my friend wants a PETSTORE puppy!

i went to Petland with my friend the other day. she just got a rat terrier from a really nice breeder. when we were in the petstore her mom saw a sheltie she wanted and asked to see it. the employee kept talking about how my friend should always have atleast two puppies because puppies get bored and lonely, and can get sick if they are too lonely.

when the employee was feeding my friend's mother this CRAP i was getting madder and madder! i almost blew up in her face. i wanted to yell at her and ask her why on earth she was saying this! I wanted so bad to take that employee to a puppy mill!

after we left i informed my friend about puppy mills. she was shocked. i sent her an e-mail with pics. this is what i sent...


Megan,
i said i'd send you pics of puppymils. this is where ALL petstore puppies come from. so when you buy a petstore puppy, remember it's parents are still in the puppymill!

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/kgaeding...picsmills.html

http://www.puppymillrescue.com/Dogpictures/2156584.jpg

http://www.puppymillrescue.com/Dogpi...re_cages_1.jpg

http://www.puppymillrescue.com/CindyH/hellhole7.jpg

http://www.puppymillrescue.com/CindyH/hellhole4.jpg

http://www.puppymillrescue.com/PMdogs/MainKennelugh.jpg

http://www.puppymillrescue.com/testing/23821.gif

here are two shelties(like the one you wanted to buy at petland)- http://www.puppymillrescue.com/Novem...es/Kennel7.jpg

http://www.puppymillrescue.com/Novem...es/Kennel5.jpg

i know it's sad,and there are plenty more pics i could get for you. if i was rude about you even thinking of buying that sheltie,i'm sorry. but this is why. i hope you understand.
wuv ya,Lexie


what do ya think?

bump

I think that will help.

Also mention that having 2 puppies at the same time is very very very hard to do. training 2 pups at the same time is outragously ridiculous (not saying that noone should have 2 pups at the same time but it is only for the advanced dog owner)

Also tell her that most of the time you can get a healthy, well bred dog from a breeder for about the same price, some breeders are even cheaper than some pet stores.

Have her speek w/ trainers, vets & pet owners that have had multiple pets before she considers getting a puppy mill pup & 2 pups at the same time

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Originally posted by lute
. this is where ALL petstore puppies come from. so when you buy a petstore puppy, remember it's parents are still in the puppymill!

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thats not always true!!! :mad: my girl is from a petstore, after we bought her we eventually met and visited her breeder. who is in fact a showdog breeder!!! not a backyard breeder!!! :mad: she said that she had trouble selling jess so her friend, who owned the store, offered to help. :D i am glad she did.

Thank you for trying to educate your friend. Hopefully she learns something.
You may also want to give her this link which describes the downsides of trying to raise two puppies at once.
Double Trouble

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Originally posted by lute
the employee kept talking about how my friend should always have atleast two puppies because puppies get bored and lonely, and can get sick if they are too lonely.

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Geez, what an ignorant person. I find it disturbing that they are working in a pet store and giving such bogus advice. That person couldn't be any further from the truth!

When adopting a puppy, the humans who adopt the pup are responisble for training and keeping him/her entertained, exercised, and happy. You don't buy another puppy and throw them in the backyard (or wherever) to keep each other company!!

At the shelter every day, I am constantly trying to dispel the myth that 2 puppies are easier than one. It could go in many different directions. Yes, it could work out, I'm not denying that at all. But there are chances of the pups overbonding and ignoring the humans. Also, on the other end of the spectrum, there could be LOTS of sibling rivalry due to the similarities in size, age, and possibly sex. If a person is truly committed to their dogs, they could bring up 2 puppies together, BUT the way this employee is saying it is all wrong. Pet store employees should be educating people on how to train their dogs and build bonds before adding other puppies. This just sickens me.

I know I'm preaching to the choir, but I had to get that off my chest.

