Mabel the Rescue Dog

3 min read (Articles narrated by Mabel)

Humans have a difficult time resisting the cute face of a puppy. This is why so many people walk past pet stores and stop to look at all the cute puppies for sale.

Looking at puppies for sale might seem like a fun, heartwarming way to spend your time, but there is actually a dark secret behind nearly every pet store. Therefore, you should never even consider a pet store as a location to purchase a new dog.

About 90% of Pet Store Puppies are from Puppy Mills

Yes, the sad truth is that most puppies at pet stores from from puppy mills. The puppies might seem adorable and healthy, but they all come from a dark past. By purchasing a puppy from a pet store, you’d only be supporting puppy mills and encouraging them to breed more dogs.

If a Pet Store Says They Don’t Support Puppy Mills, There’s No Way to Know for Sure

Many pet stores will be vague about where they get their puppies from or they might even lie to you. Just because they say the puppies are from a “certified breeder” doesn’t mean that breeder isn’t running a puppy mill. Therefore, it is almost impossible to tell which pet stores are telling the truth and which ones aren’t.

Most Pet Stores Lack Specific Knowledge on the Puppies

If you get a dog from a rescue, shelter, or even a reliable breeder, they will be able to tell you a lot about each individual dog and their overall breed. However, at a pet store, most of the employees just work at the store and don’t know much specific information on the puppies at all. Therefore, by purchasing a puppy from a pet store, you really don’t know exactly what you’re going to get.

The Puppies are Not Guaranteed to be Healthy

Despite what you are told, if you purchase a puppy that’s from a puppy mill, it will likely have health problems. Since puppy mills breed dogs in inhumane conditions, the parents are not completely healthy, which could greatly affect the puppy too. Therefore, there could be lots of unknown issues with your new puppy that you aren’t even aware of.

They are Expensive

Puppies are usually expensive, but if you buy them from a pet store, you’re likely paying much more than they’re worth. With a reliable breeder, the cost makes a bit more sense, but it just doesn’t seem right to pay a ton of money for a pet store puppy that you don’t even know much about. Plus, that extra cash is just going to help the puppy mills breed more puppies.

There are Plenty of Great Dogs at Rescues and Shelters

I know I’m bias since I am a rescue dog myself, but there is no reason to go to a pet store when there are so many rescues out there in need of a home. You could find the perfect dog for a cheaper price at a reliable rescue or shelter. Then, you would be supporting pet adoption instead of going against it.

If you were considering getting a puppy from a pet store, I really hope that this article was able to change your mind. Remember, there are actually plenty of rescue puppies out there. If you are looking for a young companion dog, please try opening your heart to a rescue puppy instead of a pet store puppy.

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