DEAR EDITOR:
Concerning The Great Gilroy Puppy-Mill Debate, I have some
recent experience worth relating. My wife and I have been searching
for a small poodle for nearly two months. Using newspapers, the
Internet, veterinarians, local, California and out of state
breeders, and every resource we can exploit, we found this to be a
very disappointing quest.
DEAR EDITOR:
Concerning The Great Gilroy Puppy-Mill Debate, I have some recent experience worth relating. My wife and I have been searching for a small poodle for nearly two months. Using newspapers, the Internet, veterinarians, local, California and out of state breeders, and every resource we can exploit, we found this to be a very disappointing quest.
We encountered a broad range of games and frauds, ranging from required neutering or spaying with a clear intent to prevent future competition, to 48-hour only guarantees, and photos that showed sick animals (drooling eyes) and even dirty, ungroomed poodles.
Many pretend that mixed breads are real poodles, and charge full price for what is known as “party-poodles,” with mixed colors and even blotchy white and black noses. Some lie about the size, saying 8-week old poodle puppies that weigh four pounds will grow to only six pounds. One repeated game was, “I have just what you want, but it’s so wonderful I think I’ll keep it. But call me in two weeks.”
The two times we suckered for this, the price was outrageous. None of them really decided to keep those “wonderful” poodles. One San Jose breeder had a mixed-bread puddle for about 90 percent of the pure breed price, part poodle and part cocker-spaniel. Many want to charge extra for pedigree papers, and produce papers that are of dubious origin. Almost all of them wanted hard cash, no checks or credit cards for the animals. We were ready to give up.
Then we went to The Pet Stop by Ace Hardware. There, we saw clean cages equal to or better than the ones at the animal shelter (which rarely gets small dogs), and clean, healthy-looking animals. These animals are veterinarian-inspected on arrival, well fed, have shots, are “chipped” (have identifying implants that can be scanned by vets or animal control), and – get this – a full year guarantee. We found that breeders even in California do not want you to go there to pick up animals but want to ship them to you.
At The Pet Stop, you can spend as much time as you want holding the animal. You can pet the animal, look over the animal and decide if you want it. They will even find for you a special size or color of the breed you want. They will quarantine it for two to three weeks AFTER the vet checks out the animal, to be sure it is healthy before handing it over to you.
We concluded that regardless of what so-called experts say, it is difficult to find a good breeder that sells directly to the general public, no matter where that breeder is.
Anyone wanting a healthy, clean and disease free peg dog should consider The Pet Stop to be equal to or better than any breeder. Unlike virtually all the breeder we corresponded with, the Pet Shop was completely honest and offered the best service for LESS than the cost of breeders, even before shipping, for the same described dog.
Count me as a supporter of local Gilroy business on this count, as being the best place for you to put down your money for a pet. Those who say otherwise are just repeating tired sensational news story hype that have no application in this case. Go look for yourself, folks.
Tony Weiler, Gilroy
Submitted Sunday, April 25, to ed****@ga****.com
