Pet Shops Who Sell Rescue Dogs, Hmmm, Wtf?

[mita]

I have offered my store for this aswell and have tried to work with the RSPCA for 5 years to no avail. Some pet shops do try to educate but can't do it on their own.

Onya for trying. Is there an AWL in SA? Given how well their adoption centres via certain pet supply stores are going in Qld....maybe your state's AWL would give it a go.

Also would individual purebred dog clubs have an interest in doing some p/b awareness/visits in your store.

[casowner]

The QLD AWL is certainly a fine example, unfortunately the SA one has a lot to aspire to. The main shelters in SA tend to be stand alone and do not work with rescue or do not seem interested in cross education, it is a terrible shame. People need to get their own agendas put aside and work together for the good of the animals and public.

[mita]

People need to get their own agendas put aside and work together for the good of the animals and public.

Well said!

[ILK]

I don't agree that selling rescue in petshops is o.k. It will still attract impulse buyers from passers by. A rescue is normally in a destination area and requires a person to go out of there way to purchase a pet.

Poor things will grow for a couple of years and end up back in rescue. Impulse animal buys are a bad thing as we all know and baby animals in a shop window create too much of it.

[mita]

I don't agree that selling rescue in petshops is o.k. It will still attract impulse buyers from passers by. A rescue is normally in a destination area and requires a person to go out of there way to purchase a pet.

The pet store with the AWL Adoption Centre I visited, is well aware of impulse buying. And have measures in place to avoid it.

Most places where dogs can be obtained from are equally open to impulse....given displays on the Net.

I've already described how the store assistant went into a reality check routine. Started off by saying buying a dog or cat on impulse is no good for dog or owner. Then went into costs of dog ownership, responsbilities & lifestyle issues. If someone wasn't genuine & thoughtful about what they were doing, they would dip out at that point. The next step would have been the intense screening interview & other AWL checks.

As the adoptions are within the AWL system, there's even follow-up advice for any specific settling in problems, from the AWL behaviourists.

All of which works against future dumping.

Incidentally, that pet store adoption centre, does not put the animals in a position where people walking past can see them. They have suiitable accommodation towards the back of the store.

This AWL Adoption Centre is as much a destination as the main Gold Coast AWL shelter which is a couple of hours drive away...& same processes apply.

Edited March 14, 2010 by mita

[casowner]

In my case I wanted to focus on older cats and older dogs (promoting them through posters and referring the interested parties back to the shelter). The older cats very rarely stand a chance in shelters during kitten season and it is heart breaking. I have stood in the euthanasia room killing cats and kittens all day due to irresponsible people and I believe if a program that could aid these animals could start then they would have the chance to live out their twilight years rather than being dumped in a bin in a freezer. I would have been happy to have the cats in the store and take them home at night, it would have been less stressful than sitting in a cold pen 24 hours a day.

Seeing people have family outings to the shelter and purchasing a "pound puppy" because who could resist that sad looking dog sitting on concrete behind bars can be just as impulse as the fluffy puppy in the window at a pet shop. Not all shelters screen adoptive owners and many animals are sold to the completely wrong homes, some to return a few weeks or months later for various reasons. The thought of going to a shelter and thinking if he/she doesn't get a home it will die is a powerful emotive tug and people want to rescue them.

Shelters advertising late night shopping/open day with a bbq on Christmas week while also promoting not buying pets for Christmas is also highly hypocritical and confuses the public. Unfortunately every where people turn they receive conflicting advice and it can cause confusion which is why I state we should work together.

I don't think anyone should be able to buy on impulse no matter where it comes from, there should be a initial meet/greet followed by family educational session (without the animal present) and then a 24-48 hour cooling off period so that ALL parties can determine if the home is suitable.

[Steve]

I don't agree that selling rescue in petshops is o.k. It will still attract impulse buyers from passers by. A rescue is normally in a destination area and requires a person to go out of there way to purchase a pet.

The pet store with the AWL Adoption Centre I visited, is well aware of impulse buying. And have measures in place to avoid it.

Most places where dogs can be obtained from are equally open to impulse....given displays on the Net.

I've already described how the store assistant went into a reality check routine. Started off by saying buying a dog or cat on impulse is no good for dog or owner. Then went into costs of dog ownership, responsbilities & lifestyle issues. If someone wasn't genuine & thoughtful about what they were doing, they would dip out at that point. The next step would have been the intense screening interview & other AWL checks.

