Do people that buy dogs from pet stores or icky back yard breeders still consider themselves pet lovers?
Especially people that buy from pet stores and direct from the mills – can they be pet lovers when they are supporting people who torture animals for profit? I mean, they can’t really be actual pet lovers when they are allowing dogs to live in agony in horrendous conditions just so they can have a puppy? Wouldn’t a real pet lover want to save lives?
when you breed and buy, you let a shelter pet die
a shelter dog needs a home more than breeders and pet stores need your money
www.petfinder.com
Shana – so it’s better to "save" the life of a pet store puppy while lining the pockets of the millers as opposed to saving one in a shelter or rescue where no one benefits but the dog?
Also, they usually just mark the price down as the pup gets older.
Nice try though… 
Just an FYI – most people consider their "breeder" reputible, even without health certs, etc.
Reputible breeders are (unfortunately) few and far between and the really good ones make little to no money off of the puppies – they do it for the love of and to better the breed.
http://stoppuppymills.org/
I don’t think even one of you can say that you are "saving a life" after READING this site. Shame on you for having the knowledge and still supporting people that breed dogs to the point that their vulva prolapses and then bury them alive or shoot them. No matter what, you gave money to thes evil people, thus supporting them, thus you might as well be cutting the vocal cords of the dogs yourselves.
poor Amanda…I actually think you believe that!
KZ you touched on many points and I hope others read you and feel your devotion and love for animals. Thank you for being genuine in your love for pets and I wish there were so many more of you. Bless your heart.
Lavetta, I am sorry you are so upset, seriously that was not my intent. I know sometimes it doesn’t take much to strike a nerve – but I am genuinally sorry. Also, thanks for the correct spelling. You might think I am being sarcastic but I would rather have someone correct me than to continue doing it wrong.
I don’t think I can even give thumbs up or down when it is my question? I have to wait until I can pick best answer, I believe.
I get very emotional at times and it is easy to become stressed out. It was a rough day at the animal shelter today, the economy is in ruins so the donations are low but there are so many more owner surrenders because people are losing their jobs and their homes. So sad. I didn’t mean to bring you down with me.
Most people who buy from pet stores simply don’t know about puppy mills and what’s going on. And yeah, I think they love their pets.
I think some people who buy from BYB’s/puppy mills directly, however, DO know what’s up (re: puppy mills, euthenasia rates, and difference between a good breeder and BYB/mill) and just don’t care. Because they want less expensive purebred dogs or they really want their trendy "designer mix" dogs. These people don’t care about animals. They care about how awesome they look with their coveted accessory.
As for "rescuing" pets by buying from mills or petstores – you might be "rescuing" one animal, but you’re basically killing several others. Think about it in terms of running a business. If they make $300 off of one puppy, that’s $300 they invest right back into their business. That’s $300 worth of cages they can buy to put more breeding dogs in. That’s $300 worth of advertising on websites to rope in more buyers for their puppies.
That’s $300 worth of new breeding dogs they can buy, to produce up to 100 more puppies each, most of whom will be euthanized.
$300 can generate $1200 in profits, or more, depending on whether it’s used for an expense or a long-lived asset – in the latter case the profit multiplies exponentially for every revenue cycle until the asset is disposed of. I wonder how much depreciation expense they take on their breeding dogs?
Don’t support pet stores that sell dogs and cats – EVER. Don’t support BYB’s or puppy mills – EVER. It may break your heart, but these people’s businesses NEED TO FAIL or they will continue to exist no matter HOW much we care about the individual animals there. Caring will not put a dent into their gross income.
ETA@Cindy: You know, I have NEVER had a problem adopting an animal from a shelter, and I’m a poor college student in a rental. In fact, my husband and I live off of roughly $25,000 a year. Adopting from a county shelter is NOT difficult.
The SPCA and breed-specific rescue organizations are much more anal because they have a lot more resources. If you want to rescue but it’s a pain in the butt, just come down to Alabama or Kentucky or Montana or somewhere and adopt from a small county shelter. It’s pretty no-fuss.
Most people who buy from BYBs and pet stores don’t know it’s bad. So yes, they still consider themselves pet lovers.
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Most people don’t know, or don’t think.
Additionally, if they do know, they realize that some pet stores who buy from mills will put the animals down if not sold quickly enough. Saving a life is saving a life.
Um, you asked a question and attacked me for accurately answering? You are silly. What happens after a dog hits six months in a store? Does that dog deserve to die more than any other?
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Yes very much so.
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Of course! Many people don’t know better. Many years ago (22 to be exact, before I knew better) I bought a Min Pin from a pet store. That doesn’t mean I don’t love animals. It simply means that I was ignorant and didn’t have the knowledge I do now.
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you cannot judge someone until you have been in their shoes. In other words only those without sin should throw stones.
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Your additional details are BS. A responsible breeder does not contribute to the shelter dog problems. But a bad breeder does, dont clump all breeders together like that.
