Should I believe this pet store?

Question

http://www.aworldofpets.com/our-animals.asp

It says that their animals come from breeders. I heard that dogs that are in pet stores come from puppy mills. I'm considering to get a dog soon and I might get it from this pet store.

Some dogs in there looked scared, but most looked happy. They look healthy.

I don't know where to find a breeder. I see some ads in the newspaper, but usually they're sold out. It seems easier getting a dog from a store.

Answer 1

Don't!

http://www.prisonersofgreed.org

Puppymillers are basically commercial breeders.

Answer 2

Puppy mills are "breeders" Pet Store puppies come from irresponsible breeders. Good, responsible, ethical breeders do NOT ever sell their puppies through pet stores.

Looking for breeders through newspapers isn't a good idea either.

Go to the AKC site www.akc.org and look up the listing of breed & kennel clubs in your state, contact them..they can put you in touch with responsible breeders.

Also make sure that the breeder NEVER sells a puppy before it is 8 weeks old.Responsible breeders do not sell under this age.

Answer 3

Tell me what reputable/responsible breeder would sell their puppies to a pet store chain? They would never do that. Who knows what kind of home they would get or how they would be treated or if they would end up in a kill shelter.
A person that truly cares for their dogs interviews the buyers carefully and selects someone who would give the puppy the best home.
Pet stores charge outrageous prices. $1199-$1299 for a pomeranian that isn't very good quality?
There are breeders out there that sell pets that are MUCH BETTER QUALITY pomeranians for less then that.
The petstore puppies, who knows what size they will be as adults? You can't see the parents and who knows if the pedigree is really real or not. You don't know anything about the parents. You don't know what they looked like or how they lived.
I don't know about the other breeds on there but, I was just looking at the pomeranians on there.
You can look on petfinder, rescues, shelters, or pounds for a dog or puppy.
Every breed has a club for their breed. They should have a website too. If you search online for their breed club there should be a list of members on there website or someone who can refer you to breeders who MIGHT have puppies. Not every breeder has puppies.

Answer 4

To find a reputable breeder you first contact the AKC, then find breed clubs in your area. contact the breed club for available dogs. Often your local vets are a good source of finding good breeders. But be careful and do a careful interview to make certain they are reputable.

And I agree with all the others that expressed reasons for not buying from a pet store. A reputable breeder would never ever sell their pups through a pet store to a buyer sight unseen and without doing an in home inspection.

If you buy from a pet store you are supporting puppy mills and all the evil that they are. Why would you do that? I would never ever purchase a dog if it meant supporting a puppy mill.

Answer 5

of course they're lying! They don't care whether you get a sick puppy or not, they just want cash! Think about it, if you loved your dog and bred them and had very nice puppies, would you send them to a store that would sell them to anybody that had the money? No, you'd make sure your puppies had a good home!

They don't buy from puppy mills, they buy from wholesalers who do nothing but go to the mills and pick up the dogs, and then send them to the store. So, the puppies come from mills but the retailer doesn't actually purchase them from the mill. Still a lie in my book.

What kind of dog are you looking for?? If you'll post that we can put you in touch with breeders who can direct you to a REPUTABLE and CARING breeder. Yes, you may have to pay a bit more and YES, if the breeder is a good one, you may have to be on a waiting list. The fact is, the good dogs are worth waiting for!!! Don't give in to convenience and perpetuate the misery of hundreds of dogs just because there's a pup in the window!

Also, keep in mind that if you go to www.petfinder.com you can find young dogs (and sometimes puppies) that really need help. You can also find rescues that can put you on the waiting list for a pup if there's nothing available right now.

Whatever you do, keep in mind that a large percentage of pups sold at pet stores have significant health problems (because they were not selected to be good, healthy dogs, they were churned out of a mass production facility) and people who buy these dogs often spend thousands on vet bills and many lose the pups due to genetic problems and are heartbroken. Overall, buying from a pet store is a lose-lose proposition for you and the dogs you're keeping in mills because you supported them with your money.

Answer 6

Never buy a puppy from a petstore. Responsible breeders hand raise and socialize puppies in their homes. They conduct a series of interviews with prospective puppy buyers to ensure their pups are going to the BEST possible homes.
Ask yourself what kind of "breeder" thinks it's OK for puppies to be raised in a cage in a STORE???? Responsible breeders hold the welfare of their pups as first and foremost.
Animals are not PRODUCTS to them.
Here are some suggested questions one can use to determine if a breeder is truly responsible:

1. Is she an AKC registered breeder of good standing and an active member of her breed Parent Club?

2. Are there AKC Champions listed on the pedigree, showing that the breeder spends her time & money to prove the quality of her breeding stock through competition?

3. Are all the animals kept in clean, comfortable, healthy, loving circumstances?

4. Did the breeder conduct extensive interviews with you and every member of your family?

5. Have the sire & dam received all available health clearances, (eg. OFA Hip & Eye, Thyroid testing, THESE VARY FOR EACH BREED)

6. Is she willing to honestly discuss any possible genetic defects that may exist in her line?

7. Does she have a Sales Contract?

8. Does the contract contain a clause stipulating that you spay or neuter the puppy before it reaches a certain
age?

9. Does the contract contain a clause stating that if at any time in the puppy's life, you can no longer care for it, it must be returned to the breeder? (This ensures that no animal bred by this breeder will ever end up in a shelter).

