Puppymills and Backyard Breeders While Thunder Bay does not typically have large-scale puppymills like bigger US and Canadian cities, we do have a number of irresponsible breeders that fall in to the category of backyard breeder or puppy mill, or both. Whether its because they neglect animals and keep them in poor conditions or breed excessively with little to no concern for the welfare of the puppies they produce, they are all people that should be put out of business. Remember, when you purchase a dog from a backyard breeder you are not "saving a dog", you are encouraging them to breed more. You are not "adopting" a dog, you are purchasing a product for sale.
Let me start off by explaining why I decided to post this information. Having been involved in dog rescue for over 20 years, i've seen it all. I've seen dogs that were beaten, starved, caged to the point that their legs and bodies were deformed. I've seen dogs in pens outdoors when its 40 degrees below zero and they were literally freezing to death. I've seen our humane society turn a blind eye to these situations. In fact, i've even seen them work with backyard breeders by accepting litters of puppies as a "donation" to sell at the shelter (but thats a whole other story). Probably 90% of the neglected animals i've seen over these years were owned by people who boasted they were a backyard breeder. I hope no one ever has to witness animals in this condition but if you do you will understand why this needs to be done. You will understand why these people need to be stopped. They may act like they care about the animals but the bottom line is its all about fattening their wallets at the animals expense. This page contains information about backyard breeders and puppymills who use animals to fulfill their own selfish, greedy needs. Its divided in to these categories:
Definitions
Websites & Newspaper Ads to Avoid
DEFINITIONS:
The OSPCA provides the following definitions for backyard breeder and puppymill:
BACKYARD BREEDER: An owner whose pet may have an unplanned litter by accident, or who breeds on purpose. Common reasons cited include: making extra money, mistakenly believing every dog should have a litter, letting the children witness "the miracle of birth," or because they think their dog would make cute puppies. The animals involved are generally not tested for health or genetic problems, and typically there is no thought to where the puppies will go. They are the single greatest cause of pet overpopulation. Many are sold locally through newspaper ads.
PUPPPY MILL: The National Companion Animal Coalition defines puppy mills as a high-volume, sub-standard dog breeding operation, which sells purebred or mixed-breed dogs, to unsuspecting buyers. Characteristics common to puppy mills include: sub-standard health and/or environment issues; sub-standard animal care, treatment and/or socialization; sub-standard breeding practices which lead to genetic defects or hereditary disorders; and erroneous or falsified certificates of registration, pedigree, and/or genetic background. Note: These conditions may also exist in small volume or single-breed establishments.
WHAT IS A DESIGNER DOG?
First, let me state that I have nothing against mixed-breed dogs. All of my dogs and most of the dogs I rescue are mixed breeds and I love them all dearly. That said...
A designer dog is a mixed-breed dog, not a purebred. The name is a silly marketing gimmick made up to help line the pockets of the backyard breeders and puppymills that produce these dogs. A designer dog is the result of breeding two different breeds (usually mixes themselves) to produce an often times unhealthy mixed breed dog. They are usually a mix of toy breeds like chihuahua's, yorkie's, shihtzu's, pekingese, chinese crested's and so on. There is absolutely no justification for the high prices these dogs are sold for as most backyard breeders and puppymill operators provide little to no vet care, no health screening for genetic defects, and put very little money in to caring for their dogs and the litter. A better definition of designer dog is "a mixed breed dog sold to an unsuspecting, uninformed consumer for a lot of money". Below are some of the "designer dog" names backyard breeders/puppymills use.
These are not rare or purebred dogs so do not fall for the marketing gimmick:
Chorkie
Puggle
Peek-a-chi
Poogle
Papipoo
Shi-poo
Labra-doodle
Chug
Lhasalier
Cavashon
Cockapoo
Terri-poo
Schnoodle
Chee-weenie
Paying $600 or more for a mixed breed mutt accomplishes only one thing; it gives the backyard breeder a reason to laugh at you while they put your money in their wallet. Don't be a sucker.
WHAT IS A PUPPY BROKER?
