Why do People spend big bucks to get Pup from Puppy Mill ?

[MegalosSkylaki]

When they can get a great DooG or Catt from a Shelter ?

When walking with the in-laws inTown (you wonder why I stressed?) and Mommy Dearest wants to check out this Kennel Klub or what ever on Posh Strret near Bloomies, Trump Tower etc.

I fear the worse but MOM comes out without a box and tells us Males $1,500 and Females $3,500--HuH !

Double Huhs?
Why such big bucks--especially when you can get a great DooG from a shelter for next to free?

Two thousand $ MORE for a female--ain't that gender discrimination ? Reason: animals not neutered yet and female fecundity .

Anyhows these Puppy Mills inbreed all kinds of genetic defects which keep the Vets in business--no thing as incest inthat business (!) including orthopedic problems due to inbreeding of recessive traits..

Meanwhile about five blocks away is thee Humane Society Animal Shelter with lots of animals --all ages and some with history of abuse, mostly "lost interest", found pets to be a Responsibilty and often a costly one, etc. Doogs are usually given four days to be adopted before being killed. "Undoptables"--well no wait.

The avarage life life span of a Dog in the US is 3 1/2 years. Is this artificially low life expectency due to "putting down" unwanted as no room for in Shelters !

Meanwhile the Puppy Mills keep cranking out the $300 to $3,000 puppies. Don't seam quite right to me.

I know a lot of people who have adopted dogs from Shelters and every one of them is happy. Yet , judging by the "put down" age of Doogs , this may not be the case with Puppy Mill buyers who do it out of "impulse", as a "gift" to a child too young to realize what it entails, or the "breed du jour" as "101 Dalmations" created a demand for Dalmations --who require above avarege socialization to be a "family pet."

My girlfriend and I saw a Custom built home with a twenty-dog kennel (heated and air-conditioned) on top of a hill in New Mixico. Our rental car couldn't make it , but we think from time to time to open up a non-lethal animal retirement/adoption agency.

We understand this is being done in various places around the USA. But the obvious solution is to close down the puppy mills. As is evident, I'm not a big fan of Gov't involvement in business--but the Gov't is already involved with dealing with an unwanted domesticated animal population for whom it has to make provisions.

Instead of killing those who are in Shelters why not allow them to be adopted before another Puppy Mill is licensed to breed. As for preference for "purebred" or "pedigreed" --I won't comment on that beyond saying that an animal is not an adornment or fashion statement.

Until the Puppy Mills are closed down, the movement to build non-lethal "Shelters" is "spitting in the Ocean".

DOOOG

[fyxxer32]

I ALWAYS get my critters from the pound, and have always been happy with them. I can only guess the reason people go to the posh pet stores is to get that special breed like the Jones have. Usually those blue blood breeds cant be found at the pound with the best dogs there are, the mutts. Mutts always seem to be even tempered and generally good dogs.

[ocit]

i agree mega, i have two loving dogs that i took in off the streets. and they are great dogs.

[Warthog]

A Rescue Dog's Christmas Poem


'Tis the night before Christmas and all through the town,
every shelter is full - we are lost but not found,
Our numbers are hung on our kennels so bare,
we hope every minute that someone will care,
They'll come to adopt us and give us the call,
"Come here, Max and Sparkie - come fetch your new ball!!
But now we sit here and think of the days..
we were treated so fondly - we had cute, baby ways,
Once we were little, then we grew and we grew -
now we're no longer young and we're no longer new.
So out the back door we were thrown like the trash,
they reacted so quickly - why were they so rash?
We "jump on the children:, "don't come when they call",
we "bark when they leave us", climb over the wall.
We should have been neutered, we should have been spayed,
now we suffer the consequence of the errors THEY made.
If only they'd trained us, if only we knew...
we'd have done what they asked us and worshiped them, too.
We were left in the backyard, or worse -let to roam-
now we're tired and lonely and out of a home.
They dropped us off here and they kissed us good-bye...
"Maybe someone else will give you a try."
So now here we are, all confused and alone...
in a shelter with others who long for a home.
The kind workers come through with a meal and a pat,
with so many to care for, they can't stay to chat,
They move to the next kennel, giving each of us cheer...
we know that they wonder how long we'll be here.
We lay down to sleep and sweet dreams fill our heads..
of a home filled with love and our own cozy beds.
Then we wake to see sad eyes, brimming with tears --
our friends filled with emptiness, worry, and fear.
If you can't adopt us and there's no room at the Inn --
could you help with the bills and fill our food bin?
We count on your kindness each day of the year --
can you give more than hope to everyone here?
Please make a donation to pay for the heat...
and help get us something special to eat.
The shelter that cares for us wants us to live,
and more of us will, if more people will give.

http://www.golden-retriever.com/poem.html

- Proud owner of a genuine, $5 animal shelter mutt.

[Graham]

Our hound is a sort of rescued dog, too long a story to bore you with, his parents were both pedigree but he was never registered.
Had him now for 14 years he has been a wonderful friend. We would never get a dog from a breeder, especially with my wife on the local RSPCA committee, we see too many strays.


"A master who is good and kind
who understands a doggy mind,
a walkies and a meal a day,
is all I ask for when I pray"


G (definately a doggy person)

[pickel]

We've had both kinds. My wife breed and showed Keeshond dogs ( cute but stupid ) and now we have a mix from the rescue league. He's real cool and gives us many moments of awe and laughter....a real character!!! But as long as the love works both ways..that's what it's all about>

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Megalo, I agree 100%, OF the two dogs I've had as a child, both were put to sleep for various reasons both were Pet store dogs, I would never buy a dog from a pet store, but I can understand why some do, some don't want a Dog, they want a puppy, which causes 2 problems, they won't get a dog from a pound because they are grown. and they won't keep the dog when it isn't a puppy anymore. hence more going to the pound.

I only have a cat right now, which I got from the paper, Free and She's a great cat, she's almost 2 yrs old now, very well natured (but doesn't play with toys =[ ) when we got her she was the size of my hand. I can't understand why anyone would buy a kitten form the petstore, there are so many in homes that need homes. I can understand Pet stores selling exotic animals, but that's all they should sell.

[brandon184]

Our dogs either came from shelters or certified breeders. NO PET STORES!

- Brandon
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