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Write your Representatives about animal welfare laws you support. Don't let the Animals Suffer any longer. If you see a store or breeder the needs to be reported.....Do it! Theses babies depend on you!
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County Animal Control Contact Information
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Want to stop the problem of killing 1 Million dogs a month all over America? Spay or Neuter your pet dog now and tell everyone you know to do the same and leave the breeding to the people who are doing something to better the breed. |
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Up to 10 million healthy animals are killed in U.S. pounds and shelters every year. The killing could easily be prevented by spaying and neutering.
Euthanasia is the single largest cause of death for dogs in the U.S. Each year 27 million of the animals are born. Five to ten million we classify as "surplus" and kill. That's about one million per month. These numbers do not include the millions of dead dogs whose bodies we scrape off the streets, or the hundreds of thousands of abandoned, severely neglected or abused ones who never make it to our shelters to be counted and killed. The five to ten million figure represents those we "must" kill because they are unwanted.
Most of these animals are young and healthy; in fact, it is estimated that a majority are less than one year of age. The problem is simple: we have too many dogs. Too many for the too few homes available. The solution we have opted for is to kill the extras. This solution has been considered acceptable by default, as though there were no other way to control the crisis. And we spend over $1 billion every year destroying "man's best friend."
Puppy Mills...Illegal Catteries...Back Yard Breeders....they all have something in common. They are breeding unhealthy, uncertified, poorly kept animals who want nothing more out of life than to be loved. Many live in cramped cages, with little attention, no socializing, and at times go without food and/or water, not to mention the health care they are not receiving. All back yard breeders, etc., are not necessarily dirty with cramped cages. Some have fairly decent surroundings, some are quite immaculate, but the end result is the same. Corners are cut, puppies are not socialized, the parents are not screened properly, and the bottom line is they are in it for the profit they make from these animals.
Most of these animals are ill-fed, bred each heat, abused and/or neglected, left alone most of the time except for feeding, and never see the inside of a house. Some are, at times, house pets, and for the benefit of the children needing to see how nature works, or the wanting to breed their female to the male down the street so they can have one of Fluffy's pups, they breed. But what about the puppies? Are they going to be healthy? Have either of the parents been screened for genetic disease or other problems? The offspring are then found to be a nuisance, sold to those who will not have a clue as to their condition other than they are cute...and they wriggle...and they are just so fun when they are puppies. Or they are piled in a box and offered at the local supermarket doorway. Or they wind up at the local shelter because they don't want to be bothered with the training.
These puppies grow up. Many will have health problems. Many will get sick and die. Some will be shy and/or aggressive, either untrained or overtrained, and the hereditary diseases they can carry as baggage, are to drain your pockets with vet visits. Puppies and kitties do not have to be in this shape or be of these unknown temperaments. Nor do they have to have these terrible diseases they come with. When you buy a puppy or kitten from a pet store you are essentially buying a "pig in a poke". You have no idea what you are getting until the vet bills begin to roll in.
Buy your puppy or kitten from a "responsible and reputable breeder", or go to the pound or shelter. Do NOT buy from pet stores and online web sites that have no guarantees for you, and sell their puppies and kittens to the first person with the cash. You wouldn't buy a vehicle unseen, so why a living, breathing animal that should bring you ten to fifteen years of wonderful companionship? Reputable breeders screen their buyers, and vice versa. Is your breeder asking you the right questions? Are you asking the right questions? It makes all the difference in what you get. A reputable breeder will take the pup back any time during their lifetime. Not just if they have a problem.
Pet Stores
When you walk into a pet store to shop for a puppy I urge you to think about where those puppies come from and what their parents and siblings are still going through. Their parents have spent their lives living in tiny cages never getting out to play or be loved. They have spent their lives breeding and breeding more so you can buy a cute little puppy. These puppies made it out, their parents will never be free. If you buy a puppy from a pet store you are aiding the people who breed these puppies. You are telling them that it is okay what they are doing because you are their to buy their puppies. WALK AWAY! Don't be a party to this horrible indecency! See puppymills and brokers
If you are a recent pet shop customer, does this sound familiar?
"We don't buy from puppy mills"
Well, believe it or not, this is usually true. Pet shops do not normally buy from puppy mills. Pet shops buy from brokers, who buy from puppy mills.
"Our puppies come from private breeders in the Midwest "
Ask yourself (or better yet...ask the pet shop), what the heck a private breeder is. I guess a puppy mill is private when they have No Trespassing signs posted all over the place and they don't let anyone enter the barn where the dogs are raised.
"We only buy from local breeders "
Again, this is usually true. Many pet shops will buy from local breeders, but most of their puppies come from Midwest brokers.
