Why do pet stores buy from puppy mills? Profit. They get the pups at a discount from the millers, then sell them to the misinformed public for major $$. Have you ever seen the prices pet stores charge for pure bred pups? Almost always higher than what you'd get from a reputable breeder and many times MUCH higher...espec ially for the rarer breeds. I don't know about other breeds, but for Bernese Mountain Dogs, you can get them from top notch breeders for around $1200-$1500. You rarely see a berner in a pet store for under $2500...unless it has been there awhile is is costing the store too much money to keep...then they'll 'discount' them for under $2000. The purebred pups you see in petstores often suffer from serious health and termperment issues....as NO screenings are done on the parents.
Please, Please, Please never buy purebred dogs from petstores. For those of you reading this who do have pet store dogs....please don't take this post as a criticism, you cannot help what you didn't know. Your dogs are every bit as worthy of the care and love you give them...they are the true victims. But if people stopped buying them from the pet stores, the millers would slowly be put out of business as stores aren't gonna buy product they can't move. The general public is not aware of this problem and for many people who want a purebred dog...they assume the pet store is the place to go. The only way this will change is through education. Please spread the word of these atrocities to your friends and neighbors. The petstores and millers aren't gonna tell you the truth...we have to get the truth out there on our own!
Sorry for the winded post...this subject is near and dear to my heart.
Lori
