door they go to this broker, who may be the sweetest woman on the planet, HOWEVER, is she requiring genetic testing on all the adult parents and puppies she sells? Maybe she gives a guarantee, but BIG DEAL if you buy a pup who has a terrible genetic defect, and it RIPS YOUR HEART OUT to care for that pup, hey you can get your money back, yippee!! What about your heart? Are these pups being produced to be excellent representatives of the breed? Come on, if you're going to boot your pups out the door when they start yapping and pooping, you're not going to give two hoots if mom has a heart murmer, and dad has a liver shunt, or if mom is 15 lbs and dad is TWO.. if mom is a redleg, and dad has dumbo ears, and luxating patellas, you made your dollar, let this broker woman be responsible with her "guarantee"... Get the point here?

Ali22, you need to know that a broker is only selling the puppies for money. She wouldn't do it if she cared about the puppies. Do you know how hard it is for a puppy to leave it's mother and think its going to a new home only to go to a broker, adjust to living there and then have to go to another new home? Brokers know all of this info about puppy mills just like we do and they still buy and sell puppies like they're cars. A broker is just like a pet store. Unfortunately not everyone on this forum feels the same about puppy mills and pet stores like we do so they'll recommend a broker to those looking for a puppy.

I'm new to Yorkie Talk and reading through the posts regarging TopNotchYorkies (Broker). I originally sent an email and then realized they were brokers who got their pups from Brazil. Having three Yorkies (All rescues) I'd like to put my two cents in. Although the puppies are beautiful and people who have purchased from this person say that they are healthy, well socialized and even provided good care instructions etc. the bottom line is does anyone know how the parents are being treated? Sure the pups may be all that but that's not caring that's being a good business woman. These pups are her bread and butter. I'm just wondering if anyone that has bought from a broker has gone onto sites such as Puppymillrescue.com or stoppuppymills.org. prisoners of greed etc. Better yet there is a Yorkie on Petfinder right now, that is in I believe Kentucky. Ten of them came from a "Breeder" and they are all a mess. The parents of these pups I can assure you do not live in anyone's homes. The US doesn't supply the protection needed to help these puppymill dogs, do you think for a minute that a country like Brazil does? And the fact that this particular place or for that matter other brokers who get their dogs from out of the country can supply them weekly should send up the red flag that they are coming from a commercial breeder. Think about the poor parents living in these inhume conditions pumping out litter after litter just for the almighty dollar. The fact that the puppies are so beautiful, just means they came from good stock. It does not mean that the stock they came from are being cared for. Elaine.

THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS. Your right no one seems to care where these cute little puppy's parents are and how they live. And it kills me to read this. Why doesnt anyone care? This is my big question. Yeah its great she takes such good care of the pups in her care but what about their parents?

Ali22
 

Ali22. I know just what pet shop in Pt. Pleasant that you're talking about. I'm a Point Pleasant girl:) I moved from Point eight years ago, to S. Jersey but I'm always strolling Arnold Avenue. Picketed the place oh about ten years ago maybe. Didn't do any good though. I had a rescue back then and went in for a leash and the woman told me to have the dog put to sleep and get a real breed. That's no joke either. I was only temporary fostering the dog - a Springer Spaniel mix. I would NEVER buy a single thing from that place. I ended up putting the leash back and walking out. Made me sick to my stomach. Elaine

I've never posted a picture so I hope this takes. Anyway, heres a picture of a mom to one of those broker or pet store puppies. She was bred over and over and lived with a broken jaw but she could still pop out puppies. Thankfully, a puppymill rescue took her and she's now living out the rest of her life in a foster home. That's her forever home as she was too ill and too old to place. I believe she lived nine long years in a puppymill. Now think about that picture before defending a broker or petstore. Elaine

Hey where in SJ are you? You can PM me instead of posting it to the group if you want

Hi Chrissy.
 

Hey Chrissy. I don't mind posting where I live :) I live in Lacey Twp. It's about 10 minutes S. of Toms River. I'm originally from Point Pleasant, but moved here about eight years ago, to be closer to my parents. Elaine

AWWW!!!! HOW SAD!!!!! Poor little baby!!!!! The first question out of my mouth when I'm interviewinga breeder is "How often do you breed your bitch?" Every heat for 9 years????? That is just the saddest picture. :(

I posted on another thread about how I ended up with a puppy from the shop on Arnold Ave. That was my worst experience with an animal ever. My family has had yorkies our whole lives, my mom was alittle bit of a crazy yorkie lady lol, so I've seen ALOT of different personalities and temperments. But never have I seen a dog like this. I just wouldn't even know where to begin. I had to place him in another home because I started to hate him. And that made me feel like such crap because I knew he was probably from a puppy mill and had the worst puppy life, and I tried to stick it out as long as I could. He was unlovable. Thats the only way I could describe him. He wanted nothing to do with human contact, except when we has biting. He WOULD NOT let us love him. I have never in my life seen a dog unresponsive to loving human care. It was just mind boggling, to wonder what he went through to end up like that.

Good for you that you picketed that shop!! I always want to go back and scream at that lady who owns it. Whats the name of it again???? I've been wanting to goggle it. And after seeing what a difference this site can make when dealing with people like J.Dane, I wanted to post a thread about them. I would never want ANYONE to go through what I went through with them.

hey!
 

Jrzy: First welcome to the thread!
and Second:
I have a top knotch pup from brasil and i can say this much..
Lola's Mommy is named Doris, who doesnt like the vaccuum at all
Lola's daddy is named Howie and is very content all the time, Lola's is a lazy daisy like her daddy.
I have millions of pictures of them and speak with Lola's breeder all the time. Susan gave me his email address so that any questions or even if its jst curiousity i could contact him. Hes an amazing guy! So sweet. He told me about His family and showed me pictures of his kids an lovely wife, and all about Lola (4 generations of information!)
Susan, never hides where she got the pups from and in fact encourages the new owner to have a relationship with the breeder.
Charlies breeders (usa) as well..i know all about his family (mom and pop) and litter mates with alot of pictures of his parents too!
They are VERY well taken care of.

