Buyer Beware When you Get a Puppy!
Author: RebeccaFoxton Total views: 12 Word Count: 488
Pet store temptation - we have all suffered from it when viewing the cute and curious menagerie of animals on sale. Do you ever give some thought to where these animals come from?
In a relatively small number of cases that might be true, but the fact remains that puppy mills supply huge numbers of puppies every year to pet stores, internet sales and even apparently reputable dog breeders' sites. What is a puppy mill? you may ask. The answer may shock you.
Puppy mills are canine intensive breeding plants, where literally thousands of puppies are bred to supply the pet industry. It's a sad life for a puppy mill puppy, from the very start.
Poor health, temperament issues and hereditary diseases are often the legacy of being bred at a Puppy Mill. Socialization rarely occurs as the puppies are taken away from their mother early, thus depriving them of these skills.
Poor health is contributed to by a lack of decent food and water, terrible cramped living conditions and overcrowding; and there is little chance for them to experience positive human interaction before being transported to the pet store
Usually when breeding dogs, breeders will study the blood line of each of the parents to check whether there is any risk of inherited diseases, so that they breed a healthy puppy. Medical and vaccination programs will also be adhered to, until the time they are released to a loving home.
A good breeder will have spacious, clean and humane premises, and should voluntarily be able to show you the bloodline of your puppy. A breeder ALWAYS gives a guarantee (although details may differ), tips on care, and would never make you return the puppy if dissatisfied, as they would have properly interviewed the family.
It's a far cry from the puppy mill, where money is the main motivator. The goal is a conveyor belt of puppies to maximize profits. There is no interest in screening parents, checking for disease or making sure bloodlines remain clean, which can lead to a huge amount of problems.
The mothers may have the worst of it, as they must carry puppies every time they are on heat, and there is no escape from the poor nutrition, lack of medical care, housing or breeding cycles. When the females are no longer useful, death or abandonment generally awaits them.
Although there are laws Puppy mills still flourish. The only way to stop them is to remove the demand by refusing to buy a puppy unless you know its origins, or if it is from an animal shelter.
It is imperative that you don't buy a puppy from a mill to rescue him. It is creating a demand for another puppy to be bred into a life of suffering. Contact the appropriate bodies, and demand they take action.
Puppy mills only exist because of the end consumer, so buy puppies responsibly and ask some tough questions the next time you see puppies for sale.
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About the Author
About the author: Rebecca Foxton wants to help you bring your pet brilliant health with Fortiflora. Check out her health tips for people with dogs and cats and visit her dog supplements article series on Dog Buffs.
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