# Ever Wonder What Happens to Pet Store Dogs if Not Purchased?



## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

This article appeared in the local paper here. Food for thought. 



> Katie Fairbank Problem Solver [email protected]
> Published: 05 January 2012 10:59 PM
> 
> If you see a doggie in the window, it’s a pretty good bet it’s for sale.
> ...


Source: Dallas Morning News, Friday January 6 edition Dallas-Fort Worth News, Sports, Entertainment, Weather and Traffic - The Dallas Morning News
No lifetime promise for puppies and kittens | Katie Fairbank Columns - Problem Solver - News for Dallas, Texas - The Dallas Morning News

Red tag sales for dogs.  I also have trouble believing the person quoted at the Petland that "all" of their puppies and kittens sell.


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## maggiesmommy (Feb 23, 2010)

I knew someone who drove from Ohio to new York to pick up a Cane Corso puppy who was dropped off at a vet's office by a Petland store to be euthanized because he didn't sell. The vet didn't want to euthanize a healthy puppy so he asked around until he found my friend....sad thing was, this dog was the sweetest guy ever. But, every petland puppy is sold, my butt...the undesireables are just "taken care of".


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## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

=( Sadly, something I hadn't taken the time to give thought to...
I hope she's telling the truth and all those from her shop have found their forever homes. I'll be saying an extra prayer for all those puppies and kitties in the window.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Cody is our Petland horror story..... and he was purchased.... as an impulse buy with someone not knowing a thing about springers. When he outgrew the little baby puppy stage, he was thrown in the back yard and ignored. Only when he was on death's door with AIHA was he turned over to ESRA ( the one decent thing his original adopters did). He was so ill even ESRA was considering euth'ing him. One look at that face and I knew he had to be ours. We had a very touch and go time with him but finally got him into remission after 6-8 months. He is such a sweetie and is truly our baby boy. BUT, he should have never been born. Undoubtedly a puppy mill product with autoimmune issues, spinal and hip issues, and of course little socialization until he was turned over to ESRA at 18 months.


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

"Red tag sales", huh? And they talk about that like it's a GOOD thing? You know darned well that as the price goes down, the likelihood of that puppy or kitten being an impulse buy goes up. And we know what happens to impulse buys, anyway, so the fact that they're "sold" means nothing.

The last Petland in this area (that I know of) closed down about a year ago. I was SO happy to see that! The last time I made the mistake of walking in there, I left in tears. There was the most adorable little Sable GSD in there, with an attitude bigger than he was. He almost came home with us. I couldn't stand to think of what would happen to him after he was bought on a whim by someone who had no idea what they were getting into. Had Riley and Gunner not had issues of their own, at that point, that pup would have been ours.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

I have read an article that contradicts the Petland employee. I thought it had been posted here in this forum.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

This is one of many reasons I will not buy so much as a strip of rawhide from any store that sells dogs or cats. Our local pet store is large and has many fun dog toys and treats in it, and I won't buy a single one since they also sell unhealthy, milled dogs. They "do everything right" in the sense that they provide good care and facilities for the puppies they're selling, but the cost of suffering behind the scenes is too much for me to bear, so not a nickel of my money will ever go to support their operation.


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

I take my kids into the petshops about once a year for "education". My kids know very well that we would NEVER buy anything from a store that SELLS puppies and kittens. We look at the puppies, and have one taken out to play with. I then ask all the same questions:

"Are these dogs from puppy mills?"

"Can I see the paperwork?"

"Are they registered?"

"What guarantees? Health?"

"Price?"

My kids always believe (like most people ) what the young sales person is saying. They always believe that this one puppy is different from the others.

I then go home and we google that "breeder's" name. Sometimes we come up with a nice website, that can really fool you. Then we find all the complaints, and all the breeds that this breeder is involved with.

The last puppy we looked at was a ACA Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier. ACA???? They tried to tell me that is was because the Soft Wheaten Terrier was not recognized by the AKC.

The price was a lot more than one from a reputable breeder.

I was told the breeder was "USDA" certified - sounds like I am buying a piece of meat.

The sad stories I find on the internet are what teaches my kids the most.

We also visit the rescue groups when they come to our local Petco and farm store. My kids learn the history of a lot of the pets that are there. If I had my way, my house would be filled.


