Good Breeders Let You Meet Your Puppy's Parents

I found this great educational article on the Main line Animal Rescue (MLAR) website about puppy mills & what you should know about pet stores. Breed rescue organizations and how to find a good breeder are also discussed. Main line Animal Rescue raises awareness of the deplorable conditions in puppy mills and rescues their helpless victims.

Copied from Main line Animal Rescue Website:

"See that cute little dog in the pet store window? If he came from one of the over five thousand puppy mills in this country, his mother will more than likely live the entirety of her short life standing on a wire floor, packed in a small cage with other dogs that may be aggressive toward her. Frightened, malnourished, often without medical attention of any kind, she shivers in the cold days of winter and bakes under the August sun. Never knowing kindness or the slightest affection, she is a prisoner for profit. Bred at six or seven months and then every heat cycle after that, her short life will end brutally when she is no longer able to produce puppies. MLAR has rescued breeding females who were "de-barked" with steal pipes, their back teeth cracked, their jaws broken. Other dogs came to us with scars from undergoing more than dozen Caesarians, all performed without anesthesia by commercial dog breeders, who are generally farmers unqualified to perform such surgeries.

Please don't support these inhumane practices by purchasing a dog from a pet store; adopt from a shelter or rescue organization instead.

Main Line Animal Rescue is an all breed rescue organization helping all dogs regardless of their breed, but there are specific breed rescues across the country who help only purebred dogs of certain breeds. For example, Lab Rescue helps only Labrador Retrievers, Newfoundland Rescue assists Newfies in trouble, and if you want a West Highland Terrier, their rescues place hundreds of homeless Westies from New York to Seattle every year. Information is available on the Internet under Petfinder.com or through the national club for the specific breed you are looking to adopt.

If you are determined to purchase a purebred puppy, contact a reputable breeder endorsed by the national club for the particular breed you desire. This information is available Online. Or if you live in Southeastern Pennsylvania, call Braxton's at 610/688-0769 and ask them to recommend a good breeder. You can also ask your veterinarian for recommendations. If there is a practice in your area comprised of veterinary specialists (an orthopedic surgeon, a canine dermatologist, neurologist, etc.) then call them and ask to speak to their "fertility specialist." This specialist will be familiar with the breeders in your area and will be able to put you in contact with a small reputable breeder.

A reputable breeder breeds for the purpose of improving the breed, not simply for profit. When you find a breeder ask questions. Talk to their vet as well as people who have already purchased their dogs. Reputable breeders will also take their dogs back, even after five or six years. They are also willing to answer any questions you may have after you bring your new puppy home. Always see how and where the puppies are living, and always… always… meet the parents! If the breeder won't allow you into his barn or into his kennels, thank him and leave. It is most likely a Puppy Mill."

This article was taken from Main line Animal Rescue Website. Please support them and/or other puppy mill awareness groups like North Penn Puppy Mill WATCH if you can. I give 10% of my publisher royalties from my book sales to MLAR.

Posted by:
Dawn Kairns
Author of MAGGIE: the dog who changed my life
www.dawnkairns.com
www.maggiethedogwhochangedmylife.blogspot.com