[AMSS]

I'm asking because I always thought CT was fairly "educated" in dog treatment and have noticed that pet stores now put the names and addresses to where the dogs came from. I'm curious if this has helped. I'm very well aware that pets stores and puppy mills have been synonymous in other areas of the country but wonder if CT's stores are an improvement.

We are ready to get a new dog. I've never been through a breeder and those I know that do spend a crazy amount of money; my family has always adopted rescue animals and they are normally mutts (they've normally had shepherd and/or lab in them). While I don't care if my dog is purebread, I like particular mixes or "bases" if you will. But the adoption process/application has gotten quite absurd. I'm used to filling out a few pages and showing my previous dog's medical records, sending back a spay certificate, etc....but now they want to know the size of my house, how many hours I work, ages of the kids, and will even reject you if there is no fence around the yard...even though I live around woods on 2-1/2 acres and really don't need a fence. While I haven't been rejected, I keep being suggested a dog I have no interest in if you already have another dog or type of dog. So frankly...I'm tired of that crap.

Which leads to this possibility that will likely leave me scorned on C-D and shunned by one of my sisters - I might go to a pet store. If anyone is willing to admit they went to a pet store or knows a breeder who isn't obnoxious, please let me know. We want a new dog and would prefer a puppy. Shelter owners/workers we've dealt with in the past have been great, but the ones I came across recently have been strangely empowered - can't think of another word.

[willow wind]

100% of puppies in pet stores come from puppy mills. Putting the name and address means nothing- it's still a puppy mill. No genetic testing is done- the pups moms are bred every heat until they wear out. No attempt is made at improving the breed, breeding a healthy puppy or breeding for good temperament. The pet store will tell you that the puppies' breeders are USDA approved. So are cows. That definitely means puppy mill. Pet store puppies are a product to be sold and nothing else..

No reputable breeder would ever let one of their puppies go to a pet store to be resold. Pet stores sell to the first person who shows up with the money. That person may or may not be a suitable owner for the dog. All reputable breeders screen their buyers and will take their pups back if the placement doesn't work out.

How do I know ? I've been showing dogs for over forty years. I seldom breed but am involved with dog clubs and various issues with breeding and rescue.

Unfortunately people often pay top dollar at pet stores for puppies that are barely recognizable as the breed. I met a gal in my vet's office once, who had a Siberian Husky puppy she paid $ 2,000 for at a pet store in Danbury. It didn't even look like a Siberian. She could have gone to a show breeder and gotten a pet quality puppy for several hundred less.

All purebred dogs have national and often regional dog clubs. If you want, for example, a Lab just look up CT Labrador Retriever clubs or New England Labrador Retriever clubs. It may take some searching but you will find local breeders.

I'll also add I have two friends here in CT who in the past year who have adopted puppies from Arkansas who are brought north by a rescue. Neither of them have fenced yards as they live on large acreages. I won't note the name of the rescue as I don't want to be accused of recommending something and then have someone get a " lemon" of a dog from them. I'll just say there are tons of rescues out there. Some are run by control freak crazies. Some seem to be run by hoarders who have so many restrictions that no one qualifies. Some are reasonable. Just plan on spending a lot of time searching.

As for the questions on adoption, there are obvious reasons for them. Example, how many hours do you work. The rescue wants to know what you're going to do with the puppy while you're gone. Crate it for 10 hours or more, plus crate it at night ? What kind of life is that for a pup? Or let it have the run of the house while you're gone, so it can destroy your home? Or can someone come home for lunch, do the kids get home at 2:30 or 3:00 or do you have a dog walker ?

Well, good luck in your puppy search. There is a dog out there for you. But please don't get a pet shop puppy. Don't kid yourself. You're just ensuring the puppy moms will live their brief, miserable lives in tiny cages bred over and over again.

[AMSS]

Originally Posted by willow wind

100% of puppies in pet stores come from puppy mills. Putting the name and address means nothing- it's still a puppy mill. No genetic testing is done- the pups moms are bred every heat until they wear out. No attempt is made at improving the breed, breeding a healthy puppy or breeding for good temperament. The pet store will tell you that the puppies' breeders are USDA approved. So are cows. That definitely means puppy mill. Pet store puppies are a product to be sold and nothing else..

No reputable breeder would ever let one of their puppies go to a pet store to be resold. Pet stores sell to the first person who shows up with the money. That person may or may not be a suitable owner for the dog. All reputable breeders screen their buyers and will take their pups back if the placement doesn't work out.

How do I know ? I've been showing dogs for over forty years. I seldom breed but am involved with dog clubs and various issues with breeding and rescue.

