Pet Stores and Puppy Mills, Part Two

He wanted to show me the puppies, so we got on the computer to iChat over the cameras. The dogs were certainly cute – one was a Bichon Frise and the other a Maltipoo (a Maltese/Poodle hybrid). They were both 13 weeks old. He held one in each arm, and while one seemed alert and interested, the other seemed dull and lethargic. I immediately pointed out it looked like one of them might be sick. He said he was taking them both for a check up that evening and he’d talk to the vet about it.

I asked why he had gotten both when he had never mentioned any interest in having 2 dogs. In his words, “I wasn’t planning on it, but the store suckered me into it because they said the dogs have bonded to one another.” While I’m sure the puppies had legitimately bonded, they had only lived together for 5 weeks. These weren’t 12 year-old siblings! They would have easily recovered from the separation, and pushing for both dogs to go home together was the first sign of a store-owner simply trying to maximize profit.

There is a commonly mistaken belief that 2 puppies aren’t much more work than one. But the reality is that the time and energy it takes to train them both properly simultaneously is often too overwhelming for the average person. If the owner isn’t careful, the dogs bond more to each other than to their owner, which makes training even more difficult. When the dogs are full grown and their bad behavior is no longer cute, owners often get rid of one or both of the dogs, or banish them to the backyard away from the family.

The store insisted they only used reputable breeders when he inquired if the dogs came from puppy mills. However, when I asked for the breeders’ info from their papers there was only a name listed along with a town in Missouri.

This was a giant red flag.

While puppy mills can be found in any state in the U.S., there are 7 states that produce the lion’s share. Missouri is number one.

The store noted that the dogs came with “papers” from the United All Breed Registry. Registration papers don’t amount to much, but in the U.S. if they’re not from the AKC or UKC they’re worth even less. There are around a dozen sham registries that have been created as a money-maker for commercial breeders, and this is one of them. Regardless of the registry, papers are never an indication of quality health, temperament, or soundness in a dog. They’re simply a record of lineage to help breeders avoid mating dogs that are too closely related. Even then, registries rely almost entirely on the honor system, so there’s no way of truly knowing who the parents actually are, if they were inbred, or if the animal is even purebred.

During our conversation over iChat, he received a call from the owner of the store. He spoke to her over speaker-phone so I could hear both sides of the conversation. My next post will continue with the conversation they had.

The following video is an HSUS undercover investigation of a pet store n LA in which employees are instructed on the common practice of denying puppies are sick.

Pet Stores and Puppy Mills Part One

This was written by Meredith in November of 2009 -

Two weeks ago my very own family member had the unfortunate experience of becoming a textbook pet-store-puppy cautionary tale. The following is a true story that I’m sharing with the hope that someone else will learn from this experience without having to live it.

A family member had been talking about getting a dog off and on for about 2 years. At various times he has sought my advice and we’d had many conversations about his options. I had told him that pet stores use puppy mills, and that buying a dog from a store was the worst place to get one. He knew I was willing to help him find a responsible breeder, or preferably a good match through a rescue group when he felt the timing was right.

So this past August the same family member and his wife casually mentioned some adorable puppies they fell in love with at a local pet store. They told me they really wanted to buy them, but the timing just wasn’t right. I was shocked it had even been a consideration. I told them both immediately once again what a terrible idea that would have been to buy from a store. I spared them all the gory details of the videos I’ve seen of the living conditions these poor dogs endure at mills, and the countless horror stories I’ve heard firsthand from those who have bought pet store puppies, simply because I’m aware that my family doesn’t share my passion for lengthy animal conversations. I thought it was enough to keep my opinion simple, yet clear: puppy mills are cruel and they produce unhealthy dogs, so NO PET STORES. I realize now, too late, that I made a huge mistake. It’s only when people actually learn about the gory details of puppy mills that they finally understand why buying a pet store puppy isn’t as harmless as it seems.

Now it’s November, and I get a phone call from the same family member with “exciting” news – they had bought two puppies. He hadn’t brought the subject up since August, so I was surprised by the news. He said he wanted to move the timing up from December as a surprise to his wife and so it all happened rather quickly. First he had contacted 2 breeders but neither had any puppies available. Then he looked at a rescue dog but didn’t like it. He wanted one NOW, so finally he went to a store. I was even more dismayed when he told me, “But I didn’t go to a regular pet store like a Petco. It was a high-end boutique that promised me they don’t get their dogs from puppy mills.” It had truly never occurred to me that someone might not consider a high-end boutique to be the same as a regular pet store. And he hadn’t just bought A puppy, he had bought TWO puppies. The Cardinal Rule is “No pet stores.” Rule #2 is “Only get ONE puppy at a time.” This was off to a very bad start.

This family member is an intelligent, responsible adult with a college degree and he had been forewarned about pet stores. If he can be duped into supporting the puppy mill industry, I know there are thousands of others capable of doing the same despite good intentions. We’ll be blogging more about what happened with these dogs in the upcoming days. If everyone takes a moment to “paws” and learn about pet stores and puppy mills, we can finally put an end to this incredibly inhumane industry.

