When_Buying_A

Buying a Puppy

You gaze into the sad eyes of the puppy in the pet store window, and you want to "rescue" the lonely pooch...

You read the ad in the newspaper, and the couple seems so trustworthy, with their decades of experience breeding dogs...

You find a website with photos of green hills and beautiful puppies that insists the "little darlings"

and "bundles of joy" will only be sold to "loving families"...

Beware! A cruel, mass dog-breeding facility could

hide behind each of these scenarios. Most likely, you've heard about them. The Humane Society

of the United States calls them puppy mills, and

for good reason.

Puppy mills frequently house dogs in shockingly

poor conditions, particularly for the

"breeding stock" animals who are caged and continually bred for years, without human companionship, and then killed, abandoned or

sold to another "miller" after their fertility wanes. These adult dogs are bred repeatedly to produce

litter after litter—without hope of ever becoming

part of a family.

The result is hundreds of thousands of puppies churned out each year for sale at pet stores, over

the Internet, and through newspaper ads. This practice will end only when people stop buying

these puppy mill puppies.

Buyer Beware!
If you want a dog in your life, please don't buy a puppy mill puppy. Pet store clerks and other sellers will never admit their dogs come from puppy mills. How do you separate fact from fiction?

The facts:

According to the HSUS
Pet stores cater to impulsive buyers and consumers seeking convenient transactions.These stores don't interview prospective buyers to ensure responsible, lifelong homes for the pets they sell, and the stores may be staffed by employees with limited knowledge about pets and pet care.

A "USDA-inspected" breeder does not mean a

"good" breeder. Be wary of claims by pet store staff that they sell animals only from breeders who are "USDA-inspected." The United States Department

of Agriculture (USDA) enforces the federal law

called the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), which

regulates commercial breeding operations. But

the act doesn't require all commercial breeders

to be licensed, and the USDA establishes only minimum-care standards in enforcing this law. Breeders are required to provide food, water, and shelter—but not love, socialization, or freedom

from confining cages. Many USDA-licensed and inspected puppy mills operate under squalid conditions with known violations of the AWA.

Many disreputable "breeders" sell their dogs

directly to the public over the Internet and

through newspaper ads. They often sell several breeds of dogs, but may advertise each breed in a separate place and not in one large advertisement

or website. These breeders are not required to be inspected by any federal agency and, in many states, are not inspected at all.

Reputable breeders care where their puppies go

and interview hopeful adopters. They don't ever

sell through pet stores or to families they haven't thoroughly checked out.

Purebred "papers" do not guarantee the quality

of the breeder or the dog. Even the

American Kennel Club (AKC) readily admits

that it "cannot guarantee the quality or health

of dogs in its registry."

Puppy mill puppies often have medical problems. These problems can lead to veterinary bills in the thousands of dollars. But pet retailers count on the bond between families and their new puppies

being so strong that the puppies won't be returned. And guarantees are often so difficult to comply

with that they are virtually useless. In addition,

poor breeding and socialization practices at many puppy mills can lead to behavioral problems throughout

the puppies' lives. In the event your new puppy does experience medical problems,

file a Pet Seller Complaint Form.

http://files.hsus.org/webfiles/PDF/

puppy_mill_complaint_form.pdf

Please don't buy from a pet store, and be very wary of websites and newspaper ads. Above all, don't ever buy a dog if you can't physically visit every area of the home or breeding facility where the dogs are kept. Puppy mills will continue to operate until people stop buying their dogs. We urge you to visit your local shelter, where you are likely to find dozens of healthy, well-socialized puppies and adult dogs—including purebreds—just waiting for that special home—yours

Adopting from a Purebred Rescue Group
Adopting from an Animal Shelter
Choosing the Right Dog
Download or Order a Copy of "How to Buy a Puppy"
How to Find a Good Dog Breeder
Puppy Mills
Selecting the Right Pet for You—Pure or Mixed Breed
What to Consider Before Adopting a Pet

Adopting from a Animal Shelter

when looking for a pet.

Not only do they have

a great selection of adult animals for adoption, but they also have kittens and puppies, even purebred animals. On average, purebreds account for about 25 to 30 percent of a shelter's dog population.

Many pets at your local shelter are waiting for new homes because they were obtained by someone with unrealistic expectations of the time, effort, and money required to sustain a lifelong relationship with their pet. National figures indicate that about half of the animals in shelters must be euthanized for lack of homes. Animals at your local shelter are eager to find a new home and are just waiting for someone like you.

You can depend on responsible shelters to assess the animals' health and temperament in order to make the best adoption matches possible. When animals are relinquished by owners, the shelter staff makes every attempt to collect a thorough history of that pet. Then, while caring for animals, staff and volunteers try to learn as much as they can about these animals as well as those who come to the shelter as strays.

Don't be discouraged if, when you first visit the shelter, there are no animals of the breed or type you want. Shelters receive new animals every day. Your shelter may also have a waiting list and can call you when an animal matching your preference becomes available. Before choosing your pet, you can even speak with an adoption counselor about whether your choice of a particular type or breed will be best for you.

In an effort to make good matches between people and animals and to place pets in lifelong homes, many shelters provide adoption counseling and follow-up assistance, such as pet parenting and dog-training classes, medical services, and behavior counseling. Or they may be able to refer you to providers of these services.

Another advantage is that shelter adoption fees are usually much less than an animal's purchase price at a pet store or breeder. And your new pet is more likely to be vaccinated, dewormed, and spayed or neutered. To locate your local animal shelter, check the Yellow Pages under "animal shelter," "animal control," or "humane society."

Many shelters have websites on which they display the animals they have available for adoption. Some sites allow you to download adoption forms and read about responsible pet care. A growing number of shelters also promote their web sites, and the animals they have for adoption, on sites such as Pets 911, Petfinder, and 1-800-Save-A-Pet.com.

Plus

K9 Korral Obedience Training Center