Buyer Beware When you Get a Puppy!

Pet store temptation - we have all suffered from it when viewing the cute and curious menagerie of animals on sale. Do you ever give some thought to where these animals come from?

Pet store puppies are rarely bred by reputable breeders, they are sourced from puppy mills. Most people won't have heard of a puppy mill. Soon, you will probably wish you hadn't.

Imagine a compound of small cages where dogs are bred intensively; that is a Puppy Mill. Hundreds of thousands of puppies are farmed in this way across North America to satisfy a demand in pet stores. A Puppy Mill dog has a wretched and hopeless start in life.

Puppy mills pups tend to suffer from poor health, temperament issues and hereditary conditions. At the mill, they are taken away from their mother before the recommended weaning time of 10 weeks, therefore not receiving the right socialization and benefits of being fed by their mother.

Add to this negative early start poor feeding and possibly inadequate water, coupled with miserable living conditions with no room to move and little contact with humans, before being taken often incredibly long distances to the pet store, during which many die.

Responsible breeders will be aware of any hereditary factors which affect a particular breed, and will screen and selectively breed their dogs, always putting the welfare of their animals, be that breeding stock or pups, first. They will ensure puppies receive the correct medical attention and shots before selling them to a properly screened home.

You can check when buying a pedigree puppy if they come from a respectable breeder, by first visiting the premises, but also they should give you a certificate of bloodline. You should also get a guarantee, check with the breeder about the fine details; but you should not ever have to "exchange" the puppy.

The situation is very different at a puppy mill, where the main aim is profit rather than animal welfare. Their goal is to produce as many puppies as possible to turn over the greatest margin. This means often poor breeding, where animal unscreened for hereditary diseases are used, or possibly even interbreeding which can lead to no end of health and temperament issues.

The bitches have the worst deal, as they will be made to breed relentlessly in miserable health conditions. And once spent from this terrible life, they will be rewarded with abandonment or death.

There is legislation in place but puppy mills still exist. Consumers can help stamp out these intensive dog breeding plants buy only buying puppies from reputable breeders ( visit the premises, get recommendations), consider adopting ( this is the most humane way to stop the industry and to help rescue a dog who has been abandoned), refuse to buy from pet stores ( many of them do not know or mislead their customers as to the origin of the puppies).

It is imperative that you don't buy a puppy from a mill to rescue him. It is creating a demand for another puppy to be bred into a life of suffering. Contact the appropriate bodies, and demand they take action.

Puppy mills are a sad fact of supply and demand, so don't add to the problem by buying puppies of which you do not know the origin.

By: Rebecca Foxton

Author Rebecca Foxton wants to help you bring your pet better health with Fortiflora. For an excellent source of health tips for people with dogs and cats, read her dog supplements articles on Dog Buffs.

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