As the adoptions are within the AWL system, there's even follow-up advice for any specific settling in problems, from the AWL behaviourists.

All of which works against future dumping.

Incidentally, that pet store adoption centre, does not put the animals in a position where people walking past can see them. They have suiitable accommodation towards the back of the store.

This AWL Adoption Centre is as much a destination as the main Gold Coast AWL shelter which is a couple of hours drive away...& same processes apply.

So what if a pet shop did all of these things with any dog or puppy?

[ILK]

I don't agree that selling rescue in petshops is o.k. It will still attract impulse buyers from passers by. A rescue is normally in a destination area and requires a person to go out of there way to purchase a pet.

The pet store with the AWL Adoption Centre I visited, is well aware of impulse buying. And have measures in place to avoid it.

Most places where dogs can be obtained from are equally open to impulse....given displays on the Net.

I've already described how the store assistant went into a reality check routine. Started off by saying buying a dog or cat on impulse is no good for dog or owner. Then went into costs of dog ownership, responsbilities & lifestyle issues. If someone wasn't genuine & thoughtful about what they were doing, they would dip out at that point. The next step would have been the intense screening interview & other AWL checks.

As the adoptions are within the AWL system, there's even follow-up advice for any specific settling in problems, from the AWL behaviourists.

All of which works against future dumping.

Incidentally, that pet store adoption centre, does not put the animals in a position where people walking past can see them. They have suiitable accommodation towards the back of the store.

This AWL Adoption Centre is as much a destination as the main Gold Coast AWL shelter which is a couple of hours drive away...& same processes apply.

I hope it works mita. In theory from all you have said it is great and a fabulous concept if all goes according to plan. I am very pro animal and wish only the best for all concerned, but to be honest I can see the cons here as well.

I am realist and I am not over enthused about the idea.

[casowner]

When I first started at the store 7 years ago puppies were sold there, after a couple of months I stopped it. I personally screened/interviewed all prospective owners and I promise a very small minority that wanted to buy a pup actually ended up buying one. I started off with the 10 or so worst traits for the breeds, the financial responsibility, health maintenance, ongoing costs, need for training/socialisation, grooming requirements etc etc. I questioned their motivation for wanting a puppy and then referred them onto sites such as this and recommended that they go to an All Breed show with their family to discuss their needs with breeders to see what breed of dog suits them. If they still wanted a cross breed I would give them a list of questions to ask the people selling the pups. No one was able to buy a pup the day they saw it.

In recent months I have had the typical people trying to off load pups as usual and then I give them advice and send them on their way. I know I could get these dogs a better home than those who are interested in getting them off their hands so it creates a bad taste in my mouth. I don't sell puppies, but I have over 20 years of animal industry experience and my interest is finding the dogs the right homes so it is a hard situation. It really upset me the other day when someone brought in a gorgeous little pom pup and then when I did my usual spiel he went outside and I saw him hand her over to someone on the road and they gave him the money and left. I spent the night very upset thinking about this poor pup and hoping that she went to a good home.

Edited March 14, 2010 by casowner

[Trisven13]

If we remove the means for puppy farms to make profits then wouldn't they cease to exist?

Well you'd better get rid of the internet because MOST puppy farms sell on-line as much if not more than they do to petshops.

I don't agree that selling rescue in petshops is o.k. It will still attract impulse buyers from passers by. A rescue is normally in a destination area and requires a person to go out of there way to purchase a pet.

Poor things will grow for a couple of years and end up back in rescue. Impulse animal buys are a bad thing as we all know and baby animals in a shop window create too much of it.

Did you read how Petstock do it? They are not in a shopping centre - they are a shop that you would only go to if you were wanting to go to Petstock or buy carpet. They dogs can't leave for their new home that day. The people who are interested in the dog contact us in the same way that they would if they saw the dog on the internet. We screen them in the same way. We do yard checks like normal and the dog is normally adopted 3-4 days after they first see it.

[WoofnHoof]

Breeders of pure-bred dogs could well get info out into such stores, too. With Purebreds as Pets Information Centres & with visits by various breeds. Adoptions strictly direct from breeder.

This would get over the problems for purebreds, too. With many people believing that prurebreds are only for showing & that pet people can't buy them....& also the lack of knowledge about how to contact breeders. Or deterred by distance. Great to have a Breeders' Index in the store, for reference.

