First Steps to Dog Ownership
Pet Shops
Jeff Robbins/Associated Press
Many people stroll through malls, glance up at just the right moment, and fall in love with a cat, bird, dog, or even an iguana in the pet-store window. While pet shops are a great place to buy food, toys and other pet-related essentials, they are not your best bet for a four-legged friend.
Many pet stores do get their puppy stock from reputable breeders, but there are stores that buy their furry inventory from puppy mills. Breeding dogs en masse for profit (and not much else), puppy mills usually keep dogs in vile, inhumane conditions, with cages crammed together, no socialization of dogs with each other or with humans, and poor cleaning and feeding conditions. These circumstances do not produce well-adjusted dogs. Puppy-mill dogs are often in poor health and tend to be nervous, distrustful and hard to train, and may develop behavior problems that can never be overcome, even by the most patient, loving owner.
Pet stores tend to regard dogs as "merchandise," but these outfits don't always have a return policy or other guarantees in case you have taken home an unhealthy dog. Some stores, however, have arrangements with local animal shelters to display and find homes for shelter dogs. The care the animals receive in these stores is comparable to that of a shelter — generally higher than in most pet shops — and in return for their effort, the stores benefit from selling food, toys and other essentials to the adoptive family. Before you buy your puppy from a pet store, ask the store manager who supplies the animals — and insist on documented proof.
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