Why do people hate pet stores?

Question

I dont understand this. I bought a perfectly healthy pup from a pet store. He is 2 years old now and he is one of the best dogs Ive met. Ive been to that pet store many times. All of the puppies are well groomed and are clean. Yea, there are a few timid ones and a few mean/hyperactive ones but most are perfectly active, compassionate, and playful with the other dogs. The store will let you hold a puppy and they have rooms around the store that you can go in and play with them. My question is why do people say that ALL pet stores get their puppies from puppy mills? Yea I know they get some but not all of them. Also they say to NEVER buy from a pet store, adopt, buy from a breeder, or somethin. I just dont understand. Also is it just me or do people need to shut thier freaking mouths about this pet store issue?

Yea, ok people you are just idiots...Im just saying. All pet stores are different. There are at least 10 people in there and when its busy there is at least 40 at the glass. Everyone I've talked to in there has bought a puppy from that store. This store wont even sell it to you if its under 2 months. They will keep it on display but will have a sign that says "I am too young to adopt, come back soon!!" Plus you cant possibly tell me that pet stores are a worse place than a puppy mill. As soon as a puppy goes then it falls under and they take the bottom out and empties the tray. And think people, PUPPY MILLS ARE GOING TO EXSIST WITH OR WITHOUT PET STORES!!! Yea puppy mills are bad but i dont see anyone doing anything about it. IF ITS SUCH A PROBLEM THEN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!!! Most people who have answered so far say puppy mills are bad. I agre. Most people that have answered say pet stores are also bad I disagre. I believe it is the puppy that you pick an the temperment that matters

Answer 1

Well you got lucky, my baby girl that is sitting right beside me, is a pure bred doberman purchased from a pet store, with assurances, but she has hypothyriodism, meaning medication for the rest of her life, generalised demodictosis (uncurable mange) that cant be treated fully because of the hypothyriodism, she cant have antibiotics, her immune system crashes as soon as the course is finished making her worse than why she was taking antibiotics, she cant be spayed, the vet wont run the risk of even this surgery, i have to monitor her blood sugar levels weekly as she is a candidate for diabetes, which combined with the thyroid problem could kill her in months. She is in fact infertile so the standard reason for spaying isnt a problem but possible cancer as a result is. Dont get me wrong, i love my girl and would happily spend that $5000AU again, but i shudder to think what would have happened if someone else had of bought her instead. And the only thing the pet shop said was, 'we are sorry, give us back the dog and we will give you a 50% refund and destroy the dog'. Like hell, i had already spent $500 on having tests run on her and getting back $175 wasnt going to cut it.

I actually agree with you, its not the pet stores, its the mills in the first place, you cant blame the dogs for the way they are born, treated and sold. They need homes too. And i tell you what, if i could go back knowing what i know now, i would still get her, i would just know what to get the vet to test and treat her for first, saving about $2000. Yes some stores are horrible places, some are chain stores just out to make a buck, but some, like the one that has replaced a shut down pet store in my town, are great. I know for a fact that they dont deal in mill puppies, just accidental litters, and it a lovely huge premises, indoor and outdoor.

Answer 2

The reason is because the puppies from most petstores come from a puppymill. You know what most of the petstores keep it clean because they do not want people calling and filing complaints. Of course they will let you hold the and play with the puppies, most of them do. How else can they stimulate that impulse buying?
You may have been lucky with the pup you bought but I know of a few people that that were not so lucky, I have also read many stories about the unlucky ones.

"My question is why do people say that ALL pet stores get their puppies from puppy mills? "
The reason is because a responsible reputable breeder would never give his/her puppies to a store to sell they want to meet the perspective owners and make sure this will be a good home for their pup. They will not just sell a pup to the first person who comes along that has the money.

"Also is it just me or do people need to shut thier freaking mouths about this pet store issue"?
It is just you because people need to understand why they should not buy from a petstore. They need to know that everytime a petstore AKA puppymill puppy is bought they are condemning more dogs to to a horrible life and maybe one life will be saved but if more people would resist the urge to buy that petstore pup then eventually there would be no demand and that could put an end to puppymills and petstores.

