Pet-Shop puppy

[chico2]

To be honest with you,before joining this Forum and having only cats,I never knew of rescues,or dogs being fostered.
I also thought dogs in shelters must be there because they were trouble,did I ever learn and that's great
I thought it's perfectly normal to get a puppy in a Pet-Shop,I got a Cocker and a Collie/Shepard puppy from a pet-shop,500 yrs ago
Mind you,there was nothing wrong with them,but I guess we were lucky.
Now I have certainly been educated and were we ever to get another dog/cat,it would never be from a Pet-Shop.
I've also been educated on how many wonderful people there are,who rescue,foster and adopt these dumped animals,give them love and get them ready for a new home

[TwinTails]

Originally Posted by Chris21711

Are you sure they are sold with CKC papers?......It is my understanding that the CKC does not allow any dogs registered with them to be sold in pet stores. As a rule the dogs in pet stores come with AKC papers.

Yuppers, I've seen many papers for purebreds (working in rescue), and I asked to see them. They said the papers would be transfered over from the breeder to new owner once proof of sale was shown. I don't know if they falsified them, I wouldn't doubt it, but being byb's it wouldn't surprise me if they did scam the CKC just to sell "purebred papered" dogs.

[kandy]

I think for some buyers, when the seller says the dogs are CKC registered, the buyer assumes that means Canadian Kennel Club, when in fact it's more likely the Continental Kennel Club - who will sell you a certificate saying your Tabby Kitty is actually a purebred Irish Wolfhound for the right price. As for the AKC, unfortunately, they are still in the dark ages IMO. They care nothing for the ethics of a breeder, if the breeder is constantly throwing sick puppies or even the health of the dogs in the various dog shows. All they care about is if both parents were also AKC registered, and in the case of show dogs - if they have the correct appearance. For them to impose some restrictions on the registration of puppies would not effect the ethical breeder, it would only effect the mills. I thoroughly read through the AKC's requirements to have pups registered looking for possible ways to get a supposedly reputable breeder banned from being able to get pups registered. I always tell people that 'having papers' does not equate to 'being healthy'.

I am appalled at the sheer numbers of people that ignore what goes on around them. We had a bigger petstore move into our area 2 years ago. Here I was, all excited - made my mom go with me, even though she doesn't have any pets right now. I'm ooohing and ahhing over the brands of food they have, the treats, the toys, etc - and I walk around a corner to find a tank with puppies in it. Ugh. I found a man greeting people who I assumed was the owner. I asked him straight out why he was supporting puppy millers by having these dogs here. He starts the whole speel about they aren't from a puppy mill, they are from a government certified breeder. He was quite shocked when I told him that ANY person or breeder selling dogs in a commercial venue has to be certified by the dept of Agriculture, but the certification itself means nothing. It is supposed to have provisions for inspections and such, but they don't have enough employees to do that - so it's basically just paying a fee every year. I also told him, over and over, that NO respectable breeder would allow their dogs to be sold in a pet store and that he should participate in adoption clinics rather than sell people sick dogs. His final word before I walked out was that he does allow our Humane Society to have adoption clinics there, but he was a businessman and people want the smaller dogs that he sells.

It wasn't too long after he opened that the puppy mill story ran on Oprah - and I've seen a few letters to the editor of our local newspaper warning people about where these pet store puppies are coming from. Even with the exposure, the vast majority of people I come into contact with have no clue where pet store puppies come from or have even heard of a puppy mill or know what a puppy mill is! I get so frustrated and my husband tells me that he believes less than 1% of people have any clue about puppy mills - even with the increased publicity (he actually says I'm the only one...lol). And then of course you have the folks who know where that pup in the window came from, and still buy it.

It won't ever stop until people quit supporting the pet stores that sell the dogs. It's a simple matter of economics. As long as the demand is there, the puppy mills will stay in business.

[SandraLM]

Sad but true Kandy.

[chico2]

As far as I know,Oakville has no store that sells puppies and kittens,the last one closed down a few yrs ago,I think because they were constantly scrutinized by vets and HS.
I know my then vet,reported the store.
I cheered when I saw the CLOSED sign and later the FOR LEASE sign on the building

[EndOfFashion]

We have a few in Etobicoke. I used to drive to Mississauga to buy food from a pet store on Dundas, because at the time I thought that was the nearest store that sold Eagle Pack. They did (still do) sell puppies, kittens, ferrets, other small furries and birds. I was there one day with my boyfriend, and overheard a girl in her late teens talking about one of the puppies - a lab/German shorthaired pointer mix. She was talking to a woman, and I heard the words "Do you think we can pass this off as a black lab?"

I'm thinking, stupid girl, they're probably here picking up a puppy and don't want the father/husband or whoever to find out they didn't get a purebred lab. So I start talking to by boyfriend, overly loud, about how my mom almost adopted a GSP puppy from Toronto Animal Services when we were looking for a dog, and how I told her it probably wouldn't be a good fit because they are SO active and need lots and lots of exercise and stimulation. I hoped the girl would understand that the appearance of the dog should have been secondary, and they needed to take into account the breed characteristics of BOTH breeds. Well, I saw her listening to me out of the corner of my eye, and then we left.

After we left the store, my boyfriend told me he believed the teen girl was AN EMPLOYEE. I was like WHAT?! It's bad enough they're selling puppies, and lately haven't been selling many so some are growing up in their cages, getting up to 6 months old - but they're trying to lie about the breed of the puppy now? That was the last time we went to that store. Ridiculous. They also once had a black Pug puppy they were showing to a family. The thing was TINY, so I just had to ask how old. "5 weeks"

Since then, I found out Pet Valu sells amazing foods, and I only go there. It's only a 5 minute drive from my house, too!

[Mom_Of_Two_Dogs]

Too bad the owner didn't go to the SPCA here . . . We almost always have some kind of small dog in need of a home. There's a Pom/Schipperke mix that's been looking for a home for a while now. It should be made illegal for pet stores to sell dogs and small animals (rats, rabbits, etc).

[BenMax]

Originally Posted by Mom_Of_Two_Dogs

Too bad the owner didn't go to the SPCA here . . . We almost always have some kind of small dog in need of a home. There's a Pom/Schipperke mix that's been looking for a home for a while now. It should be made illegal for pet stores to sell dogs and small animals (rats, rabbits, etc).

hmm - would this SPCA work with a rescue group for this particular dog?

[Mom_Of_Two_Dogs]

I think so, yes. They do work with rescues. Usually small dogs go fast so I'm surprised he's still there. But then again he's black and a lot of black and black and tan (and brindle) dogs get overlooked here There's a Mastiff/Boxer mix who's been there since December and a GSD mix who's been there since January.