I don't get it. It seems like you would WANT to take the puppy if you knew that it came from a puppy mill! I mean, poor thing. Are you mad at the fact that it MIGHT have came from a puppy mill, or that your friend wants two puppies? I don't think ALL petstore puppies are from puppy mills.. accually I know for a fact that a majority of them are NOT from puppy mills. Very sad pics thought. That should just MAKE HER WANT TO GET IT MORE. If that poor thing accually was in a puppy mill ( which I doubt), then I would definately want to get it. Give it the good life it never had. It is just like SAVING one.. so you are saying that you shouldn't SAVE puppy mill puppies and dogs? If so, I TOTALLY disagree with you all. TOTALLY. If I didn't have any dogs ( or not as many) then I would most certainly rescue a PUPPY MILL PUPPY OR DOG.:mad:

I am sure all of us feel bad for puppy mill dogs and wish we could save them all. The thought behind not adopting puppy mill dogs is you are not supporting the puppy millers who are producing dogs at alarming rates. If people stop taking the dogs, the puppy mills will stop making money and be forced to stop breeding.

Well said Aly!


And yes most pet store animals are from either mills or BYB. Even stores that say they get their dogs from breeders, they are 99.9% of the time talking about back yard breeders.

I don't care what you say but any reputable breeder that I have ever met (personally or on the net or by phone or letter, talked to or heard of would never ever put one of their loved pups in a pet store.
even back yard breeders can get lucky & end up having a show dog some out of the litter.
Reputable responsible breeders ussually don't even breed unless they already have homes lined up for the pups, and secondly expect to keep the ones that the owners back out of, or return.

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thats not always true!!! my girl is from a petstore, after we bought her we eventually met and visited her breeder. who is in fact a showdog breeder!!! not a backyard breeder!!!

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i guess i should have been specific. i've read proof that all puppies that go to the "PETLAND" petstores are puppymill pups. sorry if i upset you.

the reason i'm against her having two puppies is because she got two rat terrier pups from the same litter and she said it took too much time to train them. so she sold them and one of them died within a week because it was killed by it's new owner.she has even considerd getting rid of this new pup too. i offered to let her borrow some books magazines, and videos on how to raise and train a puppy. and she said she doesn't want to use them.you have to remember that all this has happend within the past 2 months!!

she had a fish for a while and got bored with it and just flushed it cause she didnt want it anymore.:mad:

That is indeed a sad situation. It would be hard not to feel very emotional watching all that happen. I wish the best for all the poor dogs involved :(

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Originally posted by aly
I am sure all of us feel bad for puppy mill dogs and wish we could save them all. The thought behind not adopting puppy mill dogs is you are not supporting the puppy millers who are producing dogs at alarming rates. If people stop taking the dogs, the puppy mills will stop making money and be forced to stop breeding.

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Oh! Now I get it! Please forgive me everyone.. I am still very young and learning!

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Originally posted by petlover
Oh! Now I get it! Please forgive me everyone.. I am still very young and learning!

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Its quite okay. I totally understand why you said what you did. It is hard to see dogs in such horrid conditions and not want to grab them all and get them out of there :(

The links you provided will certainly give her some food for thought. I know when I am in the mall I am compelled to look at the puppies there and I leave with such a heavy feeling knowing that their parents are all back at the puppy mills living absolute horrible lives in the most awful conditions.

Aly, I have a question for you. I have always wondered about this and haven't posted it before because maybe I don't even want to really know. Do you, or does anyone else here, know what happens to the puppies that the pet stores can't sell? Do they wind up in shelters or :( do they end up being euthanized. I guess one would need to actually know a pet store employee to know the answer to that question. :( Given those choices, I certainly hope they at least wind up at a shelter. :(

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Originally posted by lute
i guess i should have been specific. i've read proof that all puppies that go to the "PETLAND" petstores are puppymill pups. sorry if i upset you.

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This isn't always true either. Cami came from petland and we met her breeder, she is no backyard breeder at all. She also shows her dogs and everything.

Although, if i had to do it again, would i buy from the same pet store? No. It just so happen that cami's breeder was a responsible breeder, but what about the others? So if i could do it over, i wouldn't, but if i had a choice to adopt or buy... Adopt. Definitly..

I don't want you guys to think that i support puppy-mill's because i don't at all, but i didn't know at the time when we did buy cami..

