It's the cutest, tiniest thing you could ever see (shih-tzu/mini poodle cross). It is also six weeks old. Where did it come from? "Pet shop."
Another friend followed the same route a few weeks ago and bought from a (different) pet shop. Again, a puppy much too young to leave its mother -- and who knows how many health problems they will have, since both almost certainly came from puppy farms?
I am at a loss. These are both supposedly intelligent people, but they don't seem to realise how immoral and irresponsible it is to buy from pet shops. My question: Does any of you good people have any experience in campaigning/educating would-be pet owners against buying from pet shops? Please share, I work for a newspaper and I'd love to start an education campaign in my town!
Answers:
I tried with my sister and she learned the hard way. She went saying "I am not going to get one, just want to look" 20 minutes later she had just gotten home with her first puppy. They didnt ask her any questions, didnt tell her how to take care of it or anything.. just took her money and gave her a dog... Like a pack of cigarettes, or a loaf of bread.
After realising it did have health problems from being weined too young, she Finaly took my advice on the second one. ( quite a while later) I told her she can get a much healthier, much more trainable, and much happier dog, for less money if she went to a decent breeder. I told her that just supporting a pet shop is like giving money to dog-terrorism. She is supporting overbreeding of mothers, homelessness of puppies, and cruel peoples fat pockets.
Why not donate to a good cause like, bettering your breed and getting healthy pups into good homes.
She couldnt think of a good reason to go to the petstore.
Write an article talking about some of that stuff. Tell people what to look for.. What to ask.. and most importantly tell them why. Working for the newspaper you have an opourtunity to do alot of good with this one.
Try interviewing a vet.. and a good local breeder. I am sure neither would oppose helping.
If you do an article, be sure to post the link to the story.
Informational websites are good too. posting in chat forums... whatever it takes. You cant save them all but you can help a few and thats definately worth a shot if you ask me
Go to ASPCA Shelter Outreach and HSUS websites. They have AWESOME references for purchasing from pet stores!
Good luck. These people irritate me too!
is that all he showed you?
Ummm, I'm confused actually. Wouldn't boycotting just mean that all those animals would just be euthanized? Are you saying that in order to save the future of these animals, you have to sacrifice those in the present? I'm not trying to poke fun at your question, I just can't justify killing innocent animals to make a political or "take your pick" point. Even if you do boycott, let's say ONE pet shop in one are, it's just gonna close... wait for there to be a fesh market of "kids" or lonely people wanting a pet, and then re-open. Don't believe me? You should research statistics of pet shops in malls. Remember when you were a kid and went in and looked at the cute pets, and then a few years later the shop closed? Only to reopen again when you were a teen? then close? then reopen again, now that you ahve a small child yourself? I'm just saying, if you dont' save those poor creatures (at least one) they'll just be killed or used as chow for fighting dogs, etc. Then they'll just take the survivors and breed THEM for the next pet shop generation... Sad, but true...
Also, I don't think that saving two dogs by those two people you know is immoral!!! Leaving them to die and suffer: THAT is immoral. Sorry, but... yes.
I am about to open a pet shop myself. I understand what you are saying. I am trying to educate people the 'proper" way to care for animals, not just make a sale. ( I am learning myself every day) For that reason I am refusing to stock cats and dogs. I am instead refering all cat and dog sales to the RSPCA (animal shelter) I believe there enough cats and dogs in the world already without having to add to the burden, just to make money. Educate the pet shop owners, which will educate the people.
I find that a lot of people just believe what a petshop owner has to say coz they sell the animals. Doesnt' make it right
Good Luck!
firstly, theres nothing wrong with mutts. they can actually be better than pure breds because pure breds have smaller gene pools, therefore more genetic problems (i realise you didnt say there was - im just adding this in).
secondly, not all petshops do the wrong thing. I know plenty of petshops who buy from reputable breeders only after the pups are 8 weeks old and immunised and they take extremely good care of the pups they have.
people dont need to avoid petshops altogether. theres plenty of breeders who sell from their door pups who are under age or not immunised too.
therefore, it is not immoral or irresponsible to buy from a petstore.
what is immoral and irresponsible is not enducating yourself about dogs before you buy them, regardless of where they are from.
ask the petshop or breeder how old the pups are, and ask for immunisation papers on both the pups AND the parents.
AND you have a right to ask for vetinary history (and the vets phone number) on both the pups and parents - if the seller is unwilling to give it to you, dont buy the pups.
