Author Topic: Question for rescue folks and pet store employees  (Read 1583 times)

Offline Ali

  • BPO Fanatic
  • ***
  • Posts: 838
  • My girls!
    • View Profile
Question for rescue folks and pet store employees
« on: July 08, 2008, 06:11:39 pm »
I think I can safely assume that we all detest the selling of puppies in pet stores, for a laundry list of reasons. My question is, what happens to the puppies that don't get purchased? The ones that, for whatever reason, become several months old in a pet store cage, and STILL don't get bought even when their prices are "clearanced" or whatever. I can't imagine that they ALL get bought at some point. So what happens? Do they go to rescues? Are they euthanized? Are they sent back to the BYB's? Just curious. I have an unbalanced "acquaintence" that is a serial dog owner. While she has gone through rescues before (obviously presented well enough to get through screening - scary thought), she most recently got a dane at a breeder, then purchased a "clearance" goldendoodle on a whim because she said that the dog would be PTS if it wasn't sold, and it was already 4 months old or so. Like I said, unbalanced. Won't even GO into her pet history. Wish I could do something but I can't. Just curious about her rationalizatio n for purchasing her doodle. She done that before, last year, with a spaniel who was "clearanced". She ended up giving the dog away to a family that was too broke to go adopt one (I know, I know...) So, what happens to the pups at the stores, really? Are there policies for that situation, or is it an individual store's discretion? Does anyone know? (Again, let me emphasize the word "acquaintence". The only child she has is being raised by his dad and myself - oops! Have I said too much??) :P
Ali
mom of 4 humans AND
Tani (TAH-nee or rhymes with "Bonnie")- Aussie/Pittie?Boxer?Mutt!
Kai - Aussie/Dobie
Kenji - big ol' black cat
Mika and Nishi - kitty sisters, foster failures!
Tasia Ladysnake - ball python

Offline amberdoggoneit

  • Paw-meister
  • **
  • Posts: 559
    • View Profile
Re: Question for rescue folks and pet store employees
« Reply #1 on: July 08, 2008, 06:47:53 pm »
My husband's family owned a pet store that was more for fish and reptiles but towards the end his uncle sold puppies also. 

It started with rescues coming there and then he had a very good friend who needed to sell some lab pups and brought them up there and they all sold in a day. 

We COMPLETELY disagree with the selling of pups but his uncle who is now 80 didnt and wanted to make a buck.  My husband worked there all throughout school and he said that every pet store is different.  They almost always sold every puppy they got but would send the puppies back to the breeder if not sold.

He said though that they only did that twice the 9 years he worked there.  The dogs also were like 6 months old before they would send them back and the "breeder" had to sign something saying that they would take the puppy back. 

But he did say every one is different tha tis just how they runned it. 

Hope that helps
Lilypie 1st Birthday Ticker" border="0
Bell 3 1/2 yr old Weimeraner
Baxter 3 yr old English Springer Spaniel
Buble 10 month old English Springer Spaniel

Offline sc.trojans

  • Big Paws-a-holic
  • **
  • Posts: 327
  • Gracie and Skylar
    • View Profile
    • Natural K9
Re: Question for rescue folks and pet store employees
« Reply #2 on: July 08, 2008, 11:00:42 pm »

Laws may vary by state, but here in California as with many other states, the law is 4 months of age is the age limit to be housed and kept by the pet store.  If they do not move the puppy by 4 months of age, they must dispose of it.

How they do this is up to the store...the industry standard however is to sell the puppy back to the broker - the brokers are the ones who are arranging the purchase between the puppymill or backyard breeder and the store.  Most pet stores pay between 100-300 for the puppies to the broker, and then sell for 600-3500 in stores depending on breed.  Most broker/store contracts establish the buy back clause.  If the pet store sells the puppy back, then the puppy goes back to the puppymill and becomes a breeding dog.  As long as the dog can produce and crank out a minimum number of puppies, this will be his or her life.  Euthanizing by the pet store is very rare because the only goal of the pet store is to make their money - they will always sell the puppy back to recoup their money - but brokers or mills may ultimately destroy the animal.

As an aside - the 4 month age law is why falsification of birthdates is the norm in petstores.  Gullible people love to believe they know their pups birthdate when purchased at the store - odds are they don't.  If you ever see a puppy in the window that looks a lot smaller, or a lot younger, than the posted age, this is why.  Most backdate the age so they can ship earlier (law requires puppies be 8 weeks old before shipping) and have more time in the store for potential sale.  So 5-6 weeks old is common.  Most used to just backdate the birthdate to whatever typical Monday shipping date they planned to ship on - but the USDA started to get wise to every puppymill puppy's birthdate falling on a Monday...so they are varying this more now.


SC Trojans
with Gracie and Skylar

Offline newfsie

  • Full Fledged Chewer
  • *
  • Posts: 68
    • View Profile
Re: Question for rescue folks and pet store employees
« Reply #3 on: July 09, 2008, 02:09:16 am »
This just all to sad :-[We have the same problem here in Australia. SPCA is trying very hard to put a stop to sale of puppies in stores and puppy farms. As for rescues. The owner to be should be better vetted. Before we got into the rescue program we had to have references from other dog owners and our vet. And one of their questions was your previous dog history. They also keep in contact post rescue. This is for the newf rescue. I think you can just pay and grab dogs from the spca and lost dogs home. All these poor dogs
Newfsie, from Downunder
owned by Annabelle, Tessa, Nugget and six horses

 http//:community.webs hots.com/user/newfs4ever
 
"Never underestimate the warmth of a cold nos