Pet Barn Selling Dogs And Cats

[Dame Aussie]

I hate pet shops, just so that's clear.

However, working in a shelter I have seen so many animals PTS due to there simply being no room to house them for adoption.

This is the alternative, for me, these animals getting a home, if it means that they spend a few days in a pet shop, is better than them being dead. It's that simple. To me anyway.

Edited October 6, 2012 by Aussie3

[♪♫LMBC♫♪]

I hate pet shops, just so that's clear.

However, working in a shelter I have seen so many animals PTS due to there simply being no room to house them for adoption.

This is the alternative, for me, these animals getting a home, if it means that they spend a few days in a pet shop, is better than them being dead. It's that simple. To me anyway.

But what if they are going to a home where they won't be looked after properly, won't be treated well or will be dumped again later because the people who purchased it didn't think about what they would do with the dog when they went on holidays or had a baby?

Those are the results of impulse buying in many cases and I honestly don't believe that potential owners are being properly screened to avoid these things, when they are being sold from a pet shop.

[Little Gifts]

A close friend is a foster carer for smallies with the RSCPA in Brisbane. She has also done home checks although I don't know if they do it for all their fosters or just some. Part of their policy which is strange is that the dogs get returned to the RSCPA if there is interest in them, so rather than potential adopters getting to see them in a home style foster environment it is all done back in the shelter environment which must be hard for the dogs, particularly if they don't get matched and go back out to the foster carers again (or even worse, remain at the shelter).

I suppose this is because the officers need to ensure the match is a good one and they can't logistically send a worker to a foster carer's home when the visit is happening. I hope they can get to the stage in the future of training their foster carers to provide an appraisal of how the meet and greet went rather than moving the dog around.

[Dame Aussie]

I hate pet shops, just so that's clear.

However, working in a shelter I have seen so many animals PTS due to there simply being no room to house them for adoption.

This is the alternative, for me, these animals getting a home, if it means that they spend a few days in a pet shop, is better than them being dead. It's that simple. To me anyway.

But what if they are going to a home where they won't be looked after properly, won't be treated well or will be dumped again later because the people who purchased it didn't think about what they would do with the dog when they went on holidays or had a baby?

Those are the results of impulse buying in many cases and I honestly don't believe that potential owners are being properly screened to avoid these things, when they are being sold from a pet shop.

Of course that's a possibility whether the purchase is on impulse or not.

As I've said though, I only agree with it if the correct procedures are followed.

Edited October 6, 2012 by Aussie3

[Steve]

I hate pet shops, just so that's clear.

However, working in a shelter I have seen so many animals PTS due to there simply being no room to house them for adoption.

This is the alternative, for me, these animals getting a home, if it means that they spend a few days in a pet shop, is better than them being dead. It's that simple. To me anyway.

Yes I get that but you could say the same thing for puppy farm dogs too. If they aren't sold by a certain time frame they are killed .The puppy farmer doesn't just hang onto them indefinitely so you can use the same argument for puppy farmer dogs being better off in a pet shop too.

If they are not relying on emotional blackmail and impulse buys then where is the harm in them taking dogs in whch are not for sale - ex rescue dogs and encouraging people to go out of their way and visit the shelter?

[Dame Aussie]

I hate pet shops, just so that's clear.

However, working in a shelter I have seen so many animals PTS due to there simply being no room to house them for adoption.

This is the alternative, for me, these animals getting a home, if it means that they spend a few days in a pet shop, is better than them being dead. It's that simple. To me anyway.

Yes I get that but you could say the same thing for puppy farm dogs too. If they aren't sold by a certain time frame they are killed .The puppy farmer doesn't just hang onto them indefinitely so you can use the same argument for puppy farmer dogs being better off in a pet shop too.

If they are not relying on emotional blackmail and impulse buys then where is the harm in them taking dogs in whch are not for sale - ex rescue dogs and encouraging people to go out of their way and visit the shelter?

I see what you're saying but I don't think that this is comparable to puppy farmers. They shouldn't be brought into the world AT ALL. But once they're here my priority would be to home them.

Anyway, probably have to agree to disagree on this one :laugh:

Edited October 6, 2012 by Aussie3

[Steve]

I agree puppy farm dogs shouldnt be here in the first place but what about when they are already in existence - dont they have just as much hope of finding a home as a shelter dog? How to stop dogs being bred in thise conditions and how to stop dogs coming into shelters is another whole topic but what Im saying is any argument you can use to justify any animal being in a pet shop and being sold via that medium can be given to the others.

Simple solution is to profile dogs available and promote the shelter without the actual dogs which are currently for sale being there and Im happy for breeders to do the same.

[AussieDog]

Impulse buying might sometimes happen in shelters. But as most shelters are not situated in shopping centres they probably don't get as many people coming through 'just to have a look' as you would get in a pet shop.

I can't remember who said it but an earlier poster mentioned that they were made to wait overnight before decided to purchase from a shelter. Call me pedantic but I don't think overnight is really long enough, especially if you've just walked into a pet shop at random with no previous intention of buying an animal.