"We have personally visited every breeder we buy from"
Some pet stores are sending people out to inspect the brokers. The brokers usually take them on a guided tour of facilities they buy from. Of course only the nice facilities are seen. I think the pet stores are as much in the dark as the consumer is. Many pet stores take for granted that the broker has showed them what most of the kennels that supply puppies look like. This is NOT the case!
"Our puppies come with a 2 year genetic defect guarantee "
This is usually true. But the petshops rely on the fact that no person in their right mind will just hand over a dog they have owned for two years and trade it in for a new one. What do you think would happen to a dog that is crippled with hip displaysia after it is given back to the pet shop? No guarantee in the world will alleviate a dog's suffering and no disease in the world will make you stop loving your dog. If you give it back they will kill it.
If you have bought a sick puppy from a pet shop, please know you have rights!
First, you need to know the laws of the state in which you bought your puppy. Here are a few links that may help you.
This is one of the best sites I have found concerning Puppy Lemon Laws.
Your State laws may be a little hard to follow, but you are bound to find some things that will help you.
In some states, the Attorney General's Office will act if enough complaints are lodged against a business.
What is Puppymill? |
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The "Puppy Mill" often evokes horrific mental images of waste filled cages, dogs stacked like boxes at a warehouse, disease, and even death. But not all Puppy Mills are what we see in the media: some appear quite clean and even lovely. But puppy mills all have the same thing in common: the desire for PROFIT.
Profit is made in many ways.
1) Lessening of expenses: low quality food, poor health care, no health screenings for hereditary problems, lack of medical care except what may be mandated by state law, not showing their dogs to prove that they are bettering the breed.
2) Increased production. The more product you create for sale and at the least cost. So, if you can produce more goods for sale at a lower cost, you have more profit. Millers breed as many dogs as possible. A female may be bred as soon as she comes into season and then every season after that until her litter size drops and she is no longer profitable (then she may go to auction or be destroyed) or bred until she dies. Death may occur die to old age, infection, cancer, illness, etc.
Just because a puppy mill does not look like what you see on the news, does not mean it is a good place. With the Internet, more and more millers are selling directly to the public as well as to brokers! When you search for a breeder, how do you know if you are getting a good one or not?
How can you tell a miller?
Look for a few things:
1) Multiple breeds being bred and sold. Good breeders stick to one or two breeds.
2) Cutsie prefixes such as "Teacup."
3) They take credit card.
4) The website looks good but upon closer inspection is lacking vital information such as: titled dogs, health screenings, etc.
5) Puppies (referring to those in the USA) are registered with registries other than the American Kennel Club, United Kennel Club, American Rare Breed Association, or the Fédération Cynologique Internationally. Now note, millers can get around the rules and due to fair trade laws, the AKC and UKC cannot deny registering a puppy. But if you see registrations like Continental Kennel Club, Universal Kennel Club, America's Pet Registry, Universal Kennel Club, Inc., etc., be suspicious. American Kennel Club and United Kennel Club registered does to equal great, but these registries are taking steps to make it less profitable for millers to register puppies. Therefore, many registries catering to miller and unethical breeders are cropping up. be an educated buyer!
6) They breed more than a few litters a year, breed females every heat cycle, start breeding before the age of 18 - 24 months, etc.
7) Create "rare breeds" by crossing dogs and giving the offspring a funky name like "Dalimer" or "Labadoodle".
OK, upon first inspection, you do not see anything that raises concerns on the website or when you call (thanks to the internet, millers are not only selling to brokers but also directly to the public). Now what?
Time to start asking questions. This is taken from West Wind Dog Training...
"Sadly, not all people professing to be reputable and responsible breeders are. A good breeder will all but interrogate you. You should also have the chance to question the breeder. If you are not sure or uneasy with an answer, do not hesitate to ask for an explanation. If at any time you get an uneasy feeling or just are not satisfied, look elsewhere. A few things to ask about are:
1. What is the asking price of the puppies? Some breeders will ask the same for pet quality and show potential puppies. Compare prices with other breeders of the same breed and if the price is considerably higher or lower do not hesitate to ask why. Do not hesitate to ask why if there is a big difference in pet and show pups. Unless there is a visible disqualification or the puppy visibly will not be showing potential, the younger the pup the harder it is to determine show quality. A person who really knows the breed can have a good idea what pups have show POTENTIAL and what may not. Much happens while the puppy grows and that eight week show prospect may not be show potential at 9 months! And avoid ANY breeder who charges different for males or females or who charges extra if you want a pedigree or registration. It is not that expensive to register a litter so the potential owners can individually register puppies. (Many kennel clubs like the AKC require all litters to be registered by the breeder. Then papers are sent out that are given to buyers of puppies so the owner can register them in their name).
