<p>At a PA Kennel. This is just awful. I know Gov Rendell is working on legislation to change the current law…I’m going to write to push it happening sooner rather than later. I can’t even put into words what I would like to see happen to this guy…the sad truth is that he’ll get away with this. </p>
<p>agree jazzymom. CCers - please don’t buy dogs at stores that get dogs from these puppy mills. Oprah did a piece on this a while ago. Appalling…yes.</p>
<p>If people want purebreds they can start with a dog rescue organization near their area. There are many breed-specific rescue orgs that take all they can and don’t euthenize. Just do a search for “(breed) rescue (city)”. There are also plenty of dogs at local government animal shelters. </p>
<p>My current dog came from a Boxer rescue place and he’s a fantastic, well-behaved, loving, well-adjusted dog. (the Boxer rescue actually rescued him from a county animal shelter - I can’t imagine why anyone placed him in the county shelter)</p>
<p>toneranger, absolutely correct, but to clarify: the ONLY people who will sell puppies to ANY store or ANY broker are puppy millers. So ALL store puppies come from mills, large or small, clean or dirty, inspected or not. </p>
<p>Reputedly, the Amish in Pennsylvania are amongst the most active puppy millers, much to the surprise of many. Missouri and Kansas are also leading mill states, although they exist everywhere, and mill operators are adept at finding ways to describe themselves as “just plain folks breeding nice pets”–as opposed to those evil show breeders (HA!)–or loving families who carefully raise all the gazillion puppies with their children.</p>
<p>Yup, and make sure the breeder you buy from is reputable as well. My parents bought a puppy from a store which was later shut down along with a puppy mill supplying it for cruelty complaints (they had never heard of puppy mills at the time). We felt (and still feel) terrible thinking about our dog once having to live in such awful conditions.</p>
<p>Better yet, go to the local ASPCA or animal shelter. Tons of dogs waiting for adoption. Even better, almost every breed has a Rescue Society dedicated to matching needing dogs to good homes. That’s how we got our boxer (wonderful dog!). All of them are a google click away…</p>
<p>There are so many ways to adopt a pet beyond the typical pet store and puppy mill. I’m sure there are a few good puppy mills out there, but until the industry submits to national humane standards and inspections, you will continue to have these horror stories.</p>
<p>Consolation- good clarification on the puppy stores. Years ago, I used to go in just to see those cute puppies - but I stay away now. So sad.
We got our current dog from a private breeder. But our next dog will come from a rescue organization or the SPCA. That’s because I NOW know about all the unwanted healthy dogs that are killed each year. No-kill shelters are great but they can only take so many dogs. I can’t imagine that anyone would ever support a system that produces such an oversupply of healthy dogs. If we all take steps - getting our pets from shelters or rescue organizations and spaying them, advocating to shut down these awful puppy mills …we can make a difference and stop some of this suffering. It such a sad picture, thousands of healthy dogs, tails wagging, walking out of their cages to meet their death each year.<br>
And yes, many of those awful puppy mills are in PA - a side business for farmers who view these poor dogs like a piece of corn. Hopefully, the recent press on this will help push legislation through to protect these defenseless creatures.</p>
<p>I absolutely agree with those who recommend shelters and rescue organizations as the best and most humane sources for dogs! I would never, ever, buy an animal from any pet store.</p>
<p>Do not buy from “breeders”–no matter how “reputable” they are. At least one love-deprived dog dies a lonely, sometimes brutal death in a pound for every dog bought from a “breeder.”</p>
<p>I disagree. A puppy does not have to be abused before it deserves a wonderful permanent home. Keep in mind many breeders are also involved in rescue and in volunteering to teach dog training at shelters. I was one of the many out there.</p>
<p>If you are going to buy from a breeder, make sure that it is an ethical breeder: one who does health testing appropriate for the breed, breeds only from dogs that have proved themselves breed-worthy in conformation or performance competition, requires a contract that include a spay/neuter clause for pet puppies, plus a requirement that the dog be returned to them for rehoming should you ever at any point be unable to keep it, etc, etc. </p>
<p>Do not buy a puppy from a backyard breeder who breeds dogs whose only qualification for breeding is that they have intact genitalia. Don’t pay attention to bad advice such as a requirement that both parents be on site. The mother, yes. The best breeders most often DON’T have the stud dog on site. Both parents on site is most common with people who have acquired a couple of poor-quality intact dogs and are breeding them repeatedly in order to make $$ rather than to improve the breed.</p>
<p>Check out Diane Goodman’s site-- [Dog</a> Play: Great activities you can do with your dog](<a href=“http://www.dogplay.com%5DDog”>http://www.dogplay.com) --for excellent advice on acquiring a dog from rescue, a breeder, or a shelter.</p>
<p>In my opinion, any such debate/conversation by human beings on this subject should take place not on some internet lofty tower like CC, but in the local pound where so many of the dogs around you will be gassed, heart-stuck, even shot in the head on Monday. If they’re very lucky, they’ll be given an injection. To die. </p>
<p>There is only room for so many dogs in America. All I’m saying is this: for every dog that a breeder breeds and dispenses of to a human being–most times for profit–at least one local dog gets gassed, heart-stuck or shot in the head. </p>
<p>It’s simple, basic math. </p>
<p>So, in my opinion, any discussion or decision made about whether breeding is a good thing or not should be made within range of seeing and hearing the dogs awaiting a scary, painful death in the pound.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, dogs have a gene which makes them very malleable to human beings. Most animals don’t have such a gene and consequently don’t have to put up with the human crap (can you say that on CC?) that dogs have to. If they did, some fool human beings would be trying to make the “perfect” cat, gerbil, cheetah, whatever and there would be an overabundance of those animals in “custody” awaiting “execution” for “crimes” they didn’t commit. </p>
<p>Someone can dance around it all they want to, but breeding dogs adds to the dog overpopulation problem and the fact that millions of dogs are brutally euthanized every year. It is not totally to blame, of course, but it contributes a lot to the problem.</p>
<p>“mutts rule”<br>
The other day, I was having lunch at a restaurant with an outdoor patio - one that allows owners to bring their well-behaved dogs. In comes an owner with a 9 week old puppy. From a local pound. A mix of a pit bull and a spaniel. OMG - the most gorgeous little puppy I’ve ever seen. All ivory/white with a black nose. Very sweet and well behaved too - and getting LOTS of attention from the folks sitting around. Wow - what a lucky owner - and a lucky dog too.
No more breeders for me. I’m saving one of those mutts - maybe even an older one that nobody would look twice at. Not getting self righteous here…just saying that now that I know the real story…it’s seems the least that I could do. And if I really want a lab (my favorite pure breed) - I’ll go to a rescue outfit.
Personal choice though…I don’t think it’s time to shut down all the breeders. Just make sure they treat their dogs humanely and follow basic rules. Remember, there’s a guy out there who shot 80 dogs because he didn’t want to comply with basic rules. And it’s a shame that PA is one of the states that says - hey that’s OK - it’s legal - no problem. Disgusting…</p>