"PUPPY MILLS ARE GOING TO EXSIST WITH OR WITHOUT PET STORES"!!!
Puppymills are better able to operate because of petstores, if people had to go to the mill itself to buy a dog they would change their minds because how many would want the puppy when they seen the deplorable conditions in which they are whelped and raised in.
As for doing something about we do try to educate but it is ignorance such as yours which makes it hard to prevail against petstores.
Temperament of the pup does matter but so does the health and temperament of the sire and dam, since you are buying from a store how will you know and how long before genetics kick in(health and temperament) and your sorry you did not listen plus you will not know until it is too late.
Check this out:
http://www.prisonersofgreed.org/
http://stoppuppymills.org/
http://www.petshoppuppies.com/

Answer 3

Yes, all pet stores are different. Of course you get good ones and bad ones, and I've seen both too.

I suppose the main reason people are against pet stores is because it really is true that a lot of them do get their puppies and kittens from mills, which are known to be bad places. Responsible breeders don't sell to pet shops, so there isn't much choice where to get their animals from. Doesn't necessarily mean the dog will be unhealthy or whatever, but it is likely - plus by buying a pup that may have come from a mill, you would be supporting a practice we all want to see end. I suppose not all shops get their puppies and kittens from mills - but I think the majority do, which is why it's best not to support the practice.

Personally I've got a love-hate relationship with petshops. I think they're fabulous places for getting treats, toys, bedding, rodent cages etc, and one of the few places to buy rodents from. I wish to God they would be banned from selling flea products tho - I have a daily battle to make people realise that the majority of pet shop flea preparations don't work!

Hope you understand people's POV a bit more now - I'm afraid people never will shut their freakin' mouths about matters of opinion - not til hell freezes over anyway!

Chalice

Answer 4

If you research some of these stores, you'll find out that not only are you supporting puppy mills just by buying dog FOOD or TOYS there, even if you never buy a puppy, but they are also supporting other industries of cruelty. Some of the small pets they sell are from breeding facilities that are not up to code and have horrible track records and these pet stores are well aware, but as long as they're making a profit, they don't care. Find a nice local pet shop that sells only supplies and patron them. Not enough people support small local "ma & pa" places anyway. Too many people shop at Walmart and forget about the "little man", which is why so many small business have to close each year. Think about it, is it worth that $2 that you save?

Answer 5

Pet stores by puppies from puppy mills/farms. Just google it and see what horrific things come up. They may say that they don't, but they all do. Do you want to pay $2000 for a dog full of problems, or $2000 from a reputable breeder? The dog that you bought for $2000 from the pet store cost the pet store $150 to buy.

When looking for a reputable breeder - don't look for the cheapest price. That will usually result in a dog that is not up to AKC standards, (don't buy UKC/CKC registered dogs, those organizations basically register anything with 4 legs, while AKC has regulations). They might have temperament problems, and health problems because the breeder has not taken the time to properly breed those negatives out, and is only in it for the money.

Like you wouldn't go crazy living in a 4x4 cage with kids banging on the glass all day?

Responsible breeders breed only to maintain the breed, or improve the breed. Not to make a profit.

Answer 6

The problem with pet stores is that you do not know where those animals come from. Most come from puppy mills, where dogs are kept in little bitty cages and are horribly neglected. Granted, some of the animals in pet stores do not come from puppy mills but you don't know which ones are which. (Pet store owners will never tell you that there animals come from the puppy mills). If you do buy a puppy from a mill you are supporting cruelty.