It Doesn't Have To Be A Law

I hated being told what to do when I was growing up.  In fact, if you told me that I had to do something, chances were good that I was going to do the exact opposite.  Sometimes I would "cut off my nose to spite my face" (thank you, Dad).  Grown-ups can be the same way. 

You MUST spay/neuter your animal.

This tends to turn people off.  When you're living somewhere that isn't enforcing mandatory spay/neuter (and never will, let's be honest), it's not a good conversation opener.  It sets people on edge.  That wall goes up and you aren't going to get through it.

But if you educate first and then allow them to make their own decision?  We're finding that they want to do the right thing.

Meredith and I spent two days at a local mall today with an educational table.  We do this a few times a year on the odd days we have here and there that don't find us in schools.  As much as we love educating kids about responsible pet ownership and kindness to animals, we also have a passion for educating adults.

Overheard at our table:
"This is exactly what I've been looking for!" - man as he picks up our Low Cost Spay/Neuter

"Do you know where I can get my pet fixed?" - woman

"I want to have the operation, but it's too expensive." - woman (hey, guess what - we have a handout for that!)

I came home the first day and my husband asked me if I had any numbers for low cost spay/neuter because one of his pharmacy techs needed to know where to go!

Our friends who organize FREE spay/neuter clinics, who have spay/neuter mobiles - there is never a shortage of people lined up wanting to have their pets fixed.  People WANT to do this.  They just can't afford to shell out the $400+ to do it.  Give them options and they will have their pet fixed.  You don't have to pass a law.  You just have to educate and then give them some options.

Our low cost spay/neuter resources can be found here.

Does your community have low cost spay/neuter options?

FUN Friday

Ever wonder what a day in the life of your dog is like? Take a look at things from a dog's POV!
Johnny Neon 'Hearts' from Dave Meinert on Vimeo.


This dog can put cheerleaders to shame with his backflips!



Who knew bobbing for ice cubes could be so adorable!?!  It's so funny watching them blow bubbles too.



Have a GREAT weekend everyone!

The Life of a Dog

My dog, more specifically.

It hit me today as I was running all my errands...

1)  Holistic Vet to pick up two different kinds of probiotics.

2)  Pet store for beef treats (Grain Free, but must have ONLY beef as source of protein).

3)  2nd pet store for more treats (because they're so hard to find).

4)  Grocery store to buy grain fed, organic Angus Beef because they only had four acceptable treats to choose from, three of which she has had and may be getting sick of (with my husband whining that he doesn't even get fed that "good" stuff).

Home to find a package on the porch.

From my mom - YAY.

Upon closer inspection, the package was not for us.

It was for Lily.

Toys from her Grandma. (so even MY mom runs errands for her)

This is THE life.

Mom runs all over creation while Lily stays home and does this...

Don't feel bad for her.

Feel bad for me.

I went to make lunch and was out of my applesauce.

I don't suppose I'll be getting her to go to the grocery store for some more.

Easter Bunnies

With Easter fast approaching, we want to remind people to think before they add a bunny to the household. Rabbits make wonderful pets for the right family. As pet owners, it is our responsiblity to do our research and be sure that they any pet is the right fit for our household before we get the pet. This includes purchases for children around the holidays.




Bunnies are intelligent, loving animals. They are very social so they need a lot of love and attention from their owner. They don't make good Easter gifts, especially for small children who crave something that they can hold and cuddle. Rabbits can feel insecure when held or restrained. They prefer to be on the ground. Children quickly lose interest and the bunny ends up neglected in an outdoor hutch or dropped off at the shelter. (For reasons on why your bunny should live inside the house with you, click here for our article.)

Bunnies are not a low-maintenance pet. They grow quickly from that cute little bundle into a larger adolescent. If you don't spay or neuter them, they can urine mark just like a dog or cat. You have to bunny-proof your home so that they don't chew your cords, your books, and your furniture. Your bunny requires daily exercise and they can live for 10 years. They require as much work as a dog or cat.

If you are seriously considering adding a bunny to your family, we encourage you to read up on them. House Rabbit Society has a great starting point for you in your research here. We have more links on our website, here.  When you have decided that a bunny is the right match for your family, we encourage you to find a shelter or rescue in your area.

What about you - have you ever had a bunny?  Ever thought about adding one to your family?

FUN Friday

Let's head into the weekend with some FUN videos! This otter stops by to visit his dog friend every afternoon.

Surprise Kitty just never gets old!



We posted Jesse's first video on here a few months ago. He's back with another one!


Jesse was rescued from an animal shelter and his owner put in time and energy training him! He's a perfect of example of getting back what you put into your pet.


How well trained is your dog?  What cool tricks can he/she do?  Are you working on any new ones?


Have a great weekend everyone!