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it cant realy hit home untill they see the devastating numbers of dogs with out homes, one thing i would be sure to do when educating people on this subject is show them first hand. it realy hits home hard, and it's very upsetting. http://members.petfinder.org/~ne13/index...
that is nebraska's website of compiled kennels and shelters all on one website, im sure your area has a site just like it, look at the site i have here to get an idea, the terrible thing about this there is more than on kind of every dog that needs a home all ages all breeds yes lots of purebreds, people dont realise, and babies too. if people realise that they realy can get what they want from a shelter, they wont need to look any where else. you have many people who support your cause, i wish you luck
When talking to people about their pets.. no matter what it is ( nutrition reputable breeding.. puppymills) you have to be kind...( which is a hard one for me because I feel so passionately about it I feel like people are morons who aren't aware!) I just have to remind myself that I once was uneducated about puppymills.
The second thing is know your facts. I personally use the time I walk my dog to talk to people. When someone is wanting to pet my dog on a walk.. I just make casual conversation that usually leads to talking to them about buying nutritional foods..staying away from petstore brands..) That happens to be what I try to educate people the most about)
Anyway... as long as you are educated yourself and the person is open minded you can do anything. Bottom line if someone doesnt want to hear something they aren't going to listen. And if it doesn't directly affect their lives they really do not care. So when they buy a puppy who dies from parvo or has some kind of genetic disease.. then they become interested in reputable breeders. Same with pet food.. it took a huge pet recall to make people become aware that they were shoveling **** into their animals mouths.
Unfortunately the idea is to not buy from petstores.. that spot that you free up by buying the puppy is just filled again with another puppy. If we do not buy from petstores soon there will be no market for them. Id like to think those puppies from petstores would go to rescue.. but the world is a horrible place and sometimes unfair things happen.
Plus I just wanted to comment about what someone said about they know petstores who get puppies from reputable breeders.. the breeder isn't reputable if they sell their puppies to pet stores... for anyone with the $$ to buy. A reputable breeder would keep those puppies and screen prospective parents very carefully. Bottom Line..
I have always warned people against buying pets from the petstores. In my local online forum, we've got tons of people who bought young pups, kittens, rabbits, unweaned parrots only to have them die a few days - weeks later.
These shop owners rarely have their animals' welfare on their minds. However you'd be suprised just how many people do not know the risks when buying a pet from a store rather than a reputable breeder.
Some don't really care much but just want to get a pet cheap so the petstore is their choice destination. Others buy a pet on impulse, they see a pet in the window and leave the shop with it, without doing much research or preparation.
Is it any wonder these pets end up on the streets or in shelters a few months down the road?
Since you work for a newspaper, run some stories on abandoned pets. That'll start the people thinking and then interview the local SPCA and ask them to provide useful pointers for potential pet owners.
Start by contacting a rescue like Dogs Deserve Better or Dogs A-Tavelling or one of the many breed specific dog rescues. Just google: dog rescue...I'm sure that you'll get a lot of answers to your question.
launch an animal saving campeign. ask your boss. go to www.amricancampaignanimal.com
You lucky I ask nebor if I can look at her ***** and she slap mi fase. I no no why peoples so reluct let stroke there pet.
Where in the world are you?
I only ask because I have never been to a pet shop that sold puppies (although some stock other live animals) - the message about puppy farms supplying pet shops seems to have got across to the British public.
Nowadays irresponsibly bred dogs are sold over the internet or through adverts in magazines, shop windows, newspapers etc.
If you work for a newspaper then you have a fantastic opportunity to highlight this problem and make a real difference (and sell an interesting article into the bargain!).
I would say though - make sure you research the subject thoroughly, check all claims from your sources - speak to experienced journalists as well as people that work in pounds and shelters so you don't get tripped up.
There's some clever people whose business interests would be harmed by your article - make sure you have your facts straight, don't exaggerate or you could do more harm than good as well as making yourself look foolish.
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Raspberryswirl / flacca.
I don't think I can put this any more simply:
People will only continue to breed and sell dogs irresponsibly if people continue to buy dogs that have been bred that way.
Stop paying people to keep producing dogs in puppy mills, and they'll stop doing it. If you buy your dog from a pet shop then you are keeping this vile trade in business, condemning more animals to suffer the same fate.
Dogs from the pound can be very sweet but very nippy. your neighbours shouldn't have taken those pups. they could be sick. are they vaccinated?
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