:( Those pictures.. :(

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Originally posted by Pam

Aly, I have a question for you. I have always wondered about this and haven't posted it before because maybe I don't even want to really know. Do you, or does anyone else here, know what happens to the puppies that the pet stores can't sell? Do they wind up in shelters or :( do they end up being euthanized. I guess one would need to actually know a pet store employee to know the answer to that question. :( Given those choices, I certainly hope they at least wind up at a shelter. :(

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It depends on the pet store. I have heard a few horror stories, but I think most pet stores generally send them to shelters. We don't have many pet stores in town that sell puppies anymore, but 2 years ago we did get a pet store puppy in the shelter. It was the CUTEST little Poodle puppy. Of course I REALLY wanted him BAD! But he ended up in a great home!

I thought Cami was a mixed breed? :confused:

No offense intended at all but it is VERY hard for me to consider a breeder of mixed breeds a responsible breeder, even if it is accidental, I'd expect a good breeder to be very alert against accidental breedings.

I think part of the problem here comes with people's view of what an irresponsible or backyard breeder is. I think some people who are not necessarily responsible breeders may still really love dogs and be very kind-hearted people. I think "BYB" here tends to come with a stigma of a cruel and heartless person, but I do not think that is always so at all. They may treat their dogs very well and love them dearly, but someone who breeds for profit, i.e. selling to pet stores, is not someone I believe is breeding for the betterment of a breed.

My best friend when I was growing up, her parents allowed their shelties to breed and have a litter of puppies. They were kind-hearted people and kept their dogs inside and well cared for, but it was still not an educated and particularly ethical thing to do IMO. They got both the shelties from a breeder who encouraged them to do this, yet the mother and father were half brother and sister... so this "breeder" was advocating in-breeding!

Some people grow up being taught by their parents or by those around them a different view than what many of us have here. There are plenty of cold-hearted, cruel, and neglectful breeders out there, but there are also plenty of kind, animal-loving types that contribute to the problems out there without realizing or turning a blind eye to it because they don't see themselves as a backyard breeder.

I think it is important that even though some of us may know and like these people, we recognize it is not necessarily an informed and responsible way of doing things, and let us not in turn become blind to it so that we won't repeat their mistaken ideas.

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: Tell them about puppy mills!

I really hope your friend rethinks this. If I were her, that email would change my mind in an instant.

Once, I asked a local pet store about where they bought their puppies. The man told me that they did not support irresponsible breeding and only bought from responsible breeders. I guess we could argue all day whether responsible breeders would sell to pet stores. Everyone has a different idea of what a responsible breeder is. In my opinion, a good, responsible breeder would NEVER sell to a pet store. One of the things I look for when I look for a breeder is a contract stating that they would take the pup back no questions asked if the owner ever feels the need to rehome the dog. Also, I make sure the breeder asks the potential owner questions as well so I know that the breeder wants the pup to go into a good home. When a good, responsible breeder sells to a pet store, there's no way in saying whether or not someone gets the pup. So in my book, anyone who sells to a pet store is not a responsible breeder.

A puppy is a puppy, and a puppy needs a home.

Originally posted by aly :
"If people stop taking the dogs, the puppy mills will stop making money and be forced to stop breeding.">>>>>>>>>>>>


Well said Aly.
Notice for now, I am keeping my mouth zippered. :D

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Originally posted by petlover
Oh! Now I get it! Please forgive me everyone.. I am still very young and learning!

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Education never hurts! For each and every puppy someone falls in love with in a petstore, it only continues the nightmarish existance for the parents animals. Sadly too few people actually get the big picture as much of this breeding is done secretly, and the puppy millers sell off the pups to "brokers" who in turn sell them to the petstores. Many of these pups have serious health problems, are riddled with parasites etc. A local (so called up-scale) new place opened around my area, and already "Woof Inc" has had to have employees tested and treated for giardia, and sales stopped for a while. Giardea is an intestinal parasite. Too bad they didn't shut down completely. :mad: :mad: :mad:

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Originally posted by ticosmyham
A puppy is a puppy, and a puppy needs a home.