And as I have said before, I have had first hand experience of the so called 'screening process' at our local RSPCA and I can't say it was particularly impressive.

I said it. Why isn't overnight "really long enough"? How long should one ponder about it? I love my dog to bits and i definately don't regret the decision i made that day. Stop assuming ALL people are ignorant fools when it comes to purchasing an animal. As for the RSPCA screening process, well thanks very much. They gave me a dog.

[Linda K]

totally agree Steve, and that is the problem with so many shelter supporters - all these things are perfectly OK when it comes to what they are doing, but not OK for anyone else.

[melzawelza]

I agree puppy farm dogs shouldnt be here in the first place but what about when they are already in existence - dont they have just as much hope of finding a home as a shelter dog? How to stop dogs being bred in thise conditions and how to stop dogs coming into shelters is another whole topic but what Im saying is any argument you can use to justify any animal being in a pet shop and being sold via that medium can be given to the others.

Simple solution is to profile dogs available and promote the shelter without the actual dogs which are currently for sale being there and Im happy for breeders to do the same.

I think the difference that no one has really touched on, is that when the puppy farmed dog is sold in a petshop, money goes into the puppy farmer's pocket, thus directly enabling them to continue breeding.

Shelter dogs being sold in pet shops is not going to line puppy farmer or backyard breeder pockets - even if they may have come from there in the first place. In fact if it's done on a large scale it will do the opposite as the BYB/Puppy farmers will not be able to send their pups to the pet shop because all the pups and kittens are shelter pets.

I reacted negatively when I first heard about this a year or so ago but after thinking it through I feel that it's appropriate as long as the pups aren't in glass boxes and have room to move,they don't 'live' there all day and night, and the homes are screened appropriately.

[Chris the Rebel Wolf]

I would rather see puppies and kittens rehomed in this manner than them being PTS. In a perfect world this would not be needed at all because all pets would have a happy forever home... we are a long way from that.

Agree that animals should not be adopted out then and there, and there should be a good screening process.

I see all the time in the store where I work people will come in who NEED a puppy or kitten right now. Pointing them in the direction of the RSPCA or other adoption areas will only take you so far when there is another pet shop down the road selling cute little BYB pups and kittens all ready to go. All the arguments in the world will not sway them, all they want is to go home then and there, with their new pet.

My feeling is as long as there is a demand for animals in pet stores, there is room for adoptions instead of buying BYB or farmed animals, provided they are undertaken with careful screening so that people are not impulse buying. Since we are not likely to see all live animals removed from pet stores while there is still this demand, a better step (rather than no step at all) would be to allow adoptions of rehomed animals instore.

Like so many issues it boils down to education.

Spelling edit

Edited October 6, 2012 by Chris the Rebel Wolf

[Steve]

I agree puppy farm dogs shouldnt be here in the first place but what about when they are already in existence - dont they have just as much hope of finding a home as a shelter dog? How to stop dogs being bred in thise conditions and how to stop dogs coming into shelters is another whole topic but what Im saying is any argument you can use to justify any animal being in a pet shop and being sold via that medium can be given to the others.

Simple solution is to profile dogs available and promote the shelter without the actual dogs which are currently for sale being there and Im happy for breeders to do the same.

I think the difference that no one has really touched on, is that when the puppy farmed dog is sold in a petshop, money goes into the puppy farmer's pocket, thus directly enabling them to continue breeding.

Shelter dogs being sold in pet shops is not going to line puppy farmer or backyard breeder pockets - even if they may have come from there in the first place. In fact if it's done on a large scale it will do the opposite as the BYB/Puppy farmers will not be able to send their pups to the pet shop because all the pups and kittens are shelter pets.

I reacted negatively when I first heard about this a year or so ago but after thinking it through I feel that it's appropriate as long as the pups aren't in glass boxes and have room to move,they don't 'live' there all day and night, and the homes are screened appropriately.

Good point about where the money goes but isn't it all about why you are against live animals being sold in pet shops ? If your only beef is that we are assuming that all puppies in pet shops come from puppy farmers then surely if pet shops are telling us they don't come from puppy farmers and money from the sale doesn't go back to a puppy farmer is it going to be O.K. to sell a dog from a pet shop?

I believe that some puppies in pet shops come from people who keep their dogs in substandard conditions but I also believe some puppies in pet shops come from people who have an accidental litter, who only breed now and then and treat their dogs well etc and I know that some of these people only get a few dollars when they hand the puppies over to the pet shops.

Sorry I still think its O.K. to go the pet shop and tell a dog's story or have photos of available dogs or have ex rescue dogs to show how great they are but having the actual animal in that shop leaves it open to so many variables and I still don't like it.

By the way how many people sell their puppies to pet shops because they feel this is better than having to dump them at a pound not because it gives them money but because it gives the dog a chance to find a home better? Is there really a difference all the time?

Edited October 6, 2012 by Steve

[Guest lavendergirl]

Well there is a Petbarn in Brisbane advertising "Shoodle" puppies for sale from "a registered breeder". That doesn't sound like they are from a shelter

First time I have seen this from Petbarn.

