Puppy mills are sad places.

[Larwyn]

My pup, Bruno the Wonder Dog was a 3 month old street bum when he wandered into my motel room one cold and rainy evening about two years ago. Nobody knew him except hotel management said he had been hanging around for a couple of days. Left my number in case someone came looking for him and brought him along on the 250 mile trip home. He has made my day at least once a day ever since. I have no idea where he came from but I am sure glad that he picked me.

Then;



Now;

[Geron]

Both mine are rescue dogs. Never had any other kind other than rescue or stray
My main dog Penny: She looks frightened here 'cause there was an awful thunderstorm in full swing.



She was a puppy birthed by a stray Collie dropped off at one of my sons home. I "rescued" her from my rambunctious 4 year old grandson. Yep, I changed her world!!!!!

Lucy:


Now Lucy is my wife's main dog!!!!! Someone dropped her and a Chihauhau (later named Taz - yep, you got that one right!!!) off an another of my son's home. Taz got another home.

[Arne]

Every dog deserves to have a 'forever home'. I congratulate those of you who have helped those in need of a home... and I'm sure you have been rewarded 10 fold....

Here is a pic of my bed warmer... yes, she sleeps wherever she wants to, till I get into bed... and yes, she pulls down the covers for me... she is still in training to do it neatly... :}

[satch]

Got Mollie from a freind who was going to send her to the shelter.
How can you not love that mug!

[Arne]

"cute as a button", I'd say.. what a great looking little dog.... and a happy one, too....

The reality is all it takes is a bit of attention and a few kind words to get loads of affection back... It isn't too much to ask on their part...

[Mighty Mouse]

Hey Mark need a kitten? We now have 5 cats, 3 kittens and 2 grown. I kept stealing the kittens from a stray that would have them in my garage or other places in the back yard. Gave away several to places that we knew would be good homes, 2 went to my sister who already had 2 grown cats. I could not catch the momma and animal control would not try to trap her. I did manage to give 2 kittens last year to an animal control officer to keep for her kids tho. Momma cat finally got ran over by a car sorry for her but ends my trying to corral and give away kittens. Woke up last night 3 times by one sitting on me and licking my face. She does that alot likes to give kisses but just to me won't to wife. They co-exist with the sheltie (give her wide berth) but play with our Boston. The kisser and him are best buds now. And is this unusual 2 black and whites and one siamese from the same litter? Boston was a rescue and sheltie from a friends litter breed in home and raised as pets not breeders. Oh well to much info from me cause Im bored waiting for wife to come home from work so surfin the board.

Bud

[Changer]

Not just pet stores, but also beware of "breeders" who have websites and will ship a pup to you.

Yes and no.

Puppy mills are horrible, but I wanted to speak up here in defense of reputable breeders- because we really do need GOOD breeders, not just crappy ones, if we want to have recognizable, healthy dog breeds in the future. Yes, you can absolutely find good dogs in the shelter. But if you have your heart set on a certain breed, in many cases the only way to get a healthy one of that breed is to get VERY lucky- or go ot a breeder who has very carefully focused on health and temperament being correct for the breed.

My little German Spitz would not BE here if it were not for a breeder who was willing to ship a dog from ENGLAND to California, where Lizzie's mom was born. Lizzie's mom was entrusted to Lizzie's breeder, and hence I have Lizzie. (I lucked out in that a responsible breeder of the breed HAPPENED to be here in Texas, but I would have been going to MN otherwise.)

Good breeders:
1. Breed for the good of their breed, first and foremost. Not because Fluffy is cute, they want tos ee the miracle of birth, to make money, or anything like that. They are rarely, if EVER making a profit.
2. Good breeders are picky about who they sell to. They screen homes to make sure they are an appropriate match for the breed in question AND the individual dog. And if that dog EVER is in danger of needing a new home, the breeder is willing and able to take it back - and will move mountains to do so, if necessary.
3. Does everything possible to ensure that they're breeding healthy dogs- this doesn't mean a 'checkup' at the vet- it means x-rays, bloodwork, DNA tests, specific health sceens (such as Holter heart monitoring and echocardiograms in boxers and dobes, or yearly eye checks in the spitz.) (What tests are correct for each breed vary because the health concerns differ, but good breeders do them.) Yes, there are problems that can't be tested for- that's what pedigree research is for- and yes, there are good breeders who breed dogs who are carriers for genetic diseases like PRA and DM- but the whole point of DNA testing is that it allows breeders to NOT do breedings that will produce affected dogs.
4. DO something with their dogs - they're pets first, but they also get their dogs out and compare them to other people's dogs, whether it's in conformation, herding or field trials, agility, obedience - they DO stuff with their dogs, and frequently their lives are pretty much arranged around their dogs.
5. The vast majority of responsible breeders either currently are, or have previously been involved in rescue, either for their own breed or all breed organizations- it may not be through fostering, but it may be doing shelter walk (checking shelters to make sure there are no dogs of their breed there), transporting, running adoption events, doing homechecks, or financially.

