Where do puppies come from?

Puppies come from a lot of places. Some come from reputable breeders, others come from animal shelters, yet others come from pet stores.

Who buys puppies from pet stories?

Naive people frequently buy a cute puppy on impulse at a pet store. . According to the Naive Pet Owners Association, "Our members have no idea of the needs of the dog they are purchasing or the commitment they should be making. Despite this, they know whatever kind of puppy they purchase from a pet store will usually have an American Kennel Club Pedigree which in the naive buyer’s eyes makes the puppy worth the high price the pet store is asking for the puppy."

What is the role of the pet store sales person?

The first rule is to make the sale no matter whether the breed is right for the buyer.

The pet store sales person will gladly sell the new puppy owner puppy food, grooming brushes, leashes, colors, a pet crate, and whatever else can be rung up on the cash register. The salesperson will reinforce the owners perception that the puppy is cute and “just right” for the new owner. It doesn’t matter if the buyer lives in a studio apartment on the 20^thfloor of an apartment building located in a big city and has just purchased a whippet puppy, when a turtle or a hamster would be a more appropriate pet.

Fortunately, most all puppies sold in pet stores come from puppy mills. That is a good thing because there seems to be no end to the number of naive puppy buyers. Puppy mills assure the pet stores of a constant stream of new puppies to sell at high prices to people who will usually have no idea how to give their new puppy a good home.

What are puppy mills?

Puppy mills are proof that when there is a buck to be made, people will be there to make that buck no matter the consequences.

The puppy mills are set up to efficiently breed large numbers of dogs in order to have lots of puppies to sell to pet stories, animal brokers and laboratories.

What’s the difference between a breeder and a puppy mill?

Puppy mills mass produce large numbers of puppies that are sold by pet shops to naive buyers who probably shouldn’t own dogs. Puppy mills deal in volume so they can satisfy the demand created by puppy or pet store customers.

A breeder is selfish person who breeds three or less female dogs and has the audacity to believe that the puppies he sells should go knowledgeable people who understand what is needed to raise a puppy in a healthy, happy environment. The breeder is more concerned about the puppies he sells, than he is about making naive people happy.

What kind of people run puppy mills?

People who know there is a market in selling live, living creatures to naive people who have little or no idea how to care for them.

How do they treat the pups and their mothers?

Since puppy mill owners wish to sell the pups for profit they don’t beat or physically abuse the pups because they don’t want to break any bones or cause scars that would make the animals hard to sell.

Whenever the mother dogs come into heat, they are bred with an eager daddy. Both mother and father dog enjoy this immensely. The mother then has the pleasure of being bred and having a litter of puppies again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again and again and again and again.

Think of the fate of those poor dogs who are neutered and never have the pleasure of sex.

When the mothers are too old to have puppies they are put down. This practice means they don’t suffer the consequences of disease from old age.

Are puppy mill puppies healthy?

The puppies are born in unhealthy conditions, live with their mothers in filth and are transported similarly. They are often infested and weakened with parasites and viruses. To save money, they go untreated by veterinarians. Unsanitary conditions and lack of veterinary care can lead to rampant disease. Parents are typically not in good health, and have genetic problems. Generally, they also have behavioral and temperament problems which are the products of inbreeding. They are not properly socialized because they lack positive contact with humans.

This is all good because the humans who most likely will purchase them have had little or no contact with dogs, and will continue to raise the puppies in certain conditions they experienced at the puppy mills.

When are puppies taken from their mothers?

Puppies are taken from their moms at seven weeks of age. They are sold to brokers who help make sure all pet shops get as many puppies as they can sell.

Seven weeks of age is a lonesome age for the puppies separated from their mothers. That is why they are packed tightly in crates for transport all over the country. This gives them plenty of company. Some complain that the lack of food or water is a bad thing for the puppies. However, it is a good thing, If they were to eat and drink they would urinate and defecate and soil themselves.

What effect does this trip have on the puppies?

It may seem cruel but the trip is a test of the survival of the fittest.. Most puppies survive despite the fact they may be infected by contagious viruses, respiratory ailments, parasites, and other conditions caused by neglect and stress. This is a good thing because it toughens the puppies up so when they end up with naïve owners who have no idea how to care for them, the puppies will be the strongest and survive longer.

Do pet shops harm animals?

Pet shop owners make every effort not to shock their animals by exposing them to new conditions. By keeping veterinary bills and other animal care expenses down the pet store owners continue to toughen puppies.

Are pet shops in the business for money?

Yes. Animals can suffer while puppy brokers and pet shops make profits. It is not unusual, for example, for a dog sold to a pet shop for $100 to be re-sold to a customer for $1,000 to $5,000. Pet shops offer the naive buyer the opportunity to pay a high price for an AKC pedigreed puppy that may have genetic affects created by incestuous breeding. The pet shops also offer their customers the opportunity to brag about the pedigrees of their purchases.

The marketing of approximately 1 million puppy mill animals each year provides employment for many people from the pet store employees who neglect to clean the cages, to the sales people to the veterinarians who treat the puppies that are purchases.

Why should we buy puppies from pet stores?

. If you like to see pups suffer than you should purchase puppies from pet stories. As long as pet store customers purchase puppies, puppy mills will have a market.

Are AKC - registered dogs guaranteed?

No. AKC registered simply means the puppy had two parents of the same breed. The AKC registers dogs and gives them 'papers which help to sell them in pet shops at high prices.

Does the AKC make money from puppy mills?

Yes, lots. Puppy mills comprise 80% of the AKC’s business. Therefore every time a litter is registered by a puppy mill the AKC receives $25 plus $2 a puppy. This helps the AKC and they encourage all the revenue they can get.

Doesn’t the USDA protect these animals?

Wholesale dog breeding and the shipment of live animals are regulated by the USDA under the 1970 Animal Welfare Act. The Act requires breeders to be licensed, inspected, and regulated to ensure the very minimum standards of housing, care, and medical treatment.

Fortunately, the law, however is poorly enforced. The USDA has few agents to inspect approximately 5,000 puppy mills nationwide. When they discover infractions, the breeder routinely receives 'a slap on the wrist. This is good for the pet shops and the naive people who buy puppies from pet shops. If the laws were enforced it might mean puppy mills were put out of business and naive people could no longer buy puppies they shouldn’t have.

Where can I find a purebred dog?

More than 25% of the dogs at shelters are purebred dogs. But they usually aren’t cute, adorable puppies.

Some suggest that you contact breed groups who specialize in adoptions for adult dogs of a specific breed. However, these organizations are generally picky about who adopts the dogs from them. They usually insist the animal be neutered, some even insist that the animal not be tethered outside and have a fenced yard to play in. You won’t find any such restrictions when you buy a puppy mill puppy from a pet store

What You Can Do To Help:

Don’t Adopt a dog or cat from a shelter.

There is no reason to when more than a million puppies a year are bred by puppy mills. Without pet shop sales there would be fewer places for naive owners to make impulse purchases of puppies.

Send a donation to Friends of Puppy Mills to support our nationwide mass breeding programs and to help us to tell the positive side of puppy mills. Support Save The Puppy Mills, a for profit organization dedicated to the mass breeding for profit of canines everywhere.

If you don't want to support Friends of Puppy Mills try sending a check to your local animal shelter.

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