Would you adopt a puppy-mill bred dog?

Question

Didn't have enough room to write my full question. Here it is:

If you wanted to adopt a dog (from a shelter or private rescue), how would it affect your decision to adopt it if you knew it were bred by a puppy mill? As opposed to your average purebred rescue dog that you don't know who bred it? Would knowing this about the dog affect your decision to adopt it?

There are two aspects to this that I see:
1. If it's more prone to health problems than the average dog of its breed.
2. If the rescue group in some way supported a puppy mill in "rescuing" the dog.

Remember, this is a dog from a rescue and/or shelter. You just happen to know that it was bred by a puppy mill.

The case that I'm looking at, the rescue actually bought a 9-month-old dog from an auction. I don't think this is right and don't think I would support the rescue in this case. But I'm more curious just in general. If a legitimate rescue had the dog, but knew who bred it?

Answer 1

Speaking hypothetically, since in the near future it is unlikely that I would adopt a dog that was not show potential, if I were to adopt a dog from a legitimate rescue group I would be more interested in it's current condition than in it's origins. But then, whenever I go on the rescue sites I tend to have a soft spot for the seniors, so I'd likely adopt a senior anyways.

Basically, if the dog is reasonably healthy and of good temperament I'd feel that it was a candidate for adoption, regardless of where it came from.

Answer 2

I work with an established breed rescue, and currently have in my care an older (6 yr.) old dog that I pulled from the local pound. He came complete with a genuine Hunte corporation pedigree, one of the largest mass producer of puppies in the country. However, he had a very nice, socialbe, easy-going temperament and seemed worth giving a chance. He has some tightness in his hips, so I suspect he will have some arthritis down the line a bit. However, he has a few good years left, so why not give them to him? Maybe the right home will come along for him, or maybe he'll live out his time here. If he does go to a new owner, it will be made very clear what the potential problems are. Any ethical rescue will do their best to evaluate the temperament and health of any animal they take in. If the dog has a sound temperament and manageable health issues, most likely it will be taken in. A dog with poor temperament will not be accepted, regardless of its health. These are the important criteria, not who bred the dog. If you think about it, the major difference between a BYB and a puppymill is one of scale. The usual BYB is, in my opinion, basically a small-time puppymill. And, consider the possibility that a dog from a major producer might actually be better than one from a BYB. There are ethical small scale breeders who pay attention to the health and genetics, do the screening, carefully evaluate potential owners, etc., and those are not the ones I referring to. I'm talking about the ones that just breed what they have handy, don't screen for problems, and don't stand ready to take the dog back at any time. So in my view, the source of the dog is not the important issue, temperament and health is. Most of the time, you simply don't know where the dog came from.

As for buying the puppy at an auction, I can see that there would things that could tip the decision in either direction. Most rescues don't have a lot of money, and one question would have to be whether that was the best use of the available funds. But in this case, perhaps they felt it was better to let some money go to a mill, than have the dog go to someone who would turn around and breed it, thereby producing even more dogs that would wind up in the shelter. By taking it and neutering it, at least one small bit of the problem would be addressed, and the dog would have a much better shot at getting a decent owner. Maybe in this case, the rescue involved decided that it was the equivalent of paying a pull fee from a shelter and proceeded on that basis. I think there are a lot of factors that would have to be considered in a situation like this, and that there's no one-size-fits-all solution. Since we don't know all the ins and outs of this case, I think all we can talk about are general operating principles, but have to keep in mind the possibility of extenuating circumstances. In general should a rescue buy a dog? No, but maybe there were other considerations in this particular instance.

Answer 3

It gets into a kind of grey area knowing that they rescued the dog from an auction. I don't think that's a good idea because it does in a sense give the puppy mill a market for their produce. That said, however, sometimes rescues just can't stand by and watch their breed be condemned to hell on earth, as that puppy probably would have faced, had it been purchsed by another puppy miller. What's done is done, they've rescued it, now it needs a home. The rescues I've worked with in the past have usually been pretty good about doing health checks on their dogs before they're adopted. That said, the pup could still wind up with issues down the road, but some of the biggies, like heart problems, or luxated patellas, or breathing issues should be caught in a screen by a good veterinarian. If the rescue has given the dog a thorough screening, I would think the biggest issues would be that the puppy in question possibly wouldn't have very good breed type, and there may be some issues to overcome in the mental department since it's an older puppy that hasn't had the benefit of spending it's young months in a good caring environment, assuming it spent more than just 8 weeks at the puppy mill before it went to the auction. It may be harder to house break, things like that. I don't know....I'm a sucker for a sad story. If I went in and met the dog and there weren't serious physical issues, and I liked it's personality, I'd probably take it home. We have a basenji here that was sooo badly abused that even after 7 years he still has issues. His original breeder was a very reputable show breeder who would be horrified if I told her what bad fortune had befallen her dog. He is an excellent physical example of the breed, but mentally he's a mess. We took him out of the situation, but had he landed in a rescue, a reputable rescue probably would have euthanized him, the issues he has makes him a poor candidate to offer for adoption (goes beserk and attacks and bites with very little provocation....it's taken us a while to figure out what his "buttons" are...and sometimes he still "goes off").
If a reputable rescue is offering the dog you're considering for adoption, they must feel like it has a chance to go on and have a good quality of life.

