How to Educate People to Not Buy Dogs at Pet Stores

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By Melissa Maroff
eHow Contributing Writer

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(13 Ratings)

Educate People to Not Buy Dogs at Pet Stores

According to the Humane Society of the United States, the overwhelming majority of pet stores that sell dogs get them from "puppy mills." Puppy mills are large-scale breeding facilities that neglect the health and welfare of their dogs in order to turn the maximum profit. Pet stores keep puppy mills in business, for the simple fact that they are in need of a constant supply of dogs. Here are ways to educate your friends, neighbors, family and anyone else you know about pet stores—so that puppy mills will hopefully shut down for good.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Step 1

Tell anyone you know who is considering buying a dog from a pet store that about one-third of the dogs at shelters are purebreds and there are also breed-specific rescues for just about every breed of dog that exists. They will be saving a whole lot of money by rescuing a pet, plus they’ll be saving a life. Millions of dogs wind up in shelters each year, and due to overcrowding, at least half are destroyed. Petfinder.com and Adopt a Pet.com have adoptable dogs available at shelters and rescues throughout the United States and Canada. All they need to do is put in their zip code and what type of dog they are looking for, and they should find one.
Step 2

Let prospective pet owners know that puppies from pet stores will more often than not suffer from genetic defects and health problems due to irresponsible breeding at puppy mills and being taken away from their mothers too early. On top of the steep prices that pet stores normally charge for dogs, odds are they will spend a good deal more in vet bills.
Step 3

Tell the prospective owner that puppies from pet stores have a very difficult time being housebroken or crate trained, as they are used to eliminating in their cages.
Step 4

Tell them that although the store may appear to treat their puppies well, the parents of these puppies are likely living in cramped wire cages stacked on top of each other and receive minimal medical care, no love or attention, no socialization, no exercise and no protection from harsh weather. The females are bred over and over until they die or are no longer “useful,” in which case they are either destroyed or dumped off at shelters.
Step 5

Inform them that no responsible dog breeder will ever sell to a pet store. If a pet store tells you they get their dogs from private breeders, it is most likely a lie. If the store is in California, for instance, and they obtain their puppies from the Midwest, it is a definite red flag that their puppies are from mills. If the owner tells you they “handpick” their dogs at “conventions,” they are merely handpicking puppy mill dogs. And those conventions are most likely dog auctions.
Step 6

Inform them that “papers” mean nothing and certainly do not guarantee the health of a dog. Organizations that issue papers, including the AKC, make their money from selling papers, not turning people away—and that includes pet stores—some of their best customers.
Step 7

Inform them that “USDA licensed” in essence means nothing. Puppy mills often pass inspection by the USDA, yet continue to operate under the same deplorable conditions. In other words, it takes a lot for them to shut down a puppy mill.
Step 8

Let them know that puppy mill operators, dog brokers that sell to pet stores and pet store owners are all briefed on how to mislead customers into thinking they are purchasing pets from private breeders. For instance, puppy mill owners are advised to give their operations mom-and-pop sounding names by using words such as “kennels” and “farms.”
Step 9

If the prospective dog owner tells you that the owner or employees at the pet shop are friendly, knowledgeable and seem honest, tell them “of course they seem that way; they want to sell you a dog.” The employees may not even be aware that the dogs are from puppy mills, and sometimes (although rarely), the owners are unaware as well. Sometimes they are misled by brokers and take the “what I don’t know won’t hurt me" approach. If they would ever request to visit the “breeder” (puppy mill) in person, they would most likely be refused, and instead told, “that’s not the way we do business.”
Step 10

Explain to them that if they buy a puppy from a pet store they are not “rescuing” the puppy from the store, just as the pet store is not "rescuing" puppies from puppy mills. Instead rather, they are keeping the puppy mills in business.

Simply tell them that once the demand stops, the supply will stop. If people stop patronizing pet shops, they will be forced to shut down, which in turn will shut down puppy mills.

Comments

bikewithmydog said

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on 6/1/2009 Another GREAT article, Melissa! In Canada (where I live) we are closer to winning the war against these deplorable practices. Here, it is THE LAW that, if a business (of any kind) sells a "purebred" dog, they MUST provide Canadian Kennel Club registration. Which, of course, they cannot do if the poor things come from a puppy mill, BYB or other non-reputable source.

DreamLiving said

on 5/28/2009 Informative article on a topic people need to consider. How sad it is to buy dogs, birds, and other animals at pet shops. 5*

harvard said

on 5/28/2009 This is so true! Buying puppies at pet stores only fans the flame of animal abuse. Boycott them! Thank you for writing this article. Now we have to get the word out! Rescue pets from shelters.

mikespaceman said

on 5/25/2009 THANK YOU for this article! There are so many good pets abandoned at shelters, that you can adopt for much else than buying a 'farm' puppy.