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## Deber (Aug 23, 2011)

Thank you Dallas Gold for posting this. 

I am like Tippykayak, if you sell pets in a store (dogs/cats) I won't go in and spend my money. Had a really bad incident with a Petland in our city about dirty puppies and no water, I was not ugly at all, but clerk got the Mgr who asked me to leave. I left but called my Vet who is big with Rescue. They sent Animal Control down, but store was only fined for not keeping the cages/pups cleaner. Petland is off my list as are other places that may sell pups like.. flea markets etc. We just don't go! 

Don't even want to think of what happens to the little ones who are not purchased and scary to think what the new owners will get. Many are not healthy at all.


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## Phillyfisher (Jan 9, 2008)

Thanks for posting this. I too will not step foot in a store that deals with millers. Thankfully there are not many of those left around us. I can only think of 2 and they are mom and pop type places. We do get the rescues in PetSmart and one of the other chains. It is all I can do not to come home with one of them, especially the cats. One day I am sure one will convince me otherwise. 

Does anyone who works in rescue have dealings with pet stores? I would be curious...


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

I always wondered if I would have the guts to stand next to the Golden Retriever puppy display (it's a big glass wall with a room behind it with 6-10 GR puppies playing in wood chips) and quietly tell folks about the GRCA and the dangers of buying puppies at this place.


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## Phillyfisher (Jan 9, 2008)

tippykayak said:


> I always wondered if I would have the guts to stand next to the Golden Retriever puppy display (it's a big glass wall with a room behind it with 6-10 GR puppies playing in wood chips) and quietly tell folks about the GRCA and the dangers of buying puppies at this place.


Tippy, what an internal conflict you present for most of us. I think I would be ok outside the glass. How about inside with those poor pups? Could you do it? Sure you saved a person from a potentially expensive mistake, but did you make matters worse for those pups? I always feel bad for miller pups that have been already brought into this world...


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## Deb_Bayne (Mar 18, 2011)

tippykayak said:


> This is one of many reasons I will not buy so much as a strip of rawhide from any store that sells dogs or cats. Our local pet store is large and has many fun dog toys and treats in it, and I won't buy a single one since they also sell unhealthy, milled dogs. They "do everything right" in the sense that they provide good care and facilities for the puppies they're selling, but the cost of suffering behind the scenes is too much for me to bear, so not a nickel of my money will ever go to support their operation.


Have you went in and told them that? Or written letters to your local newspaper publicizing this fact of yours? Is this a pet store chain? If so, have you written the head office of the chain? Many other people may not be aware of what this pet store stands for and would appreciate your information and feedback. 

We have one store here that sells kittens and puppies which I don't go to either. I may just go in and inquire where they come from. I think laws are beginning to be passed that prohibits pet stores from selling pets, although one store only sells on consignment older pets and I have bought from them until it changed ownership and they no longer carry the food or products I like for my cats. So I have gone to a small owner owned shop and she special orders what I like and we also get it at a discount too.


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## C's Mom (Dec 7, 2009)

Not one red cent of my money goes to any pet store that sells animals too. I'll gladly pay more for the same items at smaller pet stores that don't do this.

Years ago, I was was on my way out of one of our larger malls in the city (then called The Eaton Centre) when I noticed two women having a mini-protest in front of a small pet shop that was selling kittens. Before I knew what I was doing I joined in and was yelling out "Adopt don't shop" with the ladies. It wasn't until I got home that I realized I could have been arrested for tresspassing.  Over time, this pet shop got so much undesired attention and I'm happy to report they went out of business.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Deb_Bayne said:


> Have you went in and told them that? Or written letters to your local newspaper publicizing this fact of yours? Is this a pet store chain? If so, have you written the head office of the chain? Many other people may not be aware of what this pet store stands for and would appreciate your information and feedback.


They have three locations, so it's a chain in that sense. I haven't yet written any letters or anything, and I'm not convinced it would help, but it's work thinking about.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Phillyfisher said:


> Thanks for posting this. I too will not step foot in a store that deals with millers. Thankfully there are not many of those left around us. I can only think of 2 and they are mom and pop type places. We do get the rescues in PetSmart and one of the other chains. It is all I can do not to come home with one of them, especially the cats. One day I am sure one will convince me otherwise.
> 
> Does anyone who works in rescue have dealings with pet stores? I would be curious...


