I noticed a sign outside of Fairgrounds Square Mall along the Fifth Street Highway announcing the opening of their new pet store. I thought, WHAT??
Of course, I had to find out if this was indeed the same type of pet store found in the Berkshire Mall. For those of you who don’t know, the puppies that are sold at the Berkshire Mall pet store come from puppymills. Don’t let any salesman fool you and tell you they come from a beautiful kennel in Missourri. NO REPUTABLE BREEDER would allow their puppies to be transported from a long distance and be sold in a pet store without meeting the future owners.
I located the pet store near the Deb Shop in the Fairgrounds Square Mall. The store is named “Adorable Pets”.
As I walked in I commented to my husband that it was definitely set up differently than the Berkshire Mall’s pet store. No cages stacked on top of each other. There were single cages set up on the floor with about three puppies in each. All puppies were of the same breed in each cage. I saw a Dorkies for sale- Daschund/Yorkie mix, Chihuahas, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels among the several cages. Of course, all were adorable. What puppy isn’t?
The reason I went into that store is because I had to know. So I asked the one salesperson – do these puppies come from puppymills? Now I know, no one would admit to it but her answer struck me as different. She looked at me and say NO WAY!! She told me her mother is a local breeder and wanted to showcase more puppies rather than having people coming to her home all of the time. She also told me other local breeders were used as well.
She said her mother is state-licensed and there is a contract to sign. This isn’t your typical sale like the other pet store. She also said that if the arrangement doesn’t work out, her mother would take the puppy back and the customer could try another puppy. She said it was important for the owner and puppy to be happy with each other and therefore have a successful long-time relationship.
Upon asking her if they sell cats, she pointed to a cage that was now empty but she did point out that they are working with the Humane Society to help them when they have too many cats. As of right now, they didn’t have any cats. I thought that was an excellent idea!
Getting back to the store- these puppies do not come cheap. I don’t believe they are as much as other breeders but I am no expert in that field. I have never purchased a puppy from a breeder. I have always taken in dogs from other people when they could no longer care for them or I adopted them from animal shelters.
There are reputable breeders out there. It appears, at least on the surface to me, that these are reputable breeders. I guess the question is do we really need more puppies when animal shelters are already overcrowded and so many are being euthanized? I know some people want purebreds but you can find them at animal shelters.
Perhaps the local shelters should open up their own store in a mall where people could view the great pets they have! That would be a win-win situation for all concerned.
What do you think of selling puppies from local , reputable breeders in the mall?