Why YOU Should NOT Give a Puppy for Christmas – All Pet Store Puppies Come from Puppy Mills

Six days from now, excited young children, even adults, will be waking up to find a new four-legged friend under the Christmas tree.   Oh, the exhilaration will abound as the cute, fuzzy pup is too hard to resist by everyone who comes in contact with the  furball.    The new pet is fun, playful and irresistible.  For me, the thought of these images makes me cringe. 

Just thinking about the many puppies being given as gifts this Sunday (Christmas) makes my heart ache.   Many of us in the animal welfare/rights world know this is rarely a good idea.    I have one exception to this rule.  Stay tuned.   For those considering giving a puppy for Christmas,  I hope you have given it serious consideration.    I hope you also recognize pet stores only sell puppies who were born at puppy mills which leads me to the three great reasons why NOT to give a puppy for Christmas.

Reason 1 –  Having a puppy/dog is a Lifetime Commitment with lifetime responsibilities.

The newness and novelty of a puppy soon wears off after the holidays.   One must get into the mindset of taking time to care for all of your pet’s needs.   Here are examples of what you need to consider before adding a puppy to your home:  housetraining,  cost of veterinary checkups and visits, cost of food, expensive medical costs for a disease or an injury, exercising, socializing, boarding costs, grooming, training/obedience classes, dog sitter, walking and playing with your dog, yearly license fees, pet health insurance, pet deposit/cleaning fee for some apartments, professional carpet cleaning due to accidents (vomiting, going to the bathroom, knocking over a drink or food), and unexpected or incidental expenses.

Last, but certainly not least, is loving your pet for his/her entire life.  They are family-oriented and want to be part of yours.   Isn’t that why you wanted to add a new member to yours?   Dogs depend on us entirely to take care of them and their needs.   By loving them, you are conveying they are important and play an significant role in the family.     I’ve never understood why anyone would have a dog but keep him tethered outside to a dog house or post.    If you desire to have your canine to be used as a watchdog outside,  how can it possibly do his job when he’s tethered?  They’re unable to protect you.   Instead, they are vulnerable to someone hurting or killing them.   They can’t escape or protect.   I can’t think of any plausible reason for having a dog if always tied outdoors.

There must be a commitment to your dog for the next 10 – 15 years.   Can or will you make the commitment to take care of your dog for his/her entire lifetime which can exceed a decade?  If you answered no, getting a puppy/dog is not the right fit for you.

Reason 2.   The sad reality is many puppies will be surrendered to shelter/rescues within months after the novelty wears off.

Many shelters begin to see the first wave of puppies being surrendered within a few months after the novelty has worn off and reality has set in with the daily routine of having a puppy.    The excuses are endless.  I’ve seen and heard them myself.   ‘They didn’t know they were going to get his big.’    ‘They have no time for the puppy.’   ‘They don’t have the money to pay for the costs of having a pup.’   ‘The dog is too energetic or has behavioral issues.’

All of these excuses aren’t valid, in my opinion.   When you buy a puppy from a pet store,  you’re told the breed.   Having this information will tell you the general size of the dog,  typical energy levels and exercise needs, and what behavior problems may be associated with the breed.   What you can’t account for is an unexpected illness in the puppy (see example in Reason 3.)   If you wanted a docile dog, you don’t want a Jack Russell Terrier.   This is where researching is essential and most helpful.   There are those who think the puppy should know how to be the perfect pet without the help from their human counterparts.   This is where consistency and knowing how to teach your puppy is vitally important.    Without utilizing these important steps,  your puppy isn’t going to learn what is expected from him.

Did you know:

• 7.6 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, approximately 3.9 million are dogs and 3.4 million are cats.
• 2.7 million animals are euthanized (1.2 million dogs and 1.4 million cats).
• 2.7 million shelter animals are adopted each year (1.4 million dogs and 1.3 million cats).
• Roughly 35% of dogs in shelters are adopted.
• Approximately 31% of dogs entering shelters are euthanized.
• Only 29% of dogs and cats are adopted from shelters/rescues.
• Approximately,  33% of animals in shelters are purebred.

Too many animals are dying in shelters while people are buying puppies from pet stores.   You can find dogs and cats of many breeds at shelters nationwide.   You can find puppies but they are adopted quickly at shelters.   If you have purchased a pet store puppy, don’t let her/him become a statistic by relinquishing at a shelter or rescue.

Reason 3.   All puppies purchased from pet stores were born at puppy mills and your purchase enables the mill owners to breed the mothers every heat cycle until they are no longer are able and can die a gruesome death at the hands of the owner.  Puppy mills are able to flourish because of consumers who buy from pet stores, over the internet, or newspaper ads.

Where do puppies come from that are sold in pet stores?  Puppy mills.  What exactly is a puppy mill?   A commercial breeding facility which can take the form of a shed, barn, outside cages, inside cages stacked on top of each other where dogs are kept in filthy, squalor conditions.   Any place where various breeds of dogs are kept in the small confines of cage/kennel for the sole purpose of breeding puppies for profit.   Many mills pass inspections despite the obvious deplorable conditions.   It’s very hard to shut down a puppy mill because they are legal and rarely allow the public to see them.   