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very true but why put money in their pocket by exploiting the dogs. It is this mentality that the reason we have upwards of 4 million dogs and cats put to sleep in a year.

And I echo what Jessica says about responsible breeder's. Even if Cami's breeder is/was responsible then why did she allow a mix breed? I mean it is great that Cami is with us and you, but that doesn't seem very responsible to me.

For those arguing that it is possible to get a puppy from a responsible breeder at a pet store.....this is what I think...if you don't agree, I don't care :D

A responsible breeder would NEVER allow their pup to go to a pet store. They would personally meet the prospective owners and care where the dog ended up.

A responsible breeder would never intentionally breed mix breed dogs

We bought Katie at a petstore, but she wasn't from a BYB.

She was brought in by other people who had a accident litter of puppys.


Even though I was only 6 at the time, I actually don't regret it. Katie is a great dog, but I wouldn't never buy from a pet store again.


I hope your friend changes her mind.

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I don't care what you say but any reputable breeder that I have ever met (personally or on the net or by phone or letter, talked to or heard of would never ever put one of their loved pups in a pet store.
even back yard breeders can get lucky & end up having a show dog some out of the litter.
Reputable responsible breeders ussually don't even breed unless they already have homes lined up for the pups, and secondly expect to keep the ones that the owners back out of, or return.

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Ditto, Also isnt it illegal to sell registered dogs to pet stores, i know it is here and the breeders would be shut down promptly.

If they Cross breed they are not responsible. JMO.

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Also isnt it illegal to sell registered dogs to pet stores, i know it is here and the breeders would be shut down promptly.

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i wish it were here,but its not. i'm sure if it was then there would be a cut on some of the mills and BYB.

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Originally posted by wolf_Q
For those arguing that it is possible to get a puppy from a responsible breeder at a pet store.....this is what I think...if you don't agree, I don't care :D

A responsible breeder would NEVER allow their pup to go to a pet store. They would personally meet the prospective owners and care where the dog ended up.

A responsible breeder would never intentionally breed mix breed dogs

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oh my gosh I was going to type the same exact thing!!!
Well said, I too agree w/ that statement 100% & I too do not care what others say about it, that is how I feel.

I hope you have discouraged your friend from buying a puppy from Petland.

I bought my Katie from Petland. I do not regret it for one minute because I don't know what I would have done without my Katie girl. However Katie was pretty sick after we brought her home and it took awhile to get her all better. She had a major bad case of coccidia which is known to happen with a bunch of pups together like that. I think so anyway. One idiot vet , which petland recommended and the first visit was free even diagnosed her with that but didn't treat it aggressively enough and even kept her for 3 days and his findings were just that she was a picky eater and said she was fine. Of course when we brought her back home it was nothing but diarrhea everywhere. Of course we immediately found a new vet! He took care of the problem immediately. I'm rattling on here...sorry...my point is I would never do it again. I found out that Katie was shipped here from Missouri and more than likely from the Hunt Corp. (I think that is the name). From what I hear that is not a good place! What really bothers me about petland and Alden is the one who pointed it out to me....Is that they will sell any dog to anyone without asking about their lifestyle or if they have any knowledge about that breed of dog. They did not ask us one question about if we knew anything about Akitas..not one! Alden has always loved the breed and had done some research on them so we did know what we were getting into. They did not know what kind of home Katie was going to or if we could handle this breed and didn't give us any info about the breed except for maybe what size she would be. I find this just as appalling as where they get the pups from. I just thank God that Alden knew a little bit about them and that I found a good friend here to help me out and still does (you know who you are, Karen..aka...KYS ;) ...big hugs for Rocky and Sheba). Whatever your friend does just convince her to do plenty of research before she makes up her mind.