Unfortunately people often pay top dollar at pet stores for puppies that are barely recognizable as the breed. I met a gal in my vet's office once, who had a Siberian Husky puppy she paid $ 2,000 for at a pet store in Danbury. It didn't even look like a Siberian. She could have gone to a show breeder and gotten a pet quality puppy for several hundred less.

All purebred dogs have national and often regional dog clubs. If you want, for example, a Lab just look up CT Labrador Retriever clubs or New England Labrador Retriever clubs. It may take some searching but you will find local breeders.

I'll also add I have two friends here in CT who in the past year who have adopted puppies from Arkansas who are brought north by a rescue. Neither of them have fenced yards as they live on large acreages. I won't note the name of the rescue as I don't want to be accused of recommending something and then have someone get a " lemon" of a dog from them. I'll just say there are tons of rescues out there. Some are run by control freak crazies. Some seem to be run by hoarders who have so many restrictions that no one qualifies. Some are reasonable. Just plan on spending a lot of time searching.

As for the questions on adoption, there are obvious reasons for them. Example, how many hours do you work. The rescue wants to know what you're going to do with the puppy while you're gone. Crate it for 10 hours or more, plus crate it at night ? What kind of life is that for a pup? Or let it have the run of the house while you're gone, so it can destroy your home? Or can someone come home for lunch, do the kids get home at 2:30 or 3:00 or do you have a dog walker ?

Well, good luck in your puppy search. There is a dog out there for you. But please don't get a pet shop puppy. Don't kid yourself. You're just ensuring the puppy moms will live their brief, miserable lives in tiny cages bred over and over again.

That's actually where are last dog was adopted from, but PetFinder has limited their searches now to local areas. I may contact them again, but as I said we were interested in a puppy of a certain mix and I would never spend thousands of dollars for a pure breed. I'll PM you. But do those control freak crazies who make the decision if the dog is right for you realize that they may send people to pet stores with their pretentiousness?

[RunD1987]

I like the Humane Shelter up in Newington very thorough if looking to take in a pet

[JayCT]

We got one of our dogs from an Amish breeder in Pennsylvania. We went to their farm and saw that the dogs were well cared for, clean and healthy. We saw the dog's parents and picked the puppy from a litter that was 8 weeks old. We also saw the kennels which were big, very clean and heated. Whether this is considered to be a puppy mill is beyond me but my wife (an avid dog lover) was impressed. Our other dog was sort of a rescue. A family was giving him away because they stupidly bought him (From a local breeder) right when they had a baby. Puppies are a lot of work so them and new babies do not mix. Jay

[kidyankee764]

Have you looked into the North Shore Animal bus? I stumbled upon them in the parking lot of the Southbury Green in the fall and, being a dog person, I walked in and checked out the dogs. They were all clean, appeared happy and well cared for. Some were puppies, some were adults. I remember the fee not being cheap, but I can't recall how much. Worth a look.

What kind of dog, out of curiosity? I can ask an acquaintance who breeds boxers if she knows of anyone currently breeding. By the way, I've had various breeds throughout my lifetime, and boxers are my favorite.

[AMSS]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Have you looked into the North Shore Animal bus? I stumbled upon them in the parking lot of the Southbury Green in the fall and, being a dog person, I walked in and checked out the dogs. They were all clean, appeared happy and well cared for. Some were puppies, some were adults. I remember the fee not being cheap, but I can't recall how much. Worth a look.

What kind of dog, out of curiosity? I can ask an acquaintance who breeds boxers if she knows of anyone currently breeding. By the way, I've had various breeds throughout my lifetime, and boxers are my favorite.

I haven't checked out the bus yet, but I grew up near North Shore and that's where all my childhood dogs came from. But I've had a few people tell me that they are stringent on having a fence...at least the particular people they dealt with. But I'll stick give it a try. Thanks!

Hmm...rather crazy that I took in a child from the state almost fifteen years ago and adopted him, but now am getting frustrated over a pet adoption.

[hvexpatinct]

There are two rescues that adopt at Southbury Green. One is NSAL and the name of the other one escapes me, but they are there regularly (holiday weekends and one weekend day per month) and they do not, to my knowledge, require fenced in property.

[Sigequinox]

Our little gizmo (Maltese) is from pet store. He was a puppy mill dog. He had parvo virus and started seizuring the day we got him. Thank god he survived. Pet store took care of bill. Ct veterinary center in west Hartford /farmington saved his life (24 hr ER over there).


Anyway, he's the sweetest little guy and we saved his life by getting him (surely would have been dead in cage by next morning). Yes you enable mills by buying them, on the flip side though it's almost like rescuing a dog (at premium prices) because of how f$:@d up the industry is. Gizmo (and his more properly bred sistuh from anuda muthah) are family to us. I would never change that if I could. Ultimately you just need to love the animal your bringing home. The rest is politics.