I agree most dont know, but thats really no excuse. Ignorance can be cured but stupidity cant.
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I’m sorry but for you to think that people who buy from pet stores or byb’s are not true animal lovers, is just plain ignorant and stupid. Yes it is your opinon, but not everyone knows that buying from pet stores is contributing to pet over population or over crowding pet shelters.
Before I knew better I did get my dogs from pet stores, but now that I know I wouldnt do it again. I am a true pet lover, no matter where I got my dogs from!!!!!!!! No one can tell me different.
Yes, I feel bad about all the animals in shelters, but I can’t take responsibilty before I knew any better!!! My dogs are very healthy, great temperament, and just all around a great addition to my family, and yes I did get both of them from pet stores and yes I did pay lots of money for them. It didnt come out of anyone else’s pockets or purses and regardless of what or how people feel about it, I DONT CARE!!!!!
Besides, all animals need homes, and I gave two of them a wonderful, happy home….. So yes I did save a live, better yet, I saved two…..
Im not any less of a pet lover, if I got my dogs from the moon!!
***YOU ASK FOR PEOPLE’S OPINION’S THEN YOU CRITICIZE THEM, I SUGGEST YOU GET SOME COUNSELING***
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Myself, and I’m proud of it
I know a few people who have gotten a dog from a pet store. They are good pet owners. They take their pets to the vet, love them, walk them, and consider them to be one of the family. I do not know why they bought one from the pet store. Maybe it was an impulse purchase. Personally, I will not even shop at a pet store that sells dogs and cats. Maybe they did not know about the awful conditions many pet store animals come from, although in this day and age I do not know how you could not. Or maybe they just did not want to think about it or think it was true or maybe they thought they were rescuing the puppy. Not realizing that they were supporting possible puppy mills and BYBs. Still to answer your question they are pet lovers and are good owners.
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Even people who purchase from pet stores etc. are in fact rescuing a dog. At the risk of getting hate mail, I will tell you that I purchased a puppy from a local pet store. If I had not done so, she would be dead today. She had mange, kennel cough and was covered in ticks. I couldn’t pass her up. I purchased her, took her immediately to the vet, spent hundreds of dollars in vet bills to treat mange, etc. Paid for training for her and she is absolutely the best dog I have ever had. And given the amount of problems she had, I doubt there would have been many who would have ridden it out to see what kind of dog she turned out to be. She is smart, talented and very good natured. I truly don’t remember what my life was like before I got her. I have 3 other dogs that were rescued along the side of the road so I think I can speak on all sides of this issue. Sometimes even dogs that are rescued from shelters are not treated the way we would hope. Let’s try not to criticize people who sincerely love their animals regardless of where they get them.
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Thank you for your thumbs down. You prove a point that people only care to listen to people who agree with them. In effect, Jessie was rescued at the cost of a measly $50.00 she was given a life that any dog would envy. Keep on turning your thumbs down at me. I will continue to do for all dogs regardless of where I find them to the very best of my ability.
Further….2 of my rescue dogs are documented shelter rejects. In other words, people went to the shelter paid their money, had the dogs spayed and then dumped them out to fend for themselves when they got to a difficult age. Now they live with me and trust no one else. BTW: Jessie is not a designer breed, she is a mixed breed result from an "accidental" litter. Sometimes stuff just happens.
Thank you….may I please have another
Oh and if you wish to be regarded as the ultimate authority on this issue you might want to learn the correct spelling of reputable.
I totally understand the stress level. The reason I have 4 dogs is that I can’t turn my back on one. Thanks for apologizing though. Most people wouldn’t. I just want you to realize that sometimes those shelter dogs wind up in a not so nice place too. Therefore, the best we can hope for is that people like you and me and others that have commented continue to make good lives for their animals.
Oh and just so you know, both my husband and I lost our jobs in 2008 and yet we still continue to support the little lives we are responsible for. I feel bad for people who cannot.
A responsible breeder does not let his or her pups in a shelter in the first place. And they dont breed for the money. Rarely do responsible breeders make money on a litter. Responsible breeders are not rare, but they are not common.
If I were to get a dog for a breeder, it would be the very best in terms of pet quality. I wouldnt want to be involved in studding and whatnot.
A byb and mill makes their dogs easy and available to people. In this day and time, people love easy access.
I consider people buying from mills and byb uneducated about what they are supporting. I know many that since they didnt see it, didnt know about it. Since meeting me, they care more about where their pets come from and what they support.
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Guardian of three raw fed dogs.
Yes they are still pet lovers they are trying to give the dog a better life then it would have at the store or the mill. And they’re are plenty of stores that have pups that aren’t even from mills.