Answer 7

your puppy is lucky to have you as an owner. The reason most people hate puppy stores is because any good breeder wants to see what kind of home their pups go to. Alot of impulse buyers go to the puppy store, get one that looks cute, and it ends up in shelters, or dead. A good breeder will generaly make sure you know how to take care of a puppy, being that money is not their main perogative. A pet store generaly will get their pups from puppy factories, where the poor mothers are bred one litter after another, and then either euthanised, or abandoned after they cant have pups anymore.
There are a few good pet stores out there, but there are good reasons why alot of us dont approve

Answer 8

I currently work at a pet store. While I cannot speak for the dogs (the dogs we have for adoption are only at our store on weekends and are bought in by a different organization), I can speak for our birds, small animals, reptiles, and fish.

The breeders we obtain these animals from breed for quantity, not quality. It's not uncommon for us to receive 40 hamsters and within a week only have half of them left the rest having succumed to Wet Tail. It's also not uncommon for us to receive a bag of twelve fish and the entire bag is full of dead and rotting corpses. At times, our refrigerator is so full of dead bodies that as soon as you walk into the back room you can smell the stench and every time you open up the frig, bodies would come spilling out. (Incidentaly, we keep the dead bodies right next to the fresh food we feed the animals.) We have an isolation room that is full of ten gallon tanks where up to ten animals are crammed inside where they have no hope of ever recovering because they are placed in such over crowded conditions. Many other pet stores also carry tattooed or dyed fish/birds which is largely considered to be an inhumane and unnatural procedure. *sarcasm* Yes, I'm sure our animals are vet assured. *sarcasm*

Our store also perpetuates a cycle of misinformation to our customers. We have signs that tell customers to put salt in their freshwater tanks when this is not necessary. We sell non-aquatic plants as aquatic plants. Many employees who are not trained and/or don't care to learn about the animals in their charge give people very bad advice often resulting in the death of their animal. And then we have the customers who refuse to listen to the very few knowledgeable employees that exist and yet we still have to deliver these animals to their execution.

So the next time you go into a pet store remember what goes on behind the scenes and don't just go by what you see right before you. Because our animals appear to be very well cared for on the sales floor and that smiling employee can spout off a lot of nice sounding nonsense. Bottom line is: do your homework.

Answer 9

Your dog may be all fine and good, but you have to think about where your puppy came from before he got to the pet store. Most if not ALL puppies sold in puppy stores are bought from puppy mills. I puppy mill is an evil operation of mass breeding. The dogs are kept in horrendous conditions, and when they can no longer produce puppies, they are shot and killed usually.
Here are some links to convince you:
http://www.prisonersofgreed.org/


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HM8UmHM8Uo


http://youtube.com/watch?v=OdcNl5FqcKY


I hope these will persuade you to find your next dog from somewhere else.

Answer 10

some pet stores are good, some are not. i'm picky about where i go. i go to a store like yours, with pet play areas and they have really big cages and the like. i have been to stores though where the animals are kept in tiny tiny cages filled with their own mess, etc.

not all pet stores are bad, and no they don't all get their puppies from puppy mills. that's a load of crap. i'm sure some do, but honestly, as far as i'm concerned, even if my puppy did come from a mill, i'm sure he was better off in the petstore than at that puppy mill.

i got my beagle from a breeder and he was kept in far worse conditions than at some pet stores i've seen. he was sick and grossly underweight and the only reason i took him is because i knew he was going to die if i didn't (btw-i reported that "breeder" and she was arrested)

anyway, that's my two cents.

edit: btw, the petstore i go to is owned by a relative who i know for a FACT does not get his animals from puppy mills. he buys them all from reputable breeders. who are willing to sell to him because they know his standards on who he will and will not sell do--he does the same kind of checks that any reputable breeder will. and buying from a breeder does not automatically mean that the puppy is going to be healthier. see my comment above about my beagle. in the past i have gotten a dog from a breeder who made no effort to find out anything about me. she took my check and handed me a dog. there are no guarantees either way. all you can do is find a dog that you love and take care of him and hope for the best.

and, puppy mills are going to be around with or without petstores. yes, it's absolutely horrific the way these puppies are being treated and it should stop. and yes, it's wrong of petstores to perpetuate such a horrific thing, but it is absolutely not true that ALL petstores operate this way.