Rescue is awesome. Rescue is wonderful. I love rescue. But I also love and appreciate my well-bred dogs, whose breeders are so dedicated to producing a healthy dog who can do the work the breed was intended to do and be a great representative of their breed. Don't throw reputable, responsible breeders out with the puppy mills.

[PanelDeland]

I have 2 Yorkies that my wife and I bought from reputable home breeders.We also have 4 Yorkies,a Maltese and a Staffordshire terrier(AKA Pit Bull) who thinks she's a Yorkie.The last 6 listed are rescues.We also have a shelf with the urns of 5 other rescues and one other bought Yorkie.This is in the last 10 years.
We also do quite a few recue transports(did one last weekend) for various rescue groups.We haven't been as active in transports the last 3-4 years as we usually are,but are starting to do more again.
We even did a trandport a few months ago for a group who has a pilot who flys dogs all over the eastern half of the US.He is an anesthisioligist(sp) who loves to fly and keeps his flight hours up by flying rescues to various places.
Our vet and groomer both do work for rescues and it is a requirement for us to use them.They also give us group discounts for services.
If you deal with a reputable rescue organization they will vette you almost like a adoptive parent(you are actually).We have been vetted and have vetted others.Most rescue groups want to place pets but only in safe loving enviroments.
BTW.I left for work one Sat am and came home at noon to find our household had grown by 4 rescues.

[Arne]

There are many sides to this topic.. One I would like to put forth is now that puppy mills have gotten some bad press, Pet Stores are buying from 'back yard breeders', and advertising that their dogs do not come from puppy mills.. but that does not mean the the breeders are a good source. The conditions can be almost as bad as puppy mills.

So, still avoid pet stores... and know your breeder.

As several have pointed out, there are many good breeders out there who love the breed and are not in it just for the money.. The job is to find one you can trust.

[traveler]

Arne, have you ever heard of "Best Friends" animal sancuary in Kanab Utah??? It is a 30,000 acre reserve for the unwanted animals of all kinds where they can go and live out their life, or hopefully some one will take one home. I am going there after the 17th and voiunteer for as long as I can before the IRG. They did wonders with the Michael Vic dogs and they do the same with dog, cats, birds, or anything that may come into their shelter. It is a darn shame about the puppy mills or any other mills.
Bruce

[Arne]

I have not heard about it, but I wish there was something like that near me... There are humane societies, but many of their dogs, especially older ones, are not adopted and are euthanized.... something I could not handle..

[traveler]

There was only one pit bull from the Michael Vic round up that Best Friends had to put down because of the bad shape inside and out and they didn't want to see it suffer any longer. They had a television program on National Geographic channel that showed how they cared for these animals. They also went to New Orleans and rescued many animals and some found their owners and the rest went back to Kanab to be evaluated and then put up for adoption. We have a shelter here in Bend Or, and they do real great work with the animals. This area is full of horses and LLamas and there are two Vets, that I know of, strickly for the larger animals. But we also have those that don't take care of the animals that they own. Some people should not be allowed to own an animal if they can't take of it. SOUND LIKE A PLAN??????
Bruce

[legojenn]

My dogs are both from the local SPCA. The beagle, Gordon was a hunting dog who was kicked out of his pack and was returned by the first family who adopted him. He's an escape artist too and was a little destructive at first. He insists on sitting in the front seat of the car to the point where I was pondering getting a "Gord is my co-pilot" front licence plate. The rottie mix, Ambrose is high-strung and has anxiety issues. He barks constantly when he's alone. It's not so bad with the other dog around. He was found emaciated raiding garbage can one winter and was adopted by a close friend. I baby sat him after she injured herself on ice and he sort of never went home. I can understand why some people would go to a reputable breeder. You don't always know what issues you're bringing home. That being said, I wouldn't trade my buffoons for anything.

These guys come camping with me all the time and love mountain climbing in the Adirondacks. The photo below was taken at Meacham Lake NY.

[Arne]

just a side note, and one thing it took me years and several dogs to understand... they don't come with a switch that makes them the perfect dog. It takes patience and understanding for months to let them find their place in the pack... and sometimes, they have traits that will not change because of breed or their former lives...

I've had Tela for about 4 months and there are still things she does that are annoying, like trying to herd my other dog around the house when she feels like it.... but, she is a great dog, and that is just her.. and she has gotten better about it.

[Larry Messaros]

Not just pet stores, but also beware of "breeders" who have websites and will ship a pup to you.

Absolutely! The first clue is "purebred, no papers"!