Most of the independent stores here are closed, but Petland still has one store in Dallas. sigh. I too will not give any store like that a penny. 

I too wonder if rescues are ever called to pick up dogs or cats that age out or if they have a veterinarian willing to take care of their "problem" for them. 

I get very upset when I hear about charities auctioning off puppies as fundraisers. It's actually illegal in the city of Dallas. A few years ago I contacted Camp Fire Girls before they did one to alert them they were about to break the law by auctioning a Golden puppy and that if I found out they did it I would personally contact the city attorney. They cleverly took the auction winners off their website so I will never know if they went forward. I don't know where the golden came from but I assume it was from a BYB or a puppy mill and not a reputable breeder. One big charity just auctioned off a lab puppy and was approached by the city about it too. I hope they will forgo doing this in the future. I doubt the city will press charges against them.


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

One of the parents of one of my son's schoolmates proudly told me that they got their lab at an auction. Supposedly from a "good breeder". Yeah right, keep telling yourself that!


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Sally's Mom said:


> One of the parents of one of my son's schoolmates proudly told me that they got their lab at an auction. Supposedly from a "good breeder". Yeah right, keep telling yourself that!


I can't imagine a member of the local Golden Retriever club giving up a puppy for auction and to a stranger at that!


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## coffenut (Jan 3, 2012)

Many many years ago before I was aware of puppy mills, there was a petstore that I used to go in which had different types of puppies. I fell in love with one of the puppies. The conditions that they were in was deplorable. I purchased one of the little Cocker Spaniel puppies and gave it to my mother (who had always wanted a cocker) who was, at that time, living overseas in East Berlin. I always felt guilty that I didn't get her cage mate as well. For the next several years, I would visit that store to check up on the conditions and if they were not up to par, a phone call was made to Animal Control which would come out and inspect. I have since felt guilty that I supported the "puppy mill" industry by buying that adorable little put yet I am happy that I got Suzannah out of that situation and into our loving family where she happily ruled my parents for 14 years.


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

I won't buy anything from petstores that sell puppies either. I wish they would outlaw selling puppies in stores. It worked for Germany, could work here too. 
When I was in the vet tech program in Michigan, we routinely took in dogs and cats from humane society and animal control. We had them for a few weeks, vaccinated them, dewormed them, etc. We practised our skills on them, like listening to the heart, anesthetizing them, blood drawing etc. We were very humane. Then they would go back to the shelter and we advertised at college to get these guys adopted. A lot did get adopted, others sadly were not so lucky. But, we did our best.
One day we got a transport full of petstore puppies for the program. Somebody had reported to the authorities about a petstore mistreating their pups. All were purebreds and sooo cute. We worked on them, of course got them socialized, vaccinated, etc. Since the petstore raid had been in the papers, a lot of people knew about the pups and that we had them in the program. When it was time to take them back to the shelter, people were lined up all day to adopt these pups. They charged more money for the pups and they all got adopted . 
But, in general, I really don't hear a lot about petstores getting raided and the law stepping in. Soo sad!


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## mayapaya (Sep 28, 2011)

coffenut said:


> Many many years ago before I was aware of puppy mills, there was a petstore that I used to go in which had different types of puppies. I fell in love with one of the puppies. The conditions that they were in was deplorable. I purchased one of the little Cocker Spaniel puppies and gave it to my mother (who had always wanted a cocker) who was, at that time, living overseas in East Berlin. I always felt guilty that I didn't get her cage mate as well. For the next several years, I would visit that store to check up on the conditions and if they were not up to par, a phone call was made to Animal Control which would come out and inspect. I have since felt guilty that I supported the "puppy mill" industry by buying that adorable little put yet I am happy that I got Suzannah out of that situation and into our loving family where she happily ruled my parents for 14 years.


Coffenut, I have a similar experience and am sorry to admit I also purchased my first "golden" from a petstore, before I knew about mills. This shop was small, the owner had been in business for 30 years, and the conditions at the store were immaculate. But, I now know this means nothing, and my sweet girl likely came from a mill. She died at 9 years old --way too young, and probably because of some hidden health issue or poor breeding. While I regret my decisions back then, I will never regret her presence in my life. I wish there were ways to educate the young (or simply uneducated) people out there so the Petlands of the world would go out of business. In the meantime, we can all do our part by not giving our business to these places!!!


