Should I buy this dog?

Question

It is sooooooooooo cute but it's from a pet store that I think buys pets from a puppy mill. I want to give it a good life but if its sick I can't pay the vet bills.

They are a very popular pet store so I don't think that if I don't buy a dog from there it's going to make them go bankrupted or any thing.

Answer 1

I wouldn't.

http://www.nomorepuppymills.org

Answer 2

If the dog is ill or gets ill and you cannot pay the vet bills then you should not buy the dog. You would not be giving it a good life if you cannot pay for medical attention for it. Another reason not to buy this dog: It probably is from a puppy mill, and you would only be encouraging the people who run them to continue doing so by buying their "product." I know it's terrible to think of an animal as a product, but that is how puppy millers view the animals. If the "product" won't sell, and isn't making them money, they WILL stop producing it, but first it has to not sell. That's where the problem is. If people stopped buying these dogs, puppy mills would cease to exist very quickly, but you have not not buy the dog for this to happen. If you are concerned that the dog is not getting adequate veterinary attention at the pet store, call your local SPCA and report it. Puppy mill dogs often have a lot of genetically inherited diseases like hip dysplasia, patellar luxation (knee caps not working properly), glaucoma, retinal atrophy (hereditary blindness), epilepsy, and early kidney/liver failure. This is because these dogs are severely inbred. Many pet stores make you feel better about buying the dog by having a "six month warranty" against genetic defects, but the problem is.. almost none of these defects is going to be apparent within six months, and if they are, they're REALLY REALLY REALLY bad. So what happens when the dog is a year old and it starts displaying symptoms of the genetic defect? It was still the fault of the "breeder" (puppy mill), and the pet store still sold you a genetically defective dog, but you won't get any compensation, and all of those genetic defects are extremely expensive to treat. :( Just avoid pet stores that sell dogs, if at all possible. It's the best way to go.

Answer 3

I wouldn't get it. Most puppies that are in pet stores come from puppy mills, even though the workers will say that the puppy came from a breeder. Chances are that the puppy will have health problems, especially if it has been at the pet store very long. Not to mention the fact that most pet stores sell puppies for about the same price as it would cost you to get a puppy from a reputable breeder.

Also, many stores will offer "health guarantees" that are nothing more then a piece of paper. If you have a problem with the dog they will make you return it, which is usually not an option, if they do anything at all.

Answer 4

Please, No! I know you might be tempted to 'rescue' a puppy mill puppy from a pet store, but if you buy it you'll be supporting the practice of producing puppy mill pups. The money you pay for the pup will support the pet store's practice of buying from puppy mills, and help to keep the puppy mills going.

You may also end up with a dog with serious health & behavior problems. Pet store pups are also notoriously difficult to housetrain, because of the way they're kept at the mill and the store (they learn to soil their cage, which makes it nearly impossible to teach them not to go inside after you've brought them home).

When you get a dog, you're making a commitment to care for that dog throughout its life. Even a healthy dog can run up vet bills, so honestly it's best to wait until you're in a better financial position to handle the bills, and then either get a dog from a shelter (there are lots of good dogs in shelters), or buy a dog from a reputable breeder.

Adopting a Shelter Dog: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1405&S=1&SourceID=47

Breeder Selection & How It Affects Your Dog's Behavior:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1764&S=1&SourceID=47

Answer 5

No.
If you cannot afford vet bills for a dog, do not buy it. Getting a dog is a MAJOR expense (vet bills, initial cost, food, licensing, vaccinations, higher rent costs, less housing options) that will last up to 15 years. It is unfair to the dog to buy it as a puppy but later give it up for adoption or abandon it if it becomes hurt or sick and you cannot afford to take it to the vet, or because you cannot find a place to live that you can afford that will allow you to have a dog.

Consider helping a friend with their dog, "sharing it" by walking it for them, brushing it, coming over to pet sit when they leave town, "borrowing it" at your house for some weekends, tossing the ball around for it at the park, etc. until you can afford a dog of your own.

If you want a pet that lives with you all the time, think about getting something else, like maybe a rat that will be less expensive, lives 2 or 3 years, and that can do similar tricks or come when its called like a dog can.

Answer 6

If you really want the puppy then I would ask that the people selling it provide you with a healthy check up report from the vet; this way you know the pup is healty before you take him home.

Here's the catch, if you're not going to be able to take it to the vet if it gets sick then I'm sorry but maybe now is not the best time for you to have a dog in your life. There's certain shots that a puppy needs to get, not to mention the yearly rabies shots and some distempers along the way. Having an animal can be expensive depending on the size and breed of the dog. You should do some research about the kind of dog you're wanting to buy and look into any health problems they might have. You'll need to buy food, water trays and food dishes, toys, leashes, collars, etc....it can be pricey but worth it.

So my advice is to step back and really look at weither or not you can really afford the puppy. I know its tough, I go through it whenever I go to the pet store too. Good luck! And look at it this way, if you don't get this one now then that means whenever you do get a dog it will be well worth the wait.

Best of Luck! =)

Answer 7

Please don't buy from a pet store.....If a puppy is for sale in a store it's usually because the breeder couldn't sell it, it's from a puppt mill or it has defects which could potentially cost you a fortune down the road.
Buy a puppy from a reputable breeder or look into a rescue organization for the breed you are looking to buy...they can often point you in the right direction or can give you info on pups that they have ready for re-homing.

Don't support pet stores or puppy mills

Answer 8

Why don't you ask the store to check with the vets offices. Many vets will work on animals for free or just the basic cost of the medicines. If you explain to the vet what is going on they will do the work for free.

Also, pet stores have insurance on sick puppies / animals that come into their store. The insurance pays for the medical bills for these animals, which is by most states REQUIRED.

Call around yourself including the animal shelters. they can refer you to vets who are willing to work probono.

Good luck. I think you have a larger heart.

Answer 9

No, if it's from a pet store it is from a puppy mill or a shoddy breeder. As cute as the pup might be, it is overpriced, and you'd be supporting puppy mills to boot. Save your $ and adopt from www.petfinder.com, or find a reputable breeder in your area who probably charges less than the ridiculous pet store prices and breeds healthy animals. To find an ethical breeder in your area, look for your local breed club of the breed you're considering.

Answer 10

If you can't pay for the vet bills, you don't need a dog at all.

ANY dog runs the risk of getting ill, eating something it shouldn't, etc. Seriously, puppies get into a lot they shouldn't, so don't get one if you can't foot the vet bill.

I would hold off, save money and make sure you always have at least $500 dollars to spare, just in case something happens...
I got one of my dogs from a place that sells puppy mill puppies and aside from the kennel cough he had when we got him he has been a perfectly fine dog ever since.
It's not the dog's fault people breed them like that.

Answer 11

Think you just answered your own question. Depends on what sort of a health guarantee the store is willing to give you but another recent poster discovered the paperwork he had been given with regard to vaccines etc had been falsified; he ended up spending $4000 and still had a dead pupper.
It is tempting to try to save one of these little ones but unfortunately it just contributes to / encourages the puppy mill cycle. I'd say no. Odds are someone else will take it anyway.