Puppies at Pet Store

[AndySharon BoomerShaynaMariner]

I had to go to the mall (Rockaway NJ) with my son this evening.  We walked past the pet store.  They had about 20 puppies in small cages.  The goldendoodle couldn't fully stand up in the cage.  My son (18 y/o) said 'Dad there is something wrong with the doodles legs, she cann't straighten them.'  All the puppies were biting at the cages due to boredom.  There was only one employee sitting behind the register un-interested in what was going on in the store.  Most of the dogs came from one breeder (I'm sure a puppy mill).

 

I wanted to take each adorable puppy home, to get them out of this situation.  But what would that have done - it would have condoned the practice of puppy mills and only supported the evil that I hate.  I thought of calling the vet (a medim size local vet practce) that was listed on the dogs ID cards and asking him to dis-associate himself from this place.

 

I wish I could help.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Actually, when pet store puppies end up at the pound, other dogs lose their lives. The shelter is already crowded, and the staff has to make room for the newcomers. They know that these poodle-mix designer puppies are much more adoptable than that 6 yr old shy black lab who has been sitting there waiting for a home for two weeks. So the pet store pups will get his cage, and this poor lab who was once somebody's pet will be taken back and euthanized.
This is another way the puppy mill/pet store industry hurts all of us who claim to love dogs.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Since I've had my Doodles, I've met a few people who got their dogs from pet stores. I usually will ask them if they know that it's puppy mills that are supplying these dogs, and many people also feel that they are actually "rescuing" them. Adrianne, I always tell them your "story", and I'm so glad that I have been "educated" by you and DRC.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

Well my friend Jane - I am thrilled that others share my story to educate others. I was so clueless - I have to tell you that I am still very embarrassed that I was so clueless. I have NEVER in my life have gone into a pet store to get a dog - all of my dogs throughout my life were all from breeders.

Something made me go to that pet store that day and find Samantha. Maybe so I would find DK, get ripped a good one from Jacquie (who by the way is a very close, personal friend since) to get the education I so obvioulsy needed, to foster Mickey, adopt Charli, open my home to so many fosters, spend countless hours each week looking & finding doodles that need our help and then finding those with huge hearts to help foster them and then watching through tears them going to their forever loving homes. Maybe a higher authority had a plan for Samantha and I?? I can't discount that at all.

Whether a doodle or a lab or a pit - there are just too damned many in shelters! Granted - I would love these who I share it with to offer to foster or adopt from the DRC and if they have a some 'extra' money I tell them how to donate, money is always needed to help the next doodle get out of jail and to the vet. Hey - it can't hurt, right? I no longer care - I have no shame when it comes to doing what needs to be done to rescue doodles! I even had a little girl in the dog park ask her Mommy for $5.00 from her allowance so Nellie (who was with me at the time) could have an extra toy to take to her new home. Out of the mouth of babes!! She also asked her Mom if she could sell lemonade to help more doodles like Nellie. This little girl had me in tears!!

You know what the Beverly Hills Kill shelters have the most of?? I guess no one will be terribly surprised - it's the chihuahuas!! All these kooks want that tiny little foo-foo dog to dress up, don't train them (why should I, they are so little??) and they become nasty, biters!! I breaks my hearts when I check the So Cal County (which are all kill shelters due to the quantity of dogs they have) and see so many of those little guys.

Okay - off the soapbox again. Have to go and check on the new 2 doodles we pulled from a shelter in Ohio.

[AndySharon BoomerShaynaMariner]

I just read this article - thought it would be of interest:

http://blogs.bestfriends.org/index.php/2010/09/24/the-blood-diamond...