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## Mac (Jan 10, 2012)

hate to be " that guy " in this thread and I agree puppy mills are bad...
but at the end of the day the dogs have ZERO control over how they were brought into this world and how they were raised. 

most likely, the shelters we adopt from are filled with numerous dogs, originally purchased from stores, that grew out of the cute puppy stage and given up after they became too much of a hassle.

I think the idea of selling dogs for thousands of dollars isn't right. but in the end those dogs are still dogs.

its a very rough subject but the last being to be blamed and punished should be the dogs themselves.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

I don't think anyone here would be anything but supportive of any dog... from wherever they came from. Many of us have rescues and shelter dogs. However, by buying at these pet stores that get their pups from mills, we are supporting them (the mills). If you read my earlier post in this thread, our Cody WAS a Petland purchase who was eventually turned over to springer rescue because of severe health issues by an uninformed buyer who knew nothing of the breed. We rescued him from ESRA and we love him to death but we were the only ones willing to step up and take a chance on him with extensive health care..... and the cold hard fact is that he should never have been born. Education will lead people to know that looking for a dog that has generations of health clearances in its history and a breeder who is intent on bettering the breed is the very best chance of having a dog with a long healthy life with an appropriate temperment..... which financially is much cheaper in the long run. I will always have a rescue but also hope to have well bred dogs too.


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## Miaya's mom (Oct 27, 2011)

Maiya is a Petland Puppy (from PetLand in Cicero NY) she was very much a impulse buy. We went in the store because our daughter wanted to get a toy for her cat. Normally we do not go into pet stores. Although the cages were clean, they lay was on a metal grate with no bed or blanket. She just looked so sad being there. They brought her out to meet us and she was so starved for attention we had to take her home. She did have problems potty training but I am pleased to report that is no longer an issue. She hates to be brushed, its like she is afraid of it. She came with 1 visit to the Petland Vet, which we took her too, but when then took her to our own vet how gave her a clean bill of health. 

Her "papers" state that she came from a breeder in Clarinda IA, a Daine Huseman is the listed breeder, I am unable to locate any information on her. I am glad we rescued Miaya from the pet store she is a wonderful dog, BUT I will never do that again.


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## Angelina (Aug 11, 2011)

Our local pet stores sponsor adoption days from the various shelters...some come a few hundred miles to participate. So instead of selling dogs, they sponsor the adoptions and sell the pet food, toys, shampoos etc. that go hand in hand with owning a pet. I think it is a great example and wish more pet stores would follow suit and just stop selling dogs period. There are tons of purebreds out there in rescue / shelter land....


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

none of us would ever hold the dog responsible for the way he came into the world...all of us would wish them a loving home for life...
But there is a WORLD of difference between a well-bred purebred dog and a purebred pet store puppy...
It comes down to who do you want to encourage...breeders with the best interest of the breed or stores, mills, and HVBs (high volume breeders) who are just looking at the profit loss statements.



Mac said:


> hate to be " that guy " in this thread and I agree puppy mills are bad...
> but at the end of the day the dogs have ZERO control over how they were brought into this world and how they were raised.
> 
> most likely, the shelters we adopt from are filled with numerous dogs, originally purchased from stores, that grew out of the cute puppy stage and given up after they became too much of a hassle.
> ...


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## carlswans (Jan 6, 2013)

As much as I understand why many feel the way they do about retail pet stores and Petlands, I would like to offer another perspective. Just like all breeders are not created equal, one can say not all retail pet stores or Petland's are also. Actually, while this may (unfortunately) be the case with some pet stores, many have actually re-thought how animals are sold and realize that not only will customers not buy pets that come from bad breeders (or puppy mills), but it's also unethical and just plain wrong. Instead, the industry has are started a movement to get pet stores and breeders to up their game when it comes to selling well-treated animals from reputable breeders. 

