How much is that doggy in the window? Lately, there’s been a lot
of talk about the sale of purebred puppies from pet stores. If
you’ve seen any of the articles or letters in local papers, you
know that this subject has generated lots of debate and for good
reason.
How much is that doggy in the window? Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about the sale of purebred puppies from pet stores. If you’ve seen any of the articles or letters in local papers, you know that this subject has generated lots of debate and for good reason.
This is an emotional issue because people are passionate about pets. There always has been and always will be pet stores that sell puppies. So what’s the big deal anyway? Isn’t it all right for someone to sell dogs, cats or other animals from a storefront?
The answer, of course, is yes … maybe. There’s nothing illegal about pet-store puppy sales. On the other hand, there are several things wrong with the way these pups are sold. Here’s why.
Pet stores buy their “sales stock” puppies from several different sources at wholesale prices.
Some puppies come from Northern California, but many are shipped from the Midwest, and others come in from as far away as Europe and even Asia. These little guys are shipped long distances, then sold at retail for a profit.
Puppies are cute, and many shoppers get caught up in the impulse of the moment when they walk into a store.
“Oh, I always wanted that breed of dog! He’s soooo adorable.”
They buy the pup and take him home. End of story. Usually.
Problems arise in the sales representation made by many pet stores. They advertise puppies with pedigree papers, sometimes with “show-champion” lineage. Unfortunately, this can be very misleading.
Some “well-bred,” “papered” young dogs end up looking like some cross-bred mutt. A bulldog that looks more like a boxer, a Shi Tzu that looks like a cockapoo. Pedigree papers are not fool-proof.
Worse still, many puppies become ill during their handling and shipping. They are usually kept in small enclosures, crowded in with other young ones. Close-quartered confinement and the stress of travel creates a lot of serious health problems.
Is any of this the fault of the store owner? Who is at fault here? You be the judge.
The store owner buys from a middleman, a dog broker. That individual sends the puppy (usually sight-unseen) with any pedigree papers or information that could be obtained from the original breeder from whom he purchased the dog.
Lots of people are involved here, and accountability becomes a real problem.
By the time the pup arrives at the store for sale, there may have been two or three middlemen, and the pet store owner is working on faith that the merchandise he sells is truly as advertised.
He can’t always verify the true breeder, so he can’t always be sure exactly what he has for sale. There’s lots of room for error. In the world of merchandising, this is a classic case of poor quality control. As a result, a buyer cannot be assured of his purchase.
Why are puppies shipped from so far away in the first place? Why would a dog breeder sell a purebred dog at a (wholesale) lesser price to a store owner in another state?
The answer is money.
There’s big money in “puppy mill” sales. Unscrupulous breeders only interested in a quick profit will raise and sell large numbers of poor-quality puppies and make lots of money. These folks are everywhere, not just the in the Midwest.
I know of one locally. She breeds lots of dogs, many of them unhealthy, sells cheap and avoids any accountability to the person that buys her pups.
She doesn’t care where the puppies end up. She just makes a quick buck. Some of her dogs are aggressive fear-biters. Many have hip dysplasia. They almost all are sold at a pet store.
Please understand that not all pet-store sales fit in this category. But too many do.
So before you purchase a pet store pup, first look at what’s for sale. Are they all healthy? Are they in a nice large, clean area? Or are they cramped into a small space?
Then, ask a few questions. Where was this puppy raised? Who was the breeder? How can I get in touch with him or her? It’s important to know what you are buying.
Store owners will argue that sales are guaranteed. Any problem, and the buyer can exchange or get a refund.
But this guarantee is almost meaningless. Who could ever return a puppy, even an unhealthy one, after falling in love with it?
Selling puppies in a store isn’t necessarily wrong. But housing them in unhealthy conditions and selling purebred dogs that have questionable lineage is very wrong. And therein lies the problem with pet store puppies.
If you plan to buy a pedigree puppy, shop around. Take time to go to a dog show or visit at least two breeders to learn more about your potential new pet. Don’t buy on impulse and don’t buy something that has an unknown background.
So how much is that doggy? Make sure you know everything about your puppy before you buy. After all, he or she will be a part of your family for many, many years.
Pete Keesling is a veterinarian at San Martin Veterinary Hospital and co-hosts Petpourri, a weekly show about pet health on KTEH in San Jose and a bi-weekly column for The Dispatch. If you have any questions about pet care, please mail them to The Times, Attn: Vets, 30 E. Third St., Morgan Hill, CA 95037.
