Today while I was out running errands I happen to stumble upon two different people selling puppies in two different locations. A man was on the side of the road selling pitbull puppies and a lady was at Walmart selling Chihuahua puppies.

I was really bothered by the situation. It was 80 degrees here, the sun was beating down and these poor puppies were panting like crazy while their owners sat with signs saying puppies for sale.

I was actually appalled that Walmart allowed this woman to sit in front of their store selling dogs. Out of curiosity, I parked and went up to the lady with the Chihuahua puppies and began talking to her. Asking her questions that anyone who is looking to purchase a dog should ask.

Question One- How much are these puppies? She took a deep breath and pointed at each dog and gave me a different price on each puppy.

Question Two- Are they all from the same litter? Yes, they are.

Question Three- Are they registered? Well, mom and dad is registered but I did not feel like dealing with the paperwork to register the puppies.

Those were just three of the 50 questions I asked this woman.

I find it very odd she wanted different prices for each puppy in the litter, when they all had the same genetics. Regardless of color, if one pup is worth $500, they all should be. Any good dog breeder would agree that the price of a dog should not be determined by it’s color, rather it’s pedigree. So, this woman was basically trying to see the more desirable colors for more money simply because she knew people would pay her more and never question it.

Her answer to me about the paperwork was just plain stupid. It takes 5 minutes to fill out a litter application. So, I do not know who she thought she was fooling there. If her dogs were truly registered dogs, she would have done it, because obviously dogs with paperwork are worth more. Also, no good dog breeder would ever breed dogs without papers. Papers are very important to be able to track down genetic info on a dog. This is vital information for the sake of the pups long term health.

So, not only was she a liar trying to make a quick few hundred dollars she was not even trying to even act like a professional.

The problem I have with people selling dogs like this are….

1. It seems very unethical to me to sit outside of a store or on the side of the road trying to sell puppies.

2. When people sell dogs like this, they care less about the homes the dogs go to. Responsible dog breeders care about the homes they place dogs in and only sell dogs to people they feel are responsible and able to care for a dog for the span of his life.

3. The puppies never have saw a vet generally. Pups need to have shots on schedule and need a health check before they are sold or given away. Dogs without proper vaccinations can die. So, these people could be selling sick dogs.

4. These type of people should not be breeding dogs. Dogs should not be bred for the hell of it. Dogs should only be bred for the purpose of bettering the breed or for show/working. Not for the main purpose of quick money.

I admit I was livid! I actually called our local humane society and police department about it. I was told that there was no law preventing them from selling dogs on the side of the road! Shocked! How can that be legal?  Really, if I was on the side of the road selling shoes they would try and get me for not having a business licenses or not paying taxes. So how can people sell dogs on the side of the road and it be legal?

What do you think about this? DO you think it is ethical to sell dogs on the side of the road?

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The Pet industry is a million dollar a year industry. There is a growing desire to purchase accessories for the pet; much more so than in the past decades. You can currently get dog sweaters, luxurious dog beds and furniture, jewelry and pretty much everything you can purchase for yourself, including designer doggy apparel. We all want our pets to look and feel their best and purchasing special things for our dogs can make them feel like part of the family.

Designers like Paris Hilton who has lines especially for your doggy. These lines have everything but the kitchen sink quite literally. You can purchase items like the Paris Hilton Star Lily charm for a mere $30 or the Sparkle Bubble dress for $55 at retail price. The designers don’t stop there they also give you the decision on doggie gift baskets with full spa accessories including a towel and Body wash for the average pampered dog this treat also comes with a doggie bath robe.

Though in the past we have considered our pet a part of the family many are going to extremes to ensure that they are well taken care of in many cases more then an average adult. The internet is scattered with literally thousands of sites sharing pet accessories. The items that are available for your dog’s are many giving our pets a major place in their average family functions. The purchase of a dog bed is on average between $30-150 dollars but if you are going designer: you will pay about $15-1700 dollars. The Beverly Hill Black and white bed is going now for over 1,700 dollars which is significant considering you can get a decent bed for a person for under $1000 dollars.

While a lot of us have trouble getting a grip on how this industry is a boom, many dog owners are purchasing these products and more for their fine furry friends; and as long as the designers will make them there will be people to purchase them!

It is allot of fun dressing our dogs up in cute designer clothes, finding the perfect pair of dog boots, doogles (dog sun glasses) and having our dogs look their best!

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Puppy Mills are place where puppies are breed for pure profit. The breeders house hundreds of dogs here so that they can produce more puppies to sell. There are many reasons why puppy mills should be band or eliminated. The puppy mills give the puppies very poor and in adequate care throughout their lives. If they are not sold they are kept as breeders.

When adequate breeders care for their puppies they provide the puppies with daily food and nutrition, grooming, medical care, exercise and give the puppies love and attention. If a puppy is not socialized when they are young they have a hard time adjusting to new situations. Puppy mill dogs are not shown the necessary amounts of attention from birth. If they are not sold by the age of 10 weeks they usually have no socialization skills. This would make them unable to be placed with a home safely. The puppies learn how to interact with others at this stage and can be mentally scared. Many also have severe changes in temperament when reaching sexual maturity since no social connection was made.

Most pet store puppies come from puppy mills!

Disadvantages of the Puppy Mills:

Puppy mills provide little food and water- or may provide good amount some days and slack on others to save money.

Puppy mills keep puppies in overcrowded cages for weeks or months at a time.

Puppy mills don’t provide the puppies with adequate exercise on a daily basis (if ever)

Puppy mills don’t give the puppy’s adequate medical treatments-to save on expense.

Puppy mill dogs usually have many physical or mental defects as a result of their treatment and care.Puppy mill dogs are usually discarded when they no longer need them, or can not have anymore puppies to cut down on the costs.

Puppy mills provide horrible conditions and severely in adequate care for puppies. Stopping them and enforcing stricter punishments for such actions should be known on a wider scale. Contact your local shelter and see what you can do to help stop puppy mills!

If there is a puppy mill in your area and you have not been able to get any help, or if you can’t get local help for a situation, please contact the HSUS at stoppuppymills@humanesociety.org.

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