Banning the sale of pets in pet stores WON'T stop the puppy mill problem, just like banning drugs doesn't stop the drug problem. It only removes the necessary regulations to keep both pet stores and breeders accountable for the way they are going about the business. We need to work together to help REGULATE the industry, not BAN it completely, as that's not going to help either the animals, pet stores, breeders, or your communities. Banning Pet Stores from selling pets WON’T stop the puppy mill problem, as it would just remove necessary regulations to keep both pet stores and breeders accountable and allow other unregulated puppy sources to flourish with no oversight. The wild wild unregulated west of the internet will continue and puppy mills, as they do now, will flourish as banning pet stores does not address the problem.

Believe it or not, there are actually reputable pet stores who are 100% transparent about where they get their animals - from local breeders. Adopting dogs from a rescue or shelter comes with many problems as well. Many are violent and have hidden health issues that may be very expensive and will leave the now owner with a broken heart. 

The preeminent study by Cornell University of Veterinary Medicine on the health of puppies from various sources demonstrates, on average, pet store puppies are as healthy as, or healthier than, those from any other source. Nearly 25% of dogs and cats adopted from shelters had reported health problems one week after adoption and an additional 10% had reported health problems within the 1st month after adoption (source: The Journal of American Veterinarian Medical Association). In recent years, pet store puppies had fewer health claims thus prompting pet health insurance carrier DVM/VPI Insurance Group to reduce its premiums for pet store puppies and kittens by as much as 22% (Source: DVM/VPI Insurance Group).

There is a huge difference between professional breeders and puppy mills. There is more oversight of breeders who sell puppies to pet stores than any other type of breeder, shelter or even rescue. Professional breeders are inspected by the USDA, individual states Department of Agriculture, breeder associations, the American Kennel Club (AKC), state veterinarians, breeder veterinarians, pet stores themselves, employees of pet stores, even veterinarians from the pet stores have visited the professional breeders these puppies are being sourced from. In fact, if you care to visit some of these pet store breeders you will find them to be responsible professionals, their facilities are clean, providing proper sized kennels, flooring, walls, and safe surfaces far beyond any minimum mandates that might be required by law. You will find these facilities provide socialization, good ventilation, temperature, and pet care including exercise, feeding, watering, and a sanitized environment. This is unlike puppy mills that are unlicensed and not inspected, little record-keeping and veterinarian care, poor housing and sanitation, and often terrible conditions. Breeders that meet this definition are “puppy mills’ and should definitely be shut down! 

IT IS A FACT THAT MANY MISGUIDED ANIMAL ACTIVIST THAT ARE TRYING TO STOP PUPPY MILLS BY PUTTING AN END TO RETAIL SALES, ARE ACTUALLY FOSTERING THE GROWTH OF THESE SAME PUPPY MILLS! MANY RESCUES AND SHELTERS RECOGNIZE THIS IS BIG BUSINESS AND ARE IMPORTING DOGS FROM OUTSIDE THE US. THESE FOREIGN SUPPLIERS ARE UNREGULATED FOR THE MOST PART AND ARE INDEED PUPPY MILLS. 

It’s a disturbing trend that’s taken off in the past decade: The importation of puppies from overseas. Hundreds of thousands of dogs are being imported yearly now from countries like Romania, Ukraine, Egypt, and Turkey. The threat of infectious disease, rabies and other zoonotic diseases is real based on trends suggesting that the annual number of vaccinated puppies being imported into the United States has increased substantially. A dog imported from Egypt to a Kansas shelter, 'Unleashed Pet Rescue' in Mission, Kansas, was infected with rabies! The shelter and rescue systems recognize that dogs are 'big business.' In the United States, they are importing dogs from these countries to meet the public demand and build their profits. The NAIA site has a story from the Puerto Rico Daily Sun about 107 puppies that died of distemper on their way from the island to the New York area. In fact, as many as 300,000 puppies a year are being imported based on yearly estimates, according to Gale Galland, Veterinarian in the CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine (Sources: NAIA and ABC News 2006). Now that was in 2006! It’s no secret that most of the middlemen in this new import game are puppy millers and less-than-scrupulous puppy retailers. As conditions for commercial breeders (aka puppy millers) get tougher in the United States, meeting the demand for purebreds means outsourcing pup production. 

In reality, many rescues are working to ban puppy sales from pet stores on the incorrect bases that these stores are fostering 'puppy mills', however, they are in actuality fostering the growth of puppy mills in the countries that are supplying puppies to them, and these countries are not regulated!


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