Missdeadlocks. Hi. Ironically, I now actually have a topnotchyorkie pup. A woman ten minutes from me placed her Morkie in the local classifieds. She had her for just about two months. I was told that she was selling her as she decided to go back to work. There is a lot more involved, but I dont' want to get into it on the board. All I'll say is that 1. She seems very healthy, but I'll know or sure this afternoon after our first vet visit. 2. The woman seemed very detatched from the pup which is a darn shame since this little girl is probably one of the sweetest, well tempered, well mannered and prettiest pup I've seen and 3. Although, I'm not a fan of a broker due to the fact that "I" personally have to be able to see the parents and know for sure that they are being well cared for, I have to say that Susan from Topnotch Yorkies who this little one was originally purchased from was nice enough to chat with me for over an hour and a half, giving me info on her etc. even though she was not contractually or otherwise obligateed to me to do that since I was not the orininal purchaser. Anyway, I truly believe that this little girl who I believe we are going to be calling Tia was meant to be. Hubby and I got our other three Yorkies (Still with us) through rescue, but in a way although Tia was purchased (For about half of what was originally paid for her) we believe she too was a rescue and we feel very blessed to have her. Elaine.

I am so happy for you that you found your baby! Congratulations! I firmly believe that when an animal is meant to be part of a family, somehow they come to us.
I am curious though, as to why you think your baby was a rescue pup? Do you mean that your rescued her from her former owner? Or that she was a rescue pup when first purchased from Topknotch? If it is the latter, I do not think so. Although Topknotch is a broker, it appears as though she is a very reputable broker, that really investigates and cares about where her pups come from.
I do not own a puppy from Topknotch but have spoken to many people in the area that have bought puppies from Susan and they have nothing but the best to say about their babies and the whole experience.
Again congratulations on the newest addition to your family. I am sure you will have many happy times with your new baby!!!

Hi Jazzy. No I wasn't insinuating that she was rescued from TopNotch. Susan is actually a very nice lady. She took the time to help me out with info. etc. that Tia's owner did not provide. Susan and I spoke for close to two hours. I don't want to get into detail about why I feel as though she was rescued, but it has to do with the owner that bought Tia from TopNotch. I'll just say that she (The owner) was very detatched from Tia and I don't think she really cared who this little girl went to, as long as they had the $$ she was asking. Incidently, Tia had her first visit to the vet today and she appears to be very healthy but underweight (A bit malnourished). Let me just clarify that this was to no fault of TopNotch who sold her, but rather the original owner in which I bought Tia from. The woman was using Old Roy adult dog food from Walmart, the food was way too large for her to chew and not to knock Old Roy but I hardly think that it's as nutritional as other brands on the market. Plus by her own instructions she was only feeding Tia once daily. Tia is just 3 lbs. and she's seven months old. She should be fed two to three times a day and should be on a good nutritional puppy chow. I'm currently feeding her Nutro Max and I mix in the home made food that I make my other three Yorkies, which is either cooked chicken or beef or pork with mixed veggies and rice and a little bullion broth. So no, my feeling that I rescued Tia has nothing to do with Susan or TopNotch, but rather the feelings I have for Tia's former owner. Thanks for the good wishes. Elaine.

Aww that was so sweet of you. Topknotch puppies are Great!

i have to agree with this....when you purchase from these places, you keep them in business. the only way to stop it is to not purchase these puppies.....i know i know they need a home but we can't keep letting this happen to our beautiful dogs. this needs to stop NOW and we HAVE TO STOP. i feel bad for these puppies too and wish i could take them all home but first thing is first is to end this. also, a broker is a sales person.....she will be nice and awesome and i am sure she is...its her JOB. but a broker buys low and sells high.....only there for a profit. she will sell to anyone and i am sure she is a damn good sales person. also, think about this....she does not keep the puppies very long. she tries to sell them as soon as she gets them. she does not know these puppies at all. brokers also sell to pet shops as well.
i just think it is very sad for our animals to have to go thru this mess.
ALL I REALLY WANT TO SAY IS........END ALL THE PUPPY MILLS AND BROKERS...DONT BUY FROM BROKERS, PETSHOPS, OR KNOWINGLY PUPPY MILLS .

A thought a similar thread like this was just closed regarding TN and brokers?

Vomit...
 

Point well taken!!!!!

I am really not trying to be argumentative, but I think we have to remember that just as there are ranges of "breeders" there are also ranges of "brokers". Not all dog breeders are above board and ethical, nor are they all bad. The same goes true for "some" dog brokers. I will admit that the % of above board and ethical dog brokers vs dog breeders is very much in the favor of dog breeders. But just as there are many bad dog breeders even with AKC registered pups, there are also some good dog brokers.
Topknotch seems to be one of them.
As I have stated, I do not own a puppy from them. However from my conversation with Susan and with numerous pet owners that purchased puppies from Topknotch--it appears that this is not a "uncaring, unethical dog broker". It seems to be very much the opposite. Topnotch offers information and advice regarding their pups to whatever owner has the dog. Regardless of whether the present owner is the original purchaser or not. This speaks volumes to me. Topnotch also continues to have contact with their dogs & their families through annual get togethers, picnics, etc. Although it is very tempting to draw a broad stroke to cover all situations--it is not always accurate---no matter which side of the fence you are sitting on!
Just a thought.