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I only agree with you to an extent. Puppy mills are horrible things and I have never bought a puppy from a pet store. It is clear that all of these designer dogs are coming from somewhere and that somewhere is a puppy mill in most cases. I don’t agree with the breeder part. I have mixed feelings about the shelter/breeder debate. We adopted my cat when he was a tiny, sick kitten and nursed him back to health. Not one day goes by that I don’t look at the beautiful creature he has become and thought "I can’t believe that sickly kitty turned into this." On the other hand, we got my Golden from a breeder in MI. My dad and his parents had gotten dogs from this breeder and she raises some of the best dogs in the country, in my opinion. I know exactly where my beast came from and what his pedigree is, we have all of his health records in a file at home, and I know his breeder really cared about the breed. So reputable breeders are great. They are not very common, however. But I don’t think people who buy from pet stores aren’t pet lovers. They want to do what is best, they are just uninformed.
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Good Lord that’s long. Sorry, but I got talking. I hope I didn’t offend anybody, but that’s what I think.
Most people who buy from pet stores simply don’t know about puppy mills and what’s going on. And yeah, I think they love their pets.
I think some people who buy from BYB’s/puppy mills directly, however, DO know what’s up (re: puppy mills, euthenasia rates, and difference between a good breeder and BYB/mill) and just don’t care. Because they want less expensive purebred dogs or they really want their trendy "designer mix" dogs. These people don’t care about animals. They care about how awesome they look with their coveted accessory.
As for "rescuing" pets by buying from mills or petstores – you might be "rescuing" one animal, but you’re basically killing several others. Think about it in terms of running a business. If they make $300 off of one puppy, that’s $300 they invest right back into their business. That’s $300 worth of cages they can buy to put more breeding dogs in. That’s $300 worth of advertising on websites to rope in more buyers for their puppies.
That’s $300 worth of new breeding dogs they can buy, to produce up to 100 more puppies each, most of whom will be euthanized.
$300 can generate $1200 in profits, or more, depending on whether it’s used for an expense or a long-lived asset – in the latter case the profit multiplies exponentially for every revenue cycle until the asset is disposed of. I wonder how much depreciation expense they take on their breeding dogs?
Don’t support pet stores that sell dogs and cats – EVER. Don’t support BYB’s or puppy mills – EVER. It may break your heart, but these people’s businesses NEED TO FAIL or they will continue to exist no matter HOW much we care about the individual animals there. Caring will not put a dent into their gross income.
ETA@Cindy: You know, I have NEVER had a problem adopting an animal from a shelter, and I’m a poor college student in a rental. In fact, my husband and I live off of roughly $25,000 a year. Adopting from a county shelter is NOT difficult.
The SPCA and breed-specific rescue organizations are much more anal because they have a lot more resources. If you want to rescue but it’s a pain in the butt, just come down to Alabama or Kentucky or Montana or somewhere and adopt from a small county shelter. It’s pretty no-fuss.
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Shelters are pains: they’ll reject you for the slightest reason, and their contracts can get pretty invasive (like NSAL’s contract gives them the right to break into your house to take the dog away if their inspector didn’t like the way you sneezed).
Breeders are very controlling, force you to spay or neuter dogs they deem to be "pet quality", and can get very unpleasant. You basically have limited independence if you go with either of these options.
With pet stores, you decide what to do with the dog. You just walk in and you walk out with the puppy, no questions asked, no screening, no spay/neuter contracts, no nothing. Also, pet store puppies aren’t always unhealthy — it depends on the grade of the store you’re buying from. I know a woman who said that the first Cocker she ever got was from a pet store, and he was completely healthy and lived to a ripe old age of 14. The two Cockers she has now, bought from reputable AKC breeders, one has a constant ear problem and the other has skin issues (and they’re both from different breeders).
I’m not saying that pet stores are good, I’m saying that’s why people buy from them. Just because someone bought from a pet store doesn’t mean they’re not pet lovers.
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The only reason you have posted this question is to get on your high horse and preach.
Here is the deal: ignorance. MOST PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT DOGS! The deal is that people are never taught how to find a dog. They are simply uneducated.
So, instead of preaching…why don’t you try to educate. In a polite manner of course. And quit with the puppy mill propaganda. Your attitude is *very* extreme.
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I have NO BUSINESS owning/buying/adopting a dog until I have researched them extensively. If I am a responsible pet owner and do said research, it would be impossible for me to not know about puppy mills and the difference between good and bad breeders.
Responsibility FTW
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A lot of people do not know that most pet stores get their pets from puppy mills and remember that puppy mills do not let the public see where the puppies are born and bred. Yes I think these people do love animals and yes there are animals dieing daily in shelters and pounds because someone did not save them and there are people dieing daily in Africa because no one cared enough to provide food and medicine. What I am saying here is that not everyone is aware of puppy mills and not everyone wants a shelter dog. That does not mean they don’t love animals. I am really sick of all the self righteous people on here that think they are above every one else. Let each person do his or her own thing. Okay I’ll get off my soap box now. I know how hard it is to work in any kind of shelter. I worked in a battered womens shelter for a very long time and in a way those poor women are like your dogs. We can only save what we can save so please lets not judge others because they don’t see or know what we know.
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