WHY NOT Buy a DOG from a pet store?

Question

The holidays are here and I always get so sad to see the puppies in the windows of pet stores...but why should I not buy one from there?

Please share with me and others on Yahoo Answers WHY I should or shouldn't (in your opinion), buy a dog from a pet store this holiday season.

Thanks!

This is great! I'm glad to hear so many people are against buying puppies/dogs from a pet store. I have always wondered WHY I still see people buying them at malls....so that was the purpose of my question. It is very sad to see them there but I agree that shelters and/or reputable breeders are the best way to go!

P.S. My dog is a large female pit-bull that we adopted from the local shelter when she was about 4 years old. Absolutely the B E S T dog I have ever had! Better yet, she is totally devoted to us since we "rescued" her...in reality she rescues us every day...in ways only those who have rescued shelter dogs could ever know ;-) Happy Holidays all!

Answer 1

The most important reason not to buy a dog from a pet store is because most pet shops buy their puppies from puppy mills, and if you have ever seen pictures of puppy mills, you would see that the breeding dogs are kept in filthy conditions and are bred constantly. The constant breeding will intensify any inherent health problems of the particular breed, because puppy mills are strictly money making operations. Buying from a breeder is a better option, because you are given the opportunity to see the parents and the living conditions. Also, you are not paying a retail mark-up on a living creature if you buy from the breeder, as you would if you bought from a store. There are other options for adopting pets. If you don't have a breed preference, adopting a shelter pet is a good idea. I don't know about you, but I feel worse for the dogs in the shelters, especially the adults. If you have a specific breed in mind, there are rescues for virtually every breed, which you can find on petfinder.com.

Answer 2

Pets in pet stores almost always come from hellish puppy mills or irresponsible back yard breeders out to make a buck and care nothing for the animals health or well being. The chances of getting a pet with health problems that can cost you big time down the line or with temperment problems are much greater! If you want to support those kind of people and help keep them in business with your dollars, go ahead, but at least be honest and aware that that is exactly what you would be doing! The best way to find the right dog is to buy from someone who has the mother (at least) to view, is knowledgeable about the breed, has a proper environment for the puppies so they will be well socialized, get referances! Do your homework! It doesn't have to be a pure bred to be a good dog. There are some pet stores that adopt out dogs from local shelters too. Also, some shelters can be shady as well, not all of them care for the animals properly, or evaluate the dogs they get. Be wary fellow dog shopper, don't fall for the quick and easy, or the big puppy eyes in the window!
It took me two years to find a really good breeder and healthy pups, take the time, its like having a baby.

Answer 3

It would be in your best interest not to buy from a pet store. The best option would be to adopt a homeless dog, but if you absolutely must have a pure-bred puppy, ask around and find a reputable breeder instead. A good breeder should let you see the parents and the kennel where the puppy was raised. Most breeders only specialize in one or two breeds of dogs, so they will be able to answer just about any breed specific question you might have.
The big problem with pet store puppies is that you have absolutely no way of telling what kind of environment they were raised in. There are a ton of diseases that could potentially be spread to puppies raised in sub-par kennels some of them can even escape a vets attention until too late. Also, I would wait a couple weeks until all the excitement of the holidays dies down before bringing a puppy into your home, especially if you have kids. The first few days at home should be as calm as possible for a puppy on its own for the first time.
Good luck with your puppy.

Answer 4

Because pet store dogs get their dogs from puppy mills.... I dont really know, though. I got my dog, Sam, from a pet store, and he is the best dog ever! It wasnt real good, because when we got him he had parvo, but he survived, and I dont know where I would be without him! He is like the greatest friend in the world. Yes, those dogs need homes too. Sam had gone from the pet store to the pound, and he was on his last run at the pet store before they put him down. Not adopting these dogs is just going to get them killed, not stop the puppy millers. Only law will really stop them, obviously there is something more wrong with them than money. You might get some mean answers, so sorry. I love my dog, and I think we should take care of every dog...bad breeders are at the pound too, and those dogs also carry diseases, maybe even more so.