In the mills, the mothers and fathers are forced to breed for their entire lives 24/7 so pet stores and the owners themselves can sell the pups via the internet.   With the internet, the middle man (brokers) is no longer needed.   When the mother or father is no longer considered profitable,  they are sold at an auction to another mill owner,  if lucky, given to a rescue organization to whom they have established a relationship or killed in a gruesome manner including death by drowning, gun shot, hit in the head with a rock among other heinous ways.   The dogs are never considered living, breathing, sentient beings.   They’re viewed as objects that are forced to make money with the least possible care.

Kindness is never shown to puppy mill dogs.  They live in the most awful conditions where they receive very little or no veterinary care.   Their fur is never brushed and ends up becoming long and matted.  Their nails can grow to lengths where they curl back into their paws.   Most are forced to live and sleep around their own feces and urine or it seeps through the wire floor and onto the dogs in the cages below them.   They are not socialized.  They’re not given the opportunity to walk on grass.   They know what cement and wire floors feel like.   Wire floors causes splayed feet which is a very painful condition.  The puppy mill owners don’t care about the welfare of the mothers and fathers.  Their sole goal is to pump out as many puppies as they can especially at Christmas time when the sale of pet stores’, internet and newspaper puppies’  soar.

If you see a “breeder” who sells multiple breeds, you are dealing with a puppy mill.   Do NOT buy from them!  A reputable breeder purposely does not breed their dogs in time for Christmas.

Pet store puppies are prone to being ill, injured, having genetic and behavioral issues due to the lack of care.   The puppies are driven to pet stores for thousands of miles in a truck where some die because they aren’t protected from the weather elements, aren’t fed or given water during their journey.   Many arrive at the stores very ill but rarely tell a prospective buyer about it.

A woman who bought a puppy from Petland last month (November 2016) watched as her small, male Papillon puppy, Samson, suffered and died from Parvo which isn’t uncommon with mill puppies.   The sick puppy showed symptoms approximately 10 days after being purchasing.   The puppy survived for another two weeks.    Here is a video of Samson during his extremely short life.  The video is not graphic but it is sad.  FYI- Petland is notorious for selling very ill puppies.

When you buy a puppy from a pet store,  you are only sending a clear signal to the puppy millers that there is a need to keep breeding their dogs to satisfy the public.   They don’t want you to know how awful the conditions are for the dogs who are forced to endure this life of hell.   And it is a life of hell for them with no way of escaping until death or a possible rescue.    They will never know the comforts of a home unlike their puppies who are given as presents especially at Christmas time.   They will never feel the caress of a gentle hand stroking their heads.   They are never cradled in the arms of a loving, caring person.  They will never feel the warmth of a soft bed or playing with toys.   They are treated as commodities, plain and simple.   They are a cash crop to those who run puppy mills.

Next time y0u see a puppy at a pet store, ask an employee where the kennel that provides the puppies is located.   If they tell you a local breeder, ask for the name and address.    If it’s a “beautiful kennel” in another, state, ask for more detailed information.   They won’t give you a honest answer because the truth is puppies in pet stores come from puppy mills!

As I had stated there is one exception for giving a pet at Christmas.   It is when the entire family is fully aware and involved in adopting/rescuing an animal.   They need to find out what type of dog would best fit their home and lifestyle.   If a child sincerely wants a pet,  sit down and discuss what is expected.   If a child is very young, parents need to realize that taking care of the pet will fall on their shoulders.   Are you prepared or do you want to take on the responsibilities of having a pet 24/7?   Is Christmas the ideal time to introduce a new pet into your home when you may have a lot of plans that will take you away from your home?   The holidays can be overwhelming for any pet especially with much activity.  It may cause anxiety for a pet so you may not know the true personality until things settle down.

What can you do to combat puppy mills?

*First, don’t ever buy a puppy from a pet store, over the internet or newspaper ad when multiple breeds are sold by the same “breeder.”

 *Adopt from a shelter or rescue.  There are millions of pets waiting across the nation for a second chance.   Do your research on different breeds and ask questions of the staff to narrow down the type of dog best suited for you and your family. 

*Don’t shop at stores or websites that sell puppies.

*Support organizations that help mill dogs.  Volunteer your time, donate items or much-needed money.

*If you have your heart set on a puppy, seek out only reputable breeders.   A reputable breeder will want to know all about you and the care of the puppy you will provide.   They will show you the mother and father of the puppy.   Many breeders stay in touch with you.   If the puppy doesn’t work out for whatever reason, the breeder normally wants the puppy returned to them.

*Get involved politically to help change legislation or getting ordinances passed banning the sale of puppy mill dogs at your local pet store.

*Share this article with family and friends who are considering buying a puppy.   Educate others on the horrors of puppy mills and the connection to pet stores, the internet, and newspaper ads!

Tina Evangelista-Eppenstein is a television talk show host, speaker, writer and unabashed animal advocate.   She hosts the show,  ” A Close-Up Look at Animal Welfare Issues.”      Have a story, please email Tina at tevangelistaepp@yahoo.  Like my tv page at https://www.facebook.com/ACloseUpLookAtAnimalWelfareIssues and check out AnimalWelfareIssues.com for all the tv shows you may have missed!