Don’t Buy Puppies from Pet Stores
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Are you thinking of adding a new dog to your household? Whatever you do, don’t buy from a pet store. Despite what they tell you in the store, reputable breeders would never allow their puppies to be sold in pet stores. When you buy one of these puppies you are likely and unknowingly supporting the puppy mill industry, or at least disreputable breeders. Pet stores often charge more than breeders, so you are not going to save money. And you may set yourself up for heartache and large vet bills if your puppy is sick or has genetic disorders because the parents were not screened for such things.
There is a lot of money to be made in the puppy mill industry and it’s all based on large volume. Many pet stores buy from brokers who purchase puppies, often at a very young age, from puppy mills or backyard breeders and truck them across the country or from the United States to supply to pet stores.
In Canada, there is no such thing as a registered breeder. Buying a puppy that is registered with the Canadian Kennel Club or the American Kennel Club only confirms that it is a purebred puppy; it does not mean the puppy is healthy or well-bred or free from genetic disorders or other problems. If you have your heart set on a purebred puppy (or any dog, for that matter) and you can’t find what you want at a humane society or SPCA, please take the time to research breeders. Ask the breed club, your local kennel club or people who own your choice of breed to recommend breeders. Do your homework!
Review the CFHS list of how to recognize a good breeder.
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