(Palm Springs) – Those big brown eyes are staring at you through the glass window at the pet store in your favorite mall. How can you possibly resist taking home that cute little ball of fluff?
Resist you should. The pretty bow, the impeccable grooming, the high price tag belie the reality of where that pup had its start. It is a sad tale of neglect and irresponsible breeding all for the almighty dollar. The price tag of a pet store pup, usually thousands of dollars, does not include the over-the-top veterinarian bills associated with poorly bred animals due to disease and genetic defects.
More than likely, a pet store pup is the product of a puppy mill. Although puppy mills exist in every state, the mid-West is most known for these mills of horror, where dogs are forced to live in small wire cages with little freedom to move around and lying in their own feces. They are bred as often as nature allows with no rest between litters. Neither they nor their offspring are socialized as they have limited or no human contact. The puppies are then shipped either through internet sales directly to their new homes or to a pet store to be sold to uneducated buyers and their mothers are bred again or killed. The puppies are a heartache waiting to happen.
Most breeds are prone to one or more genetic defects. Legitimate breeders have appropriate testing conducted on their bitches and studs before breeding and will not breed those dogs that show signs of weakness or disease, such as hip dysplasia, cardiomyopathy, or glaucoma.
Puppy mills, not only do not test their breeding stock, they often do not provide any medical care at all. An attendant may simply hack off dewclaws and tails. Due to the sanitary conditions at puppy mills, respiratory issues are quite common but left untreated. Dogs that injure themselves are left to die, are dumped, or are savagely killed to save the cost of veterinary care or euthanasia.
As cute as that doggy in the window may be, it is the wrong choice. If you will settle for nothing less than a purebred puppy, please purchase it through a reputable breeder. High quality breeders DO NOT sell their puppies over the internet or through pet stores. A subsequent article will provide tips on how to pick out a legitimate breeder in a future article.
But please consider this: Based on statistics from the Human Society of the United States, a pet is euthanized every 10 seconds in this country for lack of a family of its own to be loved by and love back. Shelters and rescues are full of beautiful dogs that will be delighted to become your new best friend. Before you shop, why not adopt?
This is the first in a multi-part series on finding that perfect pet. If you have any suggestions, tips, or questions, please contact me at iepolitics2010@gmail.com, on Facebook, or anonymously at www.iepolitics.com. Follow us on Twitter @iepoliticscom.
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