Pet Store Puppies

Recently, I had a lady who purchased a Boxer pup from a pet store contact me for some help. Because of what her and I discussed, I decided to add yet another page to our website. My hopes with this page is to put some facts out there for those of you who are thinking about adopting a puppy from a pet store, so that you won't!

The cold hard truth is that an overwhelming majority of pet store puppies come from puppy mills. Puppy mills are nothing more than inhumane breeding factories, and their main reason for operation is to MAKE MONEY!! If you come across a Boxer in a pet store, PLEASE DON'T BUY IT! Think of it like this, if you do buy that Boxer, you are only perpetuating the abomination of puppy mills and you are condemning the parents of that Boxer to a life of untold misery. In the end, that puppy in the window will cause you tremendous heartache and expense.

Because the younger the puppy is the more marketable it is, puppy mill puppies are often taken from their mothers at 4 or 5 weeks old. They are then sold to a broker, who intern sells them and ships them to pet stores. These puppies are separated from their mothers much too soon, and are deprived of human contact, which leads to improper socialization. Because of this, they may not get along well with other dogs and are often not good with people, especially young children. These puppies also face overcrowded conditions and continuous inbreeding. They are unlikely to have sound temperaments which makes aggression common. This situation results in either expensive training bills or the prospect of euthanasia of your "cute" puppy.

The first ten weeks of a puppies life are crucial, because they are in the developmental phase. They need to be in a sanitary environment. Puppy mills are, for lack of a better work, filthy. The dogs are usually not fed or watered on a regular basis, extremely thin, dirty, and matted. Puppy mills are breeding grounds for the following conditions that are common in pet store puppies: worms, upper respiratory infections, ear and eye infections, mange, coccidia, and giardia. Be aware that lack of sanitation during early puppy hood will cause lingering health problems. Puppy mills also do not care about the mothers either. They are bred every season, receive little or no veterinary care, are given only enough food to keep them alive, and then are euthanized, shot, or bludgeoned to death when they can no longer produce puppies.

Pet stores are interested in selling you a puppy; they are not interested in whether or not that puppy will suit you or our family. You want that one...you have the money...ok, sold. When dealing with a pet store, you will not receive any of the advice and help that you would receive had you purchased from a reputable breeder. 

A common misconception is that people who adopt a puppy from a pet store feel that they are saving the puppy, when in fact all they are doing is perpetuating the problem. Here are a few questions to ponder: Does anyone really believe that pet stores care who is paying for their puppies?; What is their motive?; and What the future life of the dog will be?. It is heartbreaking to see a puppy sitting lonely and possibly ill in a pet shop display cage. But you have to look at the big picture...How many puppies will be condemned to the same fate? Each puppy you "save" will be replaced by another one, while its mother is literally bred to death.

I am glad that you took the time to read this page. I hope that you will take time to patiently find a reputable Boxer breeder, you feel comfortable adopting a puppy from. Adding a new member to your family, one who will hopefully we with you for 10 or more years is an important one. Please do it right, and AVOID pet stores. 

~Pet Store Puppy~

I'm a little puppy, so cuddly, sweet and small
I live inside a cage, you see at a Pet Store in the mall.
I'm not the only puppy, my sisters and brothers are all here, too.
Except for Ralph who died coz he didn't get enough food.

It's lonely here at nighttime when all the lights go dark,
We tremble in our cages and we whimper and we bark.
But no one comes to hold us or pet our fears away.
We sit all night in terror 'til the store opens the next day.

We don't remember mama, left so far behind.
she did the best she could for us 'til Man said "It is time."
He crammed us all in cages too small for us you see.
We rode for hours; we could not help but lay in poop and pee.

And now we sit in a Pet Store where kids come taunt and tease.
They do not hear our whimpers or understand our pleas.
We're miserable and it's scary here we all would rather die.
But since we don't we do our best to run away and hide.

I know you think my story too sad to leave me be.
You want to take me home with you, a happy little puppy.
But please, though it is fearful to live here against our will.
If you take me that leaves a spot another pup will fill.

You can stop our suffering but not by taking us home.
You must be strong and leave us here, unsold and all alone.
For if you do not take me, then another pup won't come.
And maybe he will not be shipped so far away from home.

Though some of us may not survive the cycle 'ere it falls.
If we don't sell they will not need more puppies in these halls.
And if they need no puppies then the Man will not bring more.
Eventually it can all stop! You CAN close the door.

So when you see a puppy face so sad and sweet and small.
In a cage at a Pet Store at your local shopping mall.
The best thing you can do for him is leave him sitting there.
That is the best way you can show all dogs how much you care.

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