10. Will the breeder maintain contact with you for the life of the puppy to answer questions and help in general?

Answer 7

EDIT: I just looked at that website- I think you should look elsewhere. They have WAY to many puppies in that store! There's no way they can properly care for those pups, not to mention keeping such a large stock and wide variety hints of puppy-mill buying. Also, they have a lot of breeds that responsible stores do not sell. I don't think they look reputable at all. Try doing a google search to check for breeders in your area of a certain breed, or check www.akc.org for links to private breeders. This store is bad news!

Pet stores never get dogs from small, private show breeders. If you're looking for a show-quality dog raised in a family atmosphere, you can't find it in a store.

That being said, there is a difference between puppy mills and for-profit breeders. A puppy mill is a place where hundreds of dogs are kept and bred every time they come into heat, kept in small cages and poor conditions, with no regard for breeding standards, health standards, sanitation, etc. The dogs from puppy mills are sick, dirty, and unsocialized, and probably either inbred, or bred from a mother who was too young or too old to be breeding. When puppy mill dogs can't breed anymore, they are euthanized.

For-profit breeders keep several breeding pairs of dogs and sell the puppies for profit to pet stores. However, they generally do not have more dogs than they can keep clean and healthy, they often have AKC registered dogs and have access to champion studs, and their puppies are raised with human interaction and proper health care and sanitation. These pups are generally in good health, have reasonably good bloodlines, and are properly vaccinated.

As to whether or not you believe this particular store... well, visit them several times, observe the puppies, observe their knowledge of the dogs and their breeds, and just trust your instinct. If the puppies look dirty, sick, thin, or just unhappy, consider looking elsewhere. If they seem healthy and happy, and the store can provide you with the pedigree, registration, health history, etc., then I see no reason why you shouldn't buy from them.

Before you buy, consider checking shelters and rescues- there are always plenty of puppies, purebred adults, and mixed breed dogs looking for loving homes.

Answer 8

Please don't buy a dog from the Pet Store.
These dogs are shipped in from all over the country and exposed to all kinds of illness.
Most of them have severe parasites and you really can't research their pedigree. If you are looking for a particular breed go onto AKC.org and you can get a list of reputable breeders. Your local Sunday paper also lists dogs for sale and you can go and see the parents as well as the puppies. I use to raise Shetland Sheepdogs and I had a pet store call me and asked if they could buy the puppies I didn't want to sell to people. These puppies would have been priced way to much for what they were. These puppies I would give away to homes that would love them and take care of them for no charge.
Research all breeders and ask all kinds of questions. Good breeders will welcome talking to you and will guide you in your selecting a puppy.

Answer 9

I know Petland has big roomers of puppies coming from puppy mills, I found this out after i had bout 2 dogs from them. both dogs are healthy but when i got there papers i noticed they were both from out of state,,,i would look for a local breeder if you must get a pure breed dog...or call a few shelters...you can find pure breed dogs ther too,,,local breeders are great cause you meet the parents & always can ask the breeder questions. I will never buy from petland again....their employees don't know anything about animals ,,they just want to make the sale!!!

Answer 10

Each and every reputable breeder in the world interviews prospective puppy buyers. No breeder is ever going to sell a puppy to a pet shop not knowing what kind of home it's going to get. It's only common sense - a good dog that's of breeding quality has cost the breeder a lot of money, having a litter is expensive and breeders have questionnaires for people to fill out before they consider letting them have a puppy. The only breeders who don't care what happens to their puppies are those who are in it only for the money and those are at best, back yard breeders with poor quality dogs, but more than likely, it's a puppy mill. You don't want to support them. If you want a puppy, get it from a reputable breeder so you'll have a dog you'll be happy with!

Answer 11

There are so many what-ifs when it comes to buying dogs from pet stores. I had two (we put one down over Thanksgiving due to back problems) beautiful dachshunds that were both purchased from pet stores. They were purchased several years apart, from two different stores. The only reason we purchased these two was because they had just arrived in the stores and we fell in love with them on first site, and both pet stores were known to only stock few dogs at a time. They never over stock dogs (or even cats), and always take good care of them, from what we can tell.

The bad point about pet stores though...they are known to get their dogs from puppymills (glamorized breeders who are only in it for the money). They also charge an outrageous amount for their dogs (anywhere between a few hundred dollars to several thousand depending on the breed). We paid $800 and $900 for our girls.

What I would suggest doing is going through a private breeder. There are always tons around, you just have to look in your local paper. Don't worry if they are sold out. That can be good. Get to know your breeder, meet the "parents" of your puppy, inspect the premises. If the breeder is good, they won't be afraid to show you anything. You'll know to stay away from them if they don't want you near where they keep their dogs. Plus, you'll save a lot of money by getting a puppy directly from a breeder. If a good breeder isn't just looking for money, a lot of times you'll be able to pick up a puppy for a just a few hundred dollars compared to $1000 at a pet store.
Also, if you know you want a full breed dog, call around to rescue groups. You'll be able to get a dog of your choice for next to no cost, and the dog will know he or she is going home.
Also, if you don't care about the breed, adopt from the local SPCA shelter. Pound puppies need a good home just as much as a pet store puppy, and won't break your wallet.

If you are dead set on buying from this pet store, do your research. If they always have lots of dogs on site, that usually means they overbuy and never sell, so their turnaround is really low. Check with the better business bureau for any complaints about the store. Or check with your local SPCA for references. Good luck!