Do you think these puppies came from puppy mill?

Question

i live in california and there is a California Pets store by me. Here is the website and they say their dogs are purebreed and AKC. So does that mean they arent from puppy mills? What questions do I ask them about the dog so i know its not from the puppy mill. I dont want to get a puppy from a puppy mill... url below
http://www.californiapetsoc.com/

Answer 1

As other people have said, no REPUTABLE breeder will sell one of their dogs through a petstore. Since they will not be able to check out the possible families. Do they take credit cards for dogs? .. No breeder takes credit cards as getting a dog shouldnt be an 'on the spot' decision.

Here is my experience with buying my first dog when I was 12 at a petstore:

When I was 12 I went to my local mall and wanted a dog so bad, so my mom said after we went to see a movie we would look at the dogs. We were between the Lhasa Apso, Pomeranian or Pekingnese. The Lhasa Apso got sold and the Pomeranian was an excited pee-er. So I went with the Pekingnese. His name is Gizmo and he is now 6 years old. He cost about 1000$ when he should have costed 100$ if anything. He had a hernia which was removed during his neutering, crooked teeth, and a deformed rib (doesnt hurt him, you just feel a bump on his side). He was a lunatic to house break (even now he has some accidents), he tends to be aggressive with people he doesnt know (even us sometimes, and we went through extensive socializing) .. and he suckles on the ends of blankets (because he was taken away from his mom too early). Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE gizmo with all my heart, but if I knew what I know now about puppy mills I would have gotten my dog from a GOOD breeder.

Now, I just bought a Dachshund pup from a REPUTABLE breeder. Took me awhile to find the right breeder but I am VERY happy. She is a long haired black/tan dapple female. Believe it or not, she cost me LESS than my petstore bought dog. ALOT of people think breeders charge more, but thats not necessarily the case. The breeders dogs were ALL raised in the house (though she had a big back yard for outside playtime), all her puppies were socialized with cats and children of all ages and handled since birth. She has been a BREEZE to housebreak so far and is really the most perfect dog I could ask for!

Now, my dad and stepmom on the other hand rescued a rotte/german shepherd dog (1 year old) and he was the best dog ever. He let my 2 year old brother roll around on him and everything, he was truley a blessing. There are millions of dogs/puppies even PUREBRED dogs/puppies who need loving homes.

So I've had all 3 experiences: petshop, breeder and adoption. The last 2 are the best. No matter HOW many questions you ask and no matter HOW many times you want to tell yourself that these dogs dont come from puppy mills you are just lieing to yourself. It doesnt matter how "clean" they keep their place either. The place I got Gizmo from had little rooms to play with their dogs and their cages were spotless and their store was really clean and their dogs were "akc". They STILL come from puppymills. I've read so many stories of puppy mill brokers FRAUDING out akc papers. You will also have SO many less health problems if you buy from a breeder.

Go through the AKC breeder referall and you are guarenteed a healthy loving pup: http://www.akc.org
or adopt, there are millions of puppies on petfinder! http://www.petfinder.com .. also on the left side under 'shelters' click there to find a shelter near you and you can also view their dogs/puppies.

Good luck and hope you find your dream pup!

Answer 2

Many puppy mills breed AKC registered dogs, meaning that the offspring are usually AKC registered. Most puppy mills also always claim that their dogs are "purebreed" even if they know for a fact that they aren't. Registration papers are only as good as the records that the breeder keeps...it's easy to make mistakes or deliberately misrepresent pedigrees and papers when you have dozens or hundreds of dogs.

NEVER EVER EVER buy a puppy from a pet store! No responsible breeder would EVER send their pups to a store. A responsible breeder wants to know what kind of a home their puppies go to. The actually care about their dogs and they don't want someone who is going to get bored with the puppy when it is no longer cute and fuzzy to get one of their dogs. Pet stores don't care what kind of people buy their dogs just as long as the check clears. Plus, California Pets is known to buy their puppies from puppy mills.

Answer 3

No reputable breeder would ever sell to a pet store. Chances are that the puppies are from a puppy mill, even if the store tells you that they are not. Just because they are AKC registered, it doesn't mean that they didn't come from a mill and it doesn't always mean that the dog is a purebred. AKC has enacted a few new regulations to try to prevent puppy mills from using their registry, but there are ways that can be used to get around it.

Answer 4

Yes, yes, yes! Well spotted. Glad you were paying attention! ANY puppy from a pet store (or kitten for that matter) either came from a puppy mill or an irresponsible backyard breed. There are NO exceptions to this. Responsible breeders grill their perspective buyers, not dump them off at the pet store and take the money and run. Just because they are registered doesn't mean they have any quality assurance (even the AKC says so on their website). If you'd like a dog, please adopt one from an animal shelter or from a very responsible breeder who does health and temperament tests and other various requirements before they breed.

Answer 5

Frankly, I would buy from a local breeder, never from a pet store. It's hard to tell where those dogs (and cats) come from or what conditions they have endured. I believe that pet shops are part of the puppy mill problem...they're just the last stop.

If you go to a local breeder, you usually can see the mother and often the father, and see what the conditions of the place are, and you should be able to talk directly to the breeder after you buy thepup, if there are any problems.

Answer 6

I would guess they could be from anywhere - unresponsible breeders and puppymills. To be on a safe side, you should not buy a pet from a pet store, they tend to be unhealthy.
If you really want a purebred, contact either a purebred rescue group (nicer option) or a responsible breeder (I say that because I don't trust pet stores at all and I would always recommend rescue groups before going to a breeder)

You should contact Orange County humane society as they would probably know about that pet store (located in Orange based on their contact info I saw on the website)

http://www.ochumanesociety.com/

If you want a purebred dog, you can find purebred rescue groups. Check http://www.petfinder.com/

It is a very good question, and I wish more people would ask that question before buying a pet at a pet store.

Good luck finding your pooch. and I hope you will make the right decision.

Answer 7

Good breeders never ever ever ever ever sell their dogs to pet shops!!! If they sell they're dogs for money and not quality then yes they are a puppy mill. Because there are many dumb people in this world, people get drawn in on the fact they are "akc registered". Anydog with purebred parents can be Akc Registered, doesn't mean its good quality or well bred. There's a pet shop near me that sells mixed breeds like the lhasa/maltese etc mixes for like $800 and they are mutts!!!

Answer 8

Since their ad reads "Pure Breed & AKC" rather than "AKC Purebreds" I would doubt that all of their puppies even carry AKC registration. There's a couple of other "registries" catering to the puppy mill trade that have sprung up since AKC instituted DNA requirements for breeding and registration. Registration papers from any registry other than AKC in ANY of their stock is a dead giveaway that the pups are from mills. ASK which registry or registries they use!

Answer 9

gerty has it! Reputable breeders don't sell to pet stores, period. So if its from a store its a puppy mill projeny. Soon, if current legislature passes, if its from CA it gonna be from a puppy mill cause they gonna outlaw the others having intact dogs.....

Answer 10

The chances are that yes, the puppies are from a puppy mill. I would ask the owner questions referring to the breeder. Not all puppy mills mistreat the animals though. I would contact the store manager/owner or the nearest humane society