Robin :)

Many purebred dogs are surrendered to animal shelters all over the country, and often shelters will allow you to have your name put on a list should a desired breed come in. The pluses of adopting a shelter dog is they are altered, heartworm checked, likely housebroken, and you know the dogs disposition toward kids and other pets. Vets often have "purebred rescue" lists as well. Petfinder.com is a great place to find any type of dog you want, and you're saving a life as well. MILLIONS are euthanised every year across the country, and by adopting a shelter pet, you could be saving a life! ;) ;) ;)

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Originally posted by lute
sorry if i upset you.
she had a fish for a while and got bored with it and just flushed it cause she didnt want it anymore.:mad:

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its ok, im not upset anymore.

poor fish, i hate the 'flushing' situations!

"Dateline N.B.C" did a story on so called "AKC registered" puppies, and once again the almighty dollar $$$ talks. :mad: You can actually for a fee register your stuffed toy. No one does health checks (or any) from the AKC. They take your money, and send you a certificate. So just because you have papers, it means little or nothing. :eek:

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Originally posted by RobiLee
What really bothers me about petland and Alden is the one who pointed it out to me....Is that they will sell any dog to anyone without asking about their lifestyle or if they have any knowledge about that breed of dog. They did not ask us one question about if we knew anything about Akitas..not one! Alden has always loved the breed and had done some research on them so we did know what we were getting into. They did not know what kind of home Katie was going to or if we could handle this breed and didn't give us any info about the breed except for maybe what size she would be. I find this just as appalling as where they get the pups from. I just thank God that Alden knew a little bit about them and that I found a good friend here to help me out and still does (you know who you are, Karen..aka...KYS ;) ...big hugs for Rocky and Sheba). Whatever your friend does just convince her to do plenty of research before she makes up her mind.

Robin :)

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This is probably where most of the shelter dogs come from. People get these dogs and think there to hard to train so they throw them outside and never get them spayed or anything.




I hope your friend gives this extremely good thought befor she just goes out and buys a puppy.
:(

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Originally posted by RobiLee
From what I hear that is not a good place! What really bothers me about petland and Alden is the one who pointed it out to me....Is that they will sell any dog to anyone without asking about their lifestyle or if they have any knowledge about that breed of dog. They did not ask us one question about if we knew anything about Akitas..not one!

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I'm not condoning Petland at all, or the selling of puppy mill puppies. I will say this, though, that Petlands are individually owned and managed. Meaning that you can't judge one by another (excepting where they obtain most of their puppies). I worked at Petland in Lewisville, Texas for a month, and, I didn't know at the time about puppy mills. But, I will say that, at least at the time, all the furry animals there were ALL well taken care of. All of the cages were cleaned out every morning and spot cleaned throughout the day. the animals all had fresh water available 24/7 and usually there was a mat or towel in the cages with the dogs, along with a breed appropriate chew toy. I was specifically told to ask tons of questions when people showed interest in a puppy. I can't even tell you how many potential owners were turned away because the employee deemed them inappropriate for the particular breed they were showing interest in. The puppies were kept in cages, but, no different than keeping a dog in a crate (which I do at night and when I'm gone to work). Every dog had a checklist for when they were played with by a customer. And, employees were instructed, based on the breed, to turn away requests to play with a puppy if it had been taken out a lot already, and, if there was a puppy that hadn't been played with enough, they would take it out themselves for a romp around the store or in the back or whatever. The cages were spotless, the puppies ears were cleaned daily, baths were given when necessary, etc. I have to say that the puppies at the store I worked at were probably given more attention than a lot of puppies in homes that have two working adults and children that go to school. I'm not at all saying that it's a better place for them to be, but, I'm also not saying it's the worst. Again, I'm covering my butt here in saying that I'm completely against puppy mills. I also will agree that I've been in some Petlands that were absolutely rancid. But, I just wanted to put it out there that they're not all stupid people. Some of them really feel like they're doing the right thing, and, I know a lot of the employees I worked with have no idea where the puppies come from and just do their best to keep them clean and healthy once they're at the store and will do their best to make sure the puppy gets the right home. But, even the really young people always asked lots of questions and rarely left people unsupervised with the puppies. I will also say that ALL of the people I worked with for the month I was there LOVE animals and treated all of the puppies like their own kids, and, that most of the people are still working at the same store. I loved working there, to be honest with you. I'd never do it again, after finding out what a puppy mill is, but, I wanted to share that. :)