I recall putting forth an idea such as this a couple of years ago it was fairly well shut down because no one wanted to have an affiliation with any pet shop, nice to see that people are no longer as keen to tar all pet shops with the same brush

I agree with you, that the pet stores which have Adoption Centres for ethical rescues, might have changed perceptions. If those with a genuine welfare policy would also host a Purebred Info Service, it would help prevent dumping. Evidence is that the puppies coming from registered breeders are less vulnerable to being dumped....& the breeders produce far fewer accidental litters.

But I could understand registered breeders not wanting their puppies actually in any pet store ....& worst of all, being next to puppies sourced from puppy farmers. And would agree. It should be an info & awareness service only.

Maybe we can keep plugging away.

I can understand breeders not wanting pups to be in the store, at the time I suggested that if there are available litters take some video of them and the parents and have it playing in the window as part of a breed display, and breed feature days would also be terrific if breeders could take in an adult and that way people can see the adult size and ask questions. Most people don't go to dog shows and being a show breeders don't always have the time to spend answering questions or letting their freshly groomed dog get cuddled by all and sundry so there really aren't that many other opportunities for people to be exposed to the adult dogs of the breeds they like.

Personally I feel that the accessibility of the pet shop has a lot of positives, going to a shelter is difficult for a lot of people (myself included) because the pressure to choose one needy dog over other needy dogs can be too much. Going to a breeders house can also put pressure on people if they have travelled and imposed on the breeders time sometimes they feel they should buy the dog because they are there and have spent so much time, I know most breeders are happy to spend the time but it seems to be a social thing, my mum will go into a shop and spend ages talking to the owner then buys something just because she feels bad if she doesn't!

Casowner I think it would be awesome if you could have breed feature days at your shop I hope you can get some breeders on board

[casowner]

I think it would be important that those who were showcasing their breed brought in adults rather than puppies to minimise the "oh how cute I want one" scenarios

[Guest Ams]

Just recently I was invited by City Farmers to do an information day at one of their stores for the breed I rescue. I made a point of taking several different rescue dogs with me and two of my own. One of them was poor ole Sirius who is the most "wrong" shar pei I have ever seen (in conformation, health and attitude and has been declared a foster failure as I could not expect anyone else to take him on). I had brochures with his "pretty puppy pics" on them and when people oohed and aahed over the puppy I then pointed to what could arguably be the ugliest pei and said "well that's him now". I hope it was beneficial for them to see that a "cute" puppy does not always grow up into a cute and healthy dog.

None of the dogs were available for adoption/purchase on the day but interested parties were handed a business card and invited to complete the adoption application on line at a later time. The application then follows the normal processing which takes anything from a week to longer (depending on my shiftwork).

[WoofnHoof]

I think it would be important that those who were showcasing their breed brought in adults rather than puppies to minimise the "oh how cute I want one" scenarios

Yep then they can see how big they grow, what their behaviour and manner is like once the playful puppy has grown up - and with sibes etc it would be handy to bring one in when it's blowing coat so that the full impact is disclosed :D

C'mon SA breeders how bout giving this a go? You don't have to have a litter on the way just refer people to the breed club or other breeders or put them on a waiting list

[Sheridan]

OT but I think anyone who wants a wheaten should see one in its full matted coat glory, be handed a comb, and told to groom it.

[WoofnHoof]

OT but I think anyone who wants a wheaten should see one in its full matted coat glory, be handed a comb, and told to groom it.

Lol maybe wheaten breeders can bring in two - the before and after :D

[Steve]

Pet shops and breeders can work in with each other by having photos of the breeders puppies and their parents in the store, sending people who ask about a particular breed to the breeder. The breeder could then pay the pet shop a spotters fee for each puppy sold via their referral and send the buyer back to the pet shop to get supplies perhaps with a small gift voucher for the store to get them back there.I dont mind breeders and rescue having their animals physically in the shop as described by Trisven13 but Im not posh on dogs actually leaving the store in the new owners arms that day.

My reasons for this are that no matter how well the buyer is educated, no matter how well the buyer is screened, no matter how accessable the rescue or breeder is after the sale if things go wrong if a dog leaves in a new owners arms from the store then its a pet shop animal sale. According to their codes of conduct in some states registered breeders can sell puppies to pet shops if the pet shop is PIAA registered.In my opinion this does 3 things Im not happy about 1 is that breeders who havent been exposed to the issues are given the impression its O.K. to sell by a third party,2. that it gives an easy market to those who want to breed puppies for profit and that increases the risk of animals suffering in battery dog farms and 3 that the public dont get the difference between a PIAA registered pet shop and any other - Why would they when I dont? So if its O.K. to buy puppies from some pet shops to them a pet shop is a pet shop.