[Guest Arcane]

Well there is a Petbarn in Brisbane advertising "Shoodle" puppies for sale from "a registered breeder". That doesn't sound like they are from a shelter

First time I have seen this from Petbarn.

Oh they would be 'registered breeders'...... that is, mass production companion animal breeders holding full licenses & registrations with their local council/shire and holding all the necessary government licenses/registrations. This is how pet shops fool the public in to believing that the puppies are from 'registered breeders' . Also why I won't have anything to do with the PIAA. They happily confess that their member stores only source puppies from registered breeders & this is what they are talking about.....mass production companion animal farms who hold all the right operating licenses.

[♪♫LMBC♫♪]

Impulse buying might sometimes happen in shelters. But as most shelters are not situated in shopping centres they probably don't get as many people coming through 'just to have a look' as you would get in a pet shop.

I can't remember who said it but an earlier poster mentioned that they were made to wait overnight before decided to purchase from a shelter. Call me pedantic but I don't think overnight is really long enough, especially if you've just walked into a pet shop at random with no previous intention of buying an animal.

And as I have said before, I have had first hand experience of the so called 'screening process' at our local RSPCA and I can't say it was particularly impressive.

I said it. Why isn't overnight "really long enough"? How long should one ponder about it? I love my dog to bits and i definately don't regret the decision i made that day. Stop assuming ALL people are ignorant fools when it comes to purchasing an animal. As for the RSPCA screening process, well thanks very much. They gave me a dog.

I don't think ALL people are ignorant and I don't know where I said that. But I think there are a lot of people who are ignorant, who don't think hard enough about the responsibility of owning an animal and who just fall for the cute puppy in the window without stopping to think how its going to effect the next 10-15 years of their lives. You only have to look at the number of puppies being dumped at shelters every year to see that.

As for my comments on the RSPCA screening process, I have seen it first hand. I mentioned this before, they gave my ex and I a kitten which they knew was a surprise gift for someone else. That person ended up being a fantastic owner for that kitten and as far as I know she still has him, but that doesn't mean it was ok to give it to us. I also know of other people who have adopted animals who probably shouldn't have been allowed to.

My comments were not a personal attack on you or anyone else who has adopted from the RSPCA, I'm not really sure why you took it that way.

[Flick_Mac]

LMBC - I'm not sure how long ago that was, but as far as I'm aware now the RSPCA don't allow gifts to be purchased... the only way you can buy for someone else is for them to come down and go through the adoption process and the present giver pay. A change for the better I think :)

I agree with you Aussie3 - have seen way too much PTS of animals due to lack of room - and will agree to disagree with the others like Steve etc although I see your points. :)

[Steve]

I see your point too but- I dont want any live animals sold from pet shops regardless of their story or where they are from.

[Linda K]

in total agreement with Steve - they should not be there period. It is not all of a sudden magically OK because they are rescue animals

[Brookestar]

I agree puppy farm dogs shouldnt be here in the first place but what about when they are already in existence - dont they have just as much hope of finding a home as a shelter dog? How to stop dogs being bred in thise conditions and how to stop dogs coming into shelters is another whole topic but what Im saying is any argument you can use to justify any animal being in a pet shop and being sold via that medium can be given to the others.

Simple solution is to profile dogs available and promote the shelter without the actual dogs which are currently for sale being there and Im happy for breeders to do the same.

There are pet stores near me that do that. They also regularly - one day a fortnight, have staff from the local shelter at the shop with dogs in crates, but each getting time out on leash, so that people can meet and interact with them. Anyone who is interested in them, must go through the whole shelter process in order to be allowed to adopt one.

Someone also talked about dogs in foster care having to go back to the shelter. One of the primary reasons for that is to enable the foster carers to remain anoynomous. You do not know how many idiots will turn up and threaten people if they do it any other way. Many have tried to do it elsewhere, but the need to protect foster carers is the primary reason. Even if they met in parks it was not guaranteed. They need to ensure that staff are there. It is more about how the person interacts with them. Most shelters have yards they can take the dogs into and they are not simply looking at them through kennel runs, etc.

Of course the other thing in regard to pet shops is making sure the dogs are appropriately looked after while they are there. That would mean making sure the store had full kennel runs like shelters and that they dogs were not simply in glass windows. Dogs need to be allowed to move away from there bed to toilet, that is one of the fundamental biological needs of dogs, and to deny them that opportunity is simply cruel and inhuame. It also means they are more likely to be dumped, as puppies that toilet where they sleep are almost impossible to toilet train. Young puppies when they first start to toilet on there own, crawl a few steps away from where they are sleeping, toilet and then crawl back again. Over time and with support they will move further and further away from where they sleep. Pet shop windows and small cages deny them the chance to do that. They also need clear surface differences. Raised beds as they have in shelters allow them a chance to do that.

I have many problems with dogs being in pet shops. If they had kennel runs for the dogs and people were scrutinised in the same way as shelters do, I would not have as big a problem. But simply taking shelter animals and putting them in tiny cages does not make it OK. And anything at all that supports puppy farming is wrong. And of course they must all be desexed first. That is what also angers me about PIAA they are allowing dogs