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Breeders of purebreds have no excuse for ignorance for feeding litters, etc, but some people are just plain dumb.
Years ago, I worked at our local animal shelter and of course saw many litters of puppies brought in. Some of those litters of puppies were so hungry and thirsty that they were climbing on each other's heads to get at the bowls of food and water we set down in the kennels for them. Many were also full of worms. I imagine in their ignorance, that the owners assumed that the puppies were able to get their nutrition and liquids through the mother's milk, or whatever food happened to fall their way out of the mother's bowl.
GRRRR! People that don't spay and neuter their pets shouldn't own pets. If they can't afford the neutering fees, then don't get an animal.
My rule is, if I'm concerned I contact the authorities and let them figure it out. If there is something wrong they'll investigate and act, if not they'll say, 'have a nice day, sorry to have bothered you.' It's truly that simple. If you act and the breeder isn't doing anything wrong nothing is lost except a phone call to the Sheriff's department, however if you fail to act defenseless animals may suffer. But it's your call.
We need more information from the OP. Did the puppy have fleas, hookworms, etc. or was he just treated as a precaution? Was the puppy merely underweight or was there a more serious health condition? A 1 out of 5 for body condition would indicate a puppy at death's door to me, personally, so I'm very confused right now as to what exactly was wrong with this puppy. Was he literally starving? Pups that age can lose weight pretty quickly, for one thing. What were his energy levels? What was the reason for the pale gums? What was the overall condition of the other dogs and the kennel?
I know a vet who got their veterinary degree in North Carolina, and the regulatory conditions she described were not exactly rigorous. That was a while ago, but I doubt things have changed much. I don't think a case of fleas or something like roundworms would spark an investigation. However, if there was a more serious problem that indicates pervasive neglect, reporting it could help to spur an investigation of the kennel. But so far, the only thing we have confirmed here is that a puppy was underweight. Given that puppy weights CAN fluctuate dramatically and the OP doesn't say any special treatment was needed beyond feeding the puppy more, I'm not sure there's any point in reporting this. It sounds like he was treated for a whole bunch of things, but nothing was ever actually diagnosed.
Breeders of purebreds have no excuse for ignorance for feeding litters, etc, but some people are just plain dumb.
Years ago, I worked at our local animal shelter and of course saw many litters of puppies brought in. Some of those litters of puppies were so hungry and thirsty that they were climbing on each other's heads to get at the bowls of food and water we set down in the kennels for them. Many were also full of worms. I imagine in their ignorance, that the owners assumed that the puppies were able to get their nutrition and liquids through the mother's milk, or whatever food happened to fall their way out of the mother's bowl.
GRRRR! People that don't spay and neuter their pets shouldn't own pets. If they can't afford the neutering fees, then don't get an animal.
I don't know about that. I think a bigger problem than refusing to spay/neuter is being unable to sequester your dog in such a manner as to avoid unwanted pregnancies. I really don't see any inherent problem with intact dogs, but I do see some problems with a broad recommendation for the knee-jerk removal of any dog's gonads. I completely agree that non-breeders should not breed dogs, but I just can't go from there to "spay/neuter all pets".
Agree with JRZ, from what we were told there is nothing to contact the Sheriff about. If that puppy was in that poor of a condition, why did you pay money for it and take it? By chance do you have any photos of the puppy when you brought it home that you can post for us?
You accepted the condition of the puppy when you decided to take it home, keep it, and pay the person cash for the animal. You should have not paid a dime to the person, and not purchased the animal if it was in such bad shape.
PS. Boxer puppies do have a large boney back-skull ("cone head"); they do grow into it.
I recently purchased a boxer puppy from a NC breeder on July 5, 2013, his date of birth 4/26/2013. Upon picking him up I was concerned about his condition, he seemed to be very under weight and you could see and feel his rib cage, there was little meat on him, I soon realized that he had a cone head because he was under weight. I took him to the vet within three days of my purchase he was tested and treated for worms, fleas and hookworms, the test results came back negative. However, the vet was concerned, she said that his stomach was enlarged his gums were pale, which is a symptom of hookworms. His weight was 7lbs, body condition score was 1 out of 5 and his overall assessment - needs improvement. The vet suggested I notify & report this to the animal control. I did not want to report this until I receive my AKC paper from the breeder. The main reason she said she wanted me to report this was so that they could contact the breeder and educated him. I received my AKC paper and now I want to bring this to the attention of the proper authorities, but I don't know where to start. Now get this, the breeder has given me "limited AKC Registration", he is concerned that I do not mate him, but he needs to be concerned about the condition of the puppies he is breeding.
Hmmmmmmm...I can't imagine a puppy of that age with pale gums and a BODY SCORE OF 1 not being immediately hospitalized
for at least fluids and observation. What has been discribed would most likely be a very fragile puppy.
While if the condition of the puppy is indeed THAT bad the limited registration does seem a bit ironic all things considered but I'm honestly a bit skeptical here that maybe some of this isn't bitterness over the apparently unexpected limited registration which is something that should have been inquired about prior to purchase and is of absolutely no consequence unless you were planning to breed.
Please forgive me if I am wrong...its just an observation.
I don't know about that. I think a bigger problem than refusing to spay/neuter is being unable to sequester your dog in such a manner as to avoid unwanted pregnancies. I really don't see any inherent problem with intact dogs, but I do see some problems with a broad recommendation for the knee-jerk removal of any dog's gonads. I completely agree that non-breeders should not breed dogs, but I just can't go from there to "spay/neuter all pets".
I guess I would agree if everyone who didn't spay/neuter was responsible about keeping them sequestered. Unfortunately, the evidence shows otherwise. Just check the statistics of litters put down from non responsible owners adding to the pet overpopulation every single day.
I think it's best to just educate the public to get them neutered instead of hoping that they will be responsible owners. I don't call it a knee-jerk removal of their parts, I call it safely ensuring that the animal can't breed if it isn't contained.
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