HOW MUCH IS THAT PUPPY IN THE WINDOW?
If your looking for a new puppy always check your local animal shelter first, NOT a pet shop. While pet stores claim that their puppies come from individual breeders, unfortunetly 95% of them do not. Pet store puppies are mass produced in Puppy Mills across the country. A place where dogs are seen only as money making, puppy machines. Puppy mills are a place were dogs a bred over and over again in unsanitary, and extremely over crowed conditions(many times 5 dogs in a tiny wire cage), forced to live in their own waste. They go mad, spinning in endless circles, from living in such cramped conditions and many suffer from painful conditions and often die. These animals are never let out of their cages to run, they are not socialized,they are given no vet care, or proper food or water. The majority of puppy mill dogs are extremely sick and many have behavioral problems, and medical conditions. When ready to be sold, puppies are cleaned up and crammed into boxes and shipped to pet stores across the country. Sadly, many of the puppies never survive these longs trips.
While the puppies at pet stores are hard to resist, buying them only supports the horrific breeding of even more puppies. Remeber, when a puppy is bought, that means their is room for another to fill it's place, therefore keeping the breeder in business. Meanwhile, those forgotten back at the puppy mill are all the "moms". They live their lives on wire floor, living through the chill of winter, and heat of summer. She is forced into pregnancy by 6-7months, and repeatedly year after year. Each time having her puppies ripped away, until the day her body finally gives out, no longer able to produce live puppies, after years of lingering in pain. The moms and dads usually have very few teeth, and are so malnourished they lose their all their fur, the millers break their jaws so they can take their puppies (too early) and not worry about being bitten. These poor animals spend every waking moment in pain, because they have to live on wire floors they lose the use of their legs. If they are on the top floor they are lucky because otherwise they all the urine and feces from the other dogs on top of them. Would you want a puppy that came from this?
You can help stop this abuse. Refuse to buy a puppy from your pet store. No matter how cute the puppies are, remeber that buying one will only allow Puppy Mills to stay in business. If your looking for a puppy always check you local animal shelters, and if that doesn't interest you atleast look into a reputable breeder. Puppy Mills are a Reality, and are being supported by a pet store near you!
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING A DOG...
(if from WNY... avoid Steves "Wonderful" World of Pets and Dans Kennels. They claim their dogs are from "professional" breeders, when in fact they come from Puppy Mills!)
Avoid breeders who breed more than two breeds of dog, this may indicate that the breeder is operating a Puppy Mill.
Beware of breeders selling their puppies over the Internet and are willing to ship puppies anywhere in the country. And again, offering multiple breeds on multiple sites.
Beware of ads in newspapers with phone numbers starting with 717 area codes. Some of the most infamous commercial breeders in the country can be found in Pennsylvania's Dutch Country.
Pet stores must provide paperwork detailing breeder information. The breeder's address is listed on the paperwork. If the puppy was bred in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa, Arkansas or in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, then there is a good chance that the puppy came from a commercial breeding facility or Puppy Mill. Pet stores will tell you that their dogs do not come from Puppy Mills but are from small breeders who breed and raise the dogs in their homes. Don't believe it. Good breeders, reputable breeders who breed to improve the standard of the breed, would NEVER sell their dogs to a pet store. They are far too careful about screening potential buyers to ensure their dogs are going to good homes, and they would NEVER put their seven week old puppies on a tractor trailer with hundreds of other dogs and transport them across the country to be sold in a pet store.
NEVER use a broker or a middleman who promises to "get you anything you want" and who works with numerous breeders. These people will often insist that they meet you away from the breeder's kennels, a sure sign that he is distributing for a Puppy Mill.
Many people feel that if a dog has "papers" then the dog is a "good" dog. AKC papers DO NOT guarantee good health or sound temperament. The American Kennel Club is simply a registry for purebred dogs. They accept registration fees for breeding dogs in some of the worst Puppy Mills in the country. And for those breeders who have had their registration privileges suspended by the AKC, then they can always register their dogs with the ACA. The American Canine Association issues "papers" for dogs bred by several breeders who are actually posted on Pet-Abuse.com, a national registry listing people convicted of abusing animals or violating the Animal Welfare Act. "Papers" increase the asking price of a dog by $300-$500 and this registry helps many breeders barred from the AKC sell their puppies to consumers who mistakenly think that papers, any papers, mean that they are buying a puppy free of disease and without behavioral or genetic problems. Unfortunately, this is not often the case.
The one sure way to avoid buying from a bad breeder or supporting the inhumane practices of our nation's Puppy Mills is to adopt your new dog or puppy from your local shelter or rescue organization. A third of all dogs at SPCAs and Humane Societies are purebred dogs. The other two thirds are incredible Mixes that will often be healthier, smarter and more grateful for having that second chance to become part of your family.