A puppy broker, or puppy mill reseller, is someone who purchases bulk “lots” of animals to re-sell instead of breeding dogs within their own kennels. Since these dogs are not seen in pet stores, they can be passed off as quality dogs, or from champion lines, or whatever the puppy brokers wishes the buyer to believe. Someone selling an entire litter which they did not themselves breed is likely selling puppy mill animals. A reputable, contentious breeder would never sell puppies in bulk or in “lots”.
Puppy brokers, also known as puppy mill representatives, know well how to market themselves to potential buyers and will prey upon an individual’s lack of knowledge. They will pass themselves off as persons who care about the dogs and wish to protect the integrity of a given breed.
IMPORT BROKERS
A trend among puppy brokers is to present dogs as quality imports which come from “healthier, studier” lines. Such claims of lines being healthier are often false and these may be dogs purchased from overseas puppy mills. The only way to safeguard against possible medical problems is screening for genetic defects within a breeder’s program. Ask for health clearances and get them in writing. The actual trip alone is very hard on the dogs. It is now being said that for every three dogs imported in this manner, two die. Many die either in flight or shortly after arrival. Stories of puppies dying shortly after being purchased are far to numerous.
Buyer Beware! Here are some tips on how to educate yourself on determining if that person you are purchasing a dog from is reputable or really a puppy mill re-seller.
HOW TO IDENTIFY A PUPPY BROKER
There are two factors which allow a puppy broker to do business: your ignorance and your impatience to have a dog of a certain breed. If you want a quality, healthy dog, do not allow these things to be used against you! Educate yourself and be patient! You could pay for your impatience for the next 15 years.
What to Look For:
Puppy brokers always have dogs available. How is this? If they don’t have one in stock for you today, they will have one for you shortly. They just happen to know of a great litter from champion lines about to be ready for new homes! Use common sense! Breeding is not an overnight process! Quality breeders have waiting lists for their dogs and puppies are often sold prior to the actual birth. How has this broker found you such a great dog on such short notice?
Meet the Dam
Always meet the dam of a litter and pick the puppy up on location where the dogs are kenneled/live. If a seller will not allow you to go to the actual property where the dogs live, be very suspicious. If they hesitate to allow you to meet the dam, they either have not bred the dogs themselves or the dam is not who they claim. The sire is commonly not on property, but you always have the right to contact the sire’s owners. Be warned: they will go out of their way to cover the fact they themselves are not the actual breeder of a litter and may outright lie about this.
Champion Dog Lines – Maybe Not
Is the seller claiming your potential puppy is of champion bloodlines? In the internet age, it has become common for puppy brokers to take photos of champion dogs from the sites of reputable kennels and claim that these are the parents of their puppies. Often the actual owners of the sire and dam have no idea that their dogs are being used in this way. Contact them. If a puppy broker will not give you contact information, search the internet and get in touch with them yourself. Good breeders will not hesitate to speak to you about their litters. We can not stress enough how often this happens.
References
Check references. Those selling dogs should be able to produce a list of references from breed clubs, previous purchasers and at least one vet. Contact all references! We have found re-sellers of dogs who are negligent on severe medical attention which their personal dogs need, have poor reputations to being banned from breed/sport/show clubs, or do not give puppies vaccinations but sell them at too early of an age to avoid “unnecessary” expense.
Before You Buy:
Please do not support this growing industry of puppy mill re-sellers. There are many ways to determine if you are purchasing from someone wanting to make a quick profit. Do your research, ask breed/sport/show clubs, which often have online forums, and make an educated decision on where your puppy will be coming from.
WEBSITES & NEWSPAPER ADS TO AVOID!
Kijiji.com:
Puppymill and backyard breeder haven!
Newspaper Ads:
Avoid puppies for sale in the "Bargain Corner" section of your local newspaper. Responsible breeders will never sell pups in these sections. This is like saying "I have for sale an old vcr, a chair, and oh ya, some puppies".
In the "Pets" section, avoid ads that have several different breeds for sale and those that advertise "designer" dogs. Check the phone numbers in the ads and if you see several ads with the same number, they are most likely a backyard breeder or puppymill. Avoid out-of-town numbers as many byb's and puppymills post ads in other cities trying to expand their business.
|
