I just read an article in USA Today, written by a veterinarian who is sick of pet shop puppies and the industry they come from. One of the most compelling things I learned through reading this article? Only about half our states regulate the companion pet selling industry in any way and none of the retail pet stores are federally regulated at all. This means that pet shops are free to run their businesses how they see fit, usually meaning get as many animals in and out of the door as possible with no concern for humane treatment. She also goes into detail about 5 things pet shops will lie to you about until they get a sale. "Of course our pets don't come from puppy mills," they'll say,"they come from responsible, USDA licensed breeders!" They're right. Puppy mills are breeders. But would you like to buy a pet that comes from an agriculture-based breeding facility? These are not farm animals. These are pets that will share your home, your heart, and in some cases even your bed.
One of my favorite things about this article? People seem to care. Here's a quote from one of the comments: "we "rescued" our two Bostons from a pet store. I say rescued because in a way that's what it was. They were in little cages and had no room to run around and even though they were so expensive I thought it was worth it to get them out..." This is the typical reaction of people visiting pet shops and the desire to rescue the puppies. My response to that? If you want to rescue and animal, go to your local shelter.
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