Answer 4

Yes I would and I actually have adopted what I suspect to be a puppy mill bred dog from a Jack Russell rescue. He was 10 1/2 months old when I adoped him from Russell Refuge and I was his 5th or so home. Looking at his papers it looks like he was from a puppy mill in Kentucky although I am not sure it was a puppy mill. He was then adopted out 3 or 4 times from a shelter and ended up in Russell Refuge. He has some major problems but we worked through them with the help of an animal behavorist and now he is doing great. I would do it again to save a dog.

Answer 5

If I KNEW the rescue bought it at auction, I would not adopt it. I will not support resuces that buy from auctions.

I am also wary of rescues that go into these puppymills and RESCUE, but leave the mill up and running to breed tomorrow. It does nothing. The rescues are feeding the problem and causing more and more dogs to be bred.

If it is a situation where the puppymill is being closed down and charges are being filed and the dog are all being taken and dispursed to various rescue groups, that might be a different story. There are too many rescues that bail out the puppymills when they have puppies that they cannot sell and older dogs they are done with. Instead of making them take responsibility for what they have produces ( yes, even if that means euthanasia) they know the rescues will come in and take them off their hands!!!!

Answer 6

One of my rescued dogs that I got through my rescue org is a puppy mill dog. He was an owner turn in, but tracked through his chip to a puppy mill. He has zero temperament issues, but he is not very well bred. He has a bad shoulder lay, which isn't a huge deal, but just a clue in the fact that his breeding sucked.
Honestly, temperament is much more important to me than anything. If a dog that I adopt has health issues, so be it. They deserve a good home too. If the health issues are beyond saving and the dog is suffering then I will put the dog down, but otherwise, if the dog is of sound temperament, that dog is entitled to a wonderful life and I will be sure he gets it.
I guess I am just one of those people that takes in the lame ducks. I think that a life is a life whether it was bred well or not and deserves a chance at happiness and if I am the only one willing to take the chance to give them that, then I am happy to do it.
Honestly, he has been the best dog I have ever had and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. He is a wonderful dog and I love him dearly. He has felt the only bit of love he has ever had and I am happy to say that with me he is finally happy. That makes anything that might happen with his health worth it to me. If the day comes that his crappy breeding leads to health issues, I am prepared to deal with it, whether that is to fork out the time and money for treatment or to let him go.

I would NOT support any rescue that purchases dogs from puppymills. That I do not agree with. Once the dogs are turned in or seized, that is a different story.

Answer 7

I do rescue and I have gotten in some puppy mill dogs. All have come to me from Texas and I am two states away from Texas. They were sent to me with other rescues from shelters, owner turn ins, etc. Some have had major problems and were not adopted out. If the mills have been raided and AC has many of these dogs filling up their kennels, they often put them into rescue to open up their kennels again for owner turn in dogs or strays.

In rescue we evaluate and we do what we can with each foster dog. If the dog is just too anti-social, ill, or feral, they most likely will not be placed into an adoptive home.

I have never had anyone hesitate to adopt one from me when told that this is a puppy mill dog.

Remember, this puppy mill dog that I am placing for just a little over the cost of all it's vet care would cost over $1,000 in a pet shop. Isn't that ironic!!!!

Answer 8

I am sure there are puppy mill dogs in shelters across the USA. I would not be surprised to find out that my shelter dogs came from a puppy mill and that would not change it for me. I would hope if the shelter has puppy mill dogs the mills was shut down.

If I knew in advance that would be a tough call. I support shelters 100%. So in that case I'd probably still adopt from either place because I would have picked the right dog for me already. I DO NOT SUPPORT PUPPY MILLS!

That is a very good question and food for thought!
Which ever the case may be they would be spayed/nuetered.
I will take a stray dog and find them a home in a heart beat. They could have come from puppy mills or BYB's, but if I can save it I will!

Answer 9

If Im adopting it I wouldnt care if it was part rabbit Im saving its life even if its not going to live as long. I wouldnt adopt it though if the rescue somehow supported the puppy mill because I dont even shop at petland, if I did theyd have over $1000 to buy more puppies so I do my best to keep my money away from puppy mills at all costs. I heard about a puppy mill raid in my area and if I had the time would have taken a dog as soon as possible. So yes if the puppy mill was not supported in any way but if it were then I wouldnt adopt it.

Answer 10

Obviously there is a huge pet over population issue. If you love animals, then you spade and neuter to try to prevent even more un-homed un-needed animals.

If a dog came from a "puppy mill" then most likely that puppy has a good chance of having health problems. The dog was not bred for quality and the mom has been bred for quantity. Pure breed dogs, even with the most conscientious breeders are prone to health issues. The gene pool is small. This is why you see large pure bred dogs with hip dysplecia and small dogs with patella luxation.

Dog rescues in large part do their best to save these little lives and I applaude that. A dog that was bred out of a puppy mill should get a good home. In a perfect world this would not even be a question. There are tons of muts and pure bred dogs that need homes.