Puppy farmers - that is people who breed thousands of puppies each year sell puppies to pet shops to remain out of the loop.

Breeders who are registered with Kate Scoffelds commercial dog breeders group which is being promoted as a way to legitimise and regulate commercial breeders are exempt from much of their code of conduct if they sell to a pet shop - the responsibility to act as a safety net after the sale is removed only if they sell to a pet shop.Obviously people who see dogs as stock animals are more likely to see puppies sent off to new homes as a farmer sees animals sent off to market and the sheer volume of what they breed makes it virtually impossible to be able to cope with enquiries, educating and screening new homes,post sale follow up and advice and returns/refunds. It is a preferrable method of sale for them than being involved in the whole placement process and being accountable for what they breed.

So if rescue or a breeder want to take puppies or dogs into pet shops to show case them and take enquiries for homes and then sell and hand the dogs over face to face - rescue to buyer, breeder to buyer so they can have a relationship post sale and they are the ones selling the dogs away from the pet shop setting then Im good with that - but thats not a pet shop selling live animals.

If the public see pet shops as a great place to find a pet thats good by me as long as they dont see it as a great place to buy a pet because that potentially increases the market for anonymous sales of mass produced puppies. You can walk into a pet shop and come out telling me all the wonderful things they do which makes them different as Mita has done so you give one pet shop a tick but the public dont know what to look for and for them its a pet shop selling dogs and puppies and they buy from them without ever knowing what should happen and they potentially go home with a pup thats been seen as meat sent off to market.

[Sagittarian]

Our approach is this:

We keep flyers from reputable breeders when they have pups available/coming up (and could use more breeders providing these);

Refer to breed clubs where appropriate as well as rescue - beagle rescue etc;

Refer to Dogzonline;

Refer to VCA;

Hold breed awareness days - now this is an important function and not hard to arrange. One was the Amstaff Club, who set up a marquee in the carpark, provided a number of "bombproof" dogs, ample information for interested people to take away, and so on. It wasn't about selling puppies, but educating the public about Amstaffs. Clubs can also use this as a fundraiser by having a sausage sizzle etc.

We've found that the approach of providing plentiful information and pointing people in the right direction goes a long way toward steering them from petshops and other sources of puppies that are less than desirable.

I can't see a day that we would have rescue pets in store (except as an education process day), regardless of how well set up and monitored the system is, as I truly believe it gives the message that pet shops are still the best place to buy a pet. Most people still don't differentiate between pet shop and pet supply shop. However, if this works well in other stores then I certainly don't discourage that - it just isn't part of our current thinking.

Sags

Edited March 14, 2010 by Sagittarian

[Steve]

Our approach is this:

We keep flyers from reputable breeders when they have pups available/coming up (and could use more breeders providing these);

Refer to breed clubs where appropriate as well as rescue - beagle rescue etc;

Refer to Dogzonline;

Refer to VCA;

Hold breed awareness days - now this is an important function and not hard to arrange. One was the Amstaff Club, who set up a marquee in the carpark, provided a number of "bombproof" dogs, ample information for interested people to take away, and so on. It wasn't about selling puppies, but educating the public about Amstaffs. Clubs can also use this as a fundraiser by having a sausage sizzle etc.

We've found that the approach of providing plentiful information and pointing people in the right direction goes a long way toward steering them from petshops and other sources of puppies that are less than desirable.

I can't see a day that we would have rescue pets in store (except as an education process day), regardless of how well set up and monitored the system is, as I truly believe it gives the message that pet shops are still the best place to buy a pet. Most people still don't differentiate between pet shop and pet supply shop. However, if this works well in other stores then I certainly don't discourage that - it just isn't part of our current thinking.

Sags

Yep thats what I think too.

[awlqld]

I have offered my store for this aswell and have tried to work with the RSPCA for 5 years to no avail. Some pet shops do try to educate but can't do it on their own.

Onya for trying. Is there an AWL in SA? Given how well their adoption centres via certain pet supply stores are going in Qld....maybe your state's AWL would give it a go.

Also would individual purebred dog clubs have an interest in doing some p/b awareness/visits in your store.

AWL Qld are definitely interested in hearing from any pet shop that is willing to work with us in promoting responsible pet ownership - you can contact us directly about our external rehoming centres by emailing [email protected]