Answer 5

I don't need to repeat what has already been said about puppy mills, but the links below will give a pictographic reason of what's so horrible about a puppy mill. And of course, giving a pet as a surprise gift is never a good idea - all members of the family should be involved in making a good match. Some shelters will offer gift certificates so that a family or child can visit and pick out the right pet for themselves. And of course, remember that a pet isn't just a holiday purchase - it's a long term commitment for love and care.

Answer 6

Most Pet stores get their puppies from puppy mills, I'm not gonna explain them, there is too uch to write! Just search for puppy mills on Yahoo search or somewhere else, and you can see what they are. Everytime you buy a puppy from a pet store that supports puppymills, you are supporting the puppy mills. You might think that you are rescuing the puppy, but you are just supplying the puppy mill with more money to keep abusing more dogs! Plus dogs from puppy mills don't usually meet breed standards, and most develop problems later on in life... Problems that are going to cost you alot of money in vet bills! So basicly, when you buy a pet store puppy, you are getting a dog that is over priced, under quality, and probably sick, and you are helping the puppy mills abuse more animals... Do you think that it is worth it? Just get a dog from a good breeder, (If you want a pure bred dog.) or get one from the animals shelter, that way you will be saving a puppy's life instead of helping more be abused. Plus , it's a lot cheaper. So, PLEASE do NOT get a puppy from a pet store... Oh yeah, PetsMart is a good place to get a dog, theirs are usualy rescued... Well, at least they are around here...

Answer 7

You absolutely should never even visit a pet store that sells dogs or cats. All of their dogs and cats come from backyard breeders or puppymills, kind of like the people who post here on YA about breeding their dogs.
Buying anything from a pet store, even a rawhide, just encourages them to continue what they are doing, and that is encouraging puppymillls and BYB to continue what THEY are doing.
These dogs are usually ridden with some disease that you do not find out about until AFTER you get it home and the two day guarantee is ended.

Check out this Truth About Puppy Mills video if you are still set on a pet store dog/cat.

Answer 8

Because Puppy mills are dirty diseased places where people over breed dogs without proper care in order to make a profit on the sale of puppies to pet stores. The females are placed in cages and bred over and over again until the either cant produce and then are killed or killed by the filth and diseases that occur due to no veterinarian/basic health care. They don't give a damn about the dogs, just the money. So every time someone buys a pet store puppy It encourages them to breed again.

Answer 9

Because pet store dogs come from disgusting puppy mills which are run by unscrupulous owners who only breed dogs for money rather than love. These female dogs are bred from every time they come into season. For some girls this means 3 litters every year!! Imagine what the health of these dogs is like!! The quality of the puppies also decreases so you buy a substandard dog!!

These dogs are bred indiscriminately and are not bred to breed standards, or to improve the breed. they are not screened for genetic problems such as hip dysplasia or liver shunt or deafness or retina issues etc etc etc.

Creating designer dogs - mixed breed dogs isn't a great idea either. There are so many dogs in pounds that are of mixed breed descent. Plenty of these pups come from puppy mills.

Puppy mill dogs aren't bred from temperament either. They're often more nervous and jumpy because their parents aren't temperament tested.

By purchasing a puppy from a pet store, you are supporting people who run puppy mills. If there was no demand for these pets, then supply would quickly dry up.

Have you seen pictures of the conditions of puppy mill pooches? It's heartbreaking and it makes you want to cry. They're often flea ridden, mange ridden, worm infested and it's just wrong wrong wrong.

Pet stores over charge for mixed breed dogs. Why would you bother paying that much when you can get one for much less from a shelter? Or even a purebred from a reputable breeder for less?? Craziness!!


Lastly, dogs aren't just for holidays. They're for life. Dogs can live to very ripe old ages (some breeds go to 15 16 years, even older!!) they should be a very considered purchase, not a spur of the moment merry making holiday gift.

Answer 10

Did you know that some of the puppies at the pet shops are the runts of the litter. When breeders breed dogs they keep the best ones for themselves & give the weaker ones to petshops or shelters. I would not want to pay expensive prices for weaker, unhealthy dogs.

I have adopted 3 dogs from my local shelter & I feel so good that I saved their lives. I highly recomend that you buy from a shelter & save a life.