2. What health tests have been done on BOTH parents of the litter? Any breed should have hips (OFA or PennHip) eyes (CERF) and ideally thyroid. Then is up to you as potential buyer to know what other tests the breed you are looking at should have. The breeder should be able to show documentation of all tests. Do not blindly accept their word – some dishonest breeders will lie and say all tests have been done. And if the breeder says there is nothing in the line so testing is not important, avoid this person as well. Some health problems are polygenetic (more than one set of genes involved – not a simple dominant/recessive). Some health problems take years to show fully or may be there but not showing outwardly. For example, some dysplastic dogs never show signs of having it and it is only diagnosed upon testing.
3. What temperament testing and socialization has been done? Granted, young puppies should not leave the property due to a growing immune system; however, the breeder should expose the puppies to as many things as possible like vacuum cleaners, children, house sounds, etc. The older the puppy, the more experiences it should have. Has the breeder temperament tested and what method was used? A good breeder will help match the right personality to you. If you are a quiet family and the breeder pushes a dominant pup on you, leave. On the other hand, if you like the look of one puppy and the breeder, after interviewing you, decides it is not the right match, respect that.
4. What goals does the breeder have with the breeding program and how does the breeder go about to achieve this? If the breeder breeds just to produce more dogs, for pets only or anything that does not go towards the bettering of the breeder's lines and the breed as a whole, go elsewhere. And if the breeder breeds for working ability first, you could end up with a handful! Look for one who breeds for companionship as well as type and working ability – unless you are looking exclusively for a working dog.
5. What does the breeder feel are the strengths and weaknesses in the breed and the breeder's program? The breeder should be open with you about the program and where they hope to go with it. Avoid the breeder who insists there are no better dogs around then his.
6. Can you see the pedigrees of both sire and dam? Can you see at least the dam? The sire may not be on site but the dam should be. If not, you could be dealing with a broker (one who sells dogs not bred by that person).
7. What type of contract does the breeder have for pet or show puppies (it should include a spay/neuter agreement and health guarantee)? Do not get pressured into becoming contracted to show or breed your dog – even if you do plan to show and possibly get into breeding someday. Everything should be spelled out in the contract. And be wary of a breeder sells you a young puppy that is "definitely show quality." So much happens during growth and development – the younger the puppy; the harder it is to tell show quality. A breeder who really knows the breed can tell if a young pup has POTENTIAL but should not be guaranteeing the dog will be a show dog. Another red flag is the breeder who has no written contract at all. All puppies whether pet or show potential should be sold with a written contract.
8. What does the breeder feed the puppies? You want to try and keep the puppies on the same brand of food. If the breeder uses something you do not, gradually wean the puppy to your preferred brand. If the puppies have no boosters prior to leaving the dam, look elsewhere.
9. What inoculations have been given? Eight-week-old puppies should have had their first set of inoculations and you should be given documentation of this. If not, go elsewhere.
10. Can you get references of previous puppy buyers? If the breeder will not give them, go elsewhere.
11. Can you have your own vet examine the puppy before you fully commit? You may be asked to put down a deposit but you should have the option of having your vet examine the puppy with in a couple days after purchase (always a good idea to have this done and the breeder may require it).
12. Are you active in any breed clubs (all breed or ideally breed specialty)? Many clubs have a breeder code of ethics that they want their members to adhere to. Just being AKC registered is not a Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. It just means the puppy was from registered parents and the breeder has taken the steps to begin the registration process for the puppies. Even pet stores can sell AKC registered pups if the miller registers the dogs. The AKC cannot police everyone professing to be a good breeder so again, being an educated consumer is very important."
And of course, ANY puppy from a pet store comes originally from a mill or at least an unethical breeder. NO ethical breeder will EVER sell puppies through a pet store, auction, or place puppies they cannot find homes for in a shelter or rescue.
Reprinted with permission from http://mywebpages.comcast.net/NoPuppyMillsVA/index.html
This is not the image that comes to mind when you hear "AKC registered Weimaraner". This is a photo of one who was rescued from a puppy mill in Texas. Who could do this to such a beautiful and loving animal? Who allows it to happen? If you study all of the material available on this website and the ones listed below you will have answers to both of those questions and you will be outraged.
Your neighbor is a backyard breeder. Backyard breeders are generally not a licensed breeder and have no idea about the lineiage or the medical health history of the dogs they are breeding. Backyard breeders are usually someone who has a pure breed dog and they want to make money. Just as a puppymiller, a backyard breeder is pimp. Prostituting their dog to the highest bidder.