Adopting from shelters, volunteering for shelters and rescue groups. Teaching people where Pet Store puppies come from. Volunteering at the local shelter and spay/neuter clinic. Educating about spay/neuter.
T-shirts & Bumper stickers now available through our Cafe Press Store. Visit our blog for more info... :)
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If you have Puppy Mill pictures you would be willing to let us use on our slide show, please send us a message!
Pet Store Puppies DO Come From Puppy Mills
There is NO doubt about it. Puppies are CUTE! People are suckers for puppies. When someone sees the adorable puppies in the cages at the petstore it IS hard to resist. We're here to tell you why you should resist.
Many people are actually concerned about where the pups come from and will ask the store clerks if the puppies come from Puppy Mills. The TRAINED salesperson will say something to the effect, "no, our puppies come from private breeders", or "no, our puppies come from local breeders", or "no, our puppies come from USDA inspected kennels". Most people are satisfied with either of those answers.
Well we aren't!
Many pet shops get their puppies from a middleman...a puppy broker. The puppy broker buys the puppy from the puppy miller and the broker then sells to pet stores. A well known puppy broker is the Hunte Corporation. Maybe pet stores feel that since they didn't buy the puppy DIRECTLY from the breeder than they can "honestly" say they do not get their puppies from puppy mills.
Also, there is no official definition of puppy mills so they can also avoid answering the question honestly since technically the pups come from Commercial Kennels.
PRIVATE BREEDERS? First of all what defines a private breeder? Nothing. If there are private breeders, who are the public breeders? There's NO such thing! So when that sales kid tells you that the pup is from a private breeder he could be talking about ANY breeder in the country.
LOCAL BREEDERS When a salesperson says they get their pups from local breeders it could either be what they were trained to say or it could mean they actually do get their puppies from local commercial kennels. "Local" doesn't mean that they aren't from a puppy mill. Our local pet store has "local" puppies too...straight from the local puppymill!
USDA Licensed & Inspected Kennels This also doesn't mean that the pups come from a good place. I have seen dogs from USDA Licensed & Inspected Kennels with rotting mouths, open wounds, skin diseases, and many other health problems. Rabbit cages and hutches are acceptable houses for dogs (according to the USDA!). If the puppy millers do not want to exercise the dogs (meaning the dogs live in a cage 24/7 for their WHOLE lives) all they have to do is double the size of their cage.
Dogs are wonderful, faithful companions. Can you imagine your dog living in a cage where she stands on wire her WHOLE life? Can you imagine her never getting out of the cage to roll around in the grass or play in the snow? Maybe your dog is afraid of thunderstorms. Imagine how she'd feel living in a rabbit hutch with no other protection from the elements. No where to escape from the cracking thunder, pounding rain, and fierce winds.
Could you imagine your dog living 10-16 years (or more) in a cage, never knowing a gentle touch, pumping out litter after litter, not being able to get away from the puppies when she needs a break? Could you imagine her in so much pain from an abcess in her mouth but not being able to get medical care or relief for the pain. Her teeth are rotting away, her bottom jaw doesn't exist because the bone has rotted away, can you imagine how badly it hurts her to eat?
Could you imagine doing any of that to your dog? NO! Of course not! And why is that? Because it is cruel - that's why!
USDA Licensed & Inspected kennels get away with that and a lot more and thousands of dogs are suffering. Even if the dogs are cared for medically, their psychological needs are not being met.
Many kennels aren't even licensed with the USDA, so they don't have ANY standards to meet. As long as they sell to the puppy buyers themselves, they do not need a license. They advertise in newspapers, online, sell at flea markets, parking lots, etc.
Want a Healthy Pup?
If you don't care how the puppy's parents are kept (how could you not?) at least think about the potential health issues your puppy could have. The parents in commercial kennels have not been through appropriate health tests or screenings and you could end up with a puppy who seems healthy but with congenital defects that show up later in life - many of which are extremely costly to you, the puppy buyer. Other people end up with puppies who are sick right off the bat and have to spend hundreds, sometimes even thousands of dollars to make their new puppy well. Sadly, some puppies don't even make it and it is utterly heartbreaking for their families.
So please, don't shop at pet stores! Adopt from your local shelter, www.petfinder.com, or find a reputable breeder. If you need more help or advice about finding a reputable breeder, send us a message or visit www.nopuppymills.com.
Look at the Big Picture
Yes, the puppies are cute and you may think you are saving just that one. But as soon as you leave that store, they will be ordering a new puppy to fill that cage....which means you just contributed to and supported this nasty business. As long as the demand is there, there will be the supply. The only way we can help stop this horrid industry is to not buy their puppies and educate others to do the same.
Already Bought a Pet Store Pup?
If you have already purchased a pet store puppy and would like to know more about its origins visit www.petshoppuppies.com for a free puppy report.
Remember Puppy Millers also sell their puppies online and in newspaper ads. Stay away from breeders that breed more than one or two breeds. A reputable breeder would not sell to just anyone online. Some reputable breeders will have websites, but they will want to know a lot about you and the home you will provide for their puppy before even thinking about accepting a deposit. A online pet store that will sell and ship you a puppy, no questions asked is not someone who cares about their pups!
This video was taken at an Amish Puppy Mill in Indiana.
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A tribute to the mother and fathers of pet shop puppies. Almost all pictures (about 98% if I had to guess) are from USDA licensed facilities, and about 90% of those are from facilities that were in 100% compliance of USDA regulations at the time the videos were shot. In other words...this is what it means to be UDSA licensed.
More PuppyMill Links
You will have to cut & paste these since Myspace won't allow links to outside websites.
Who I'd like to meet: People who need to learn about Puppy Mills so they will understand why they should NOT support this greedy industry & other people that want to help spread the word!
view & vote on the video (it doesn't matter where you live :)
Please let your friends know via email and consider posting the youtube link on online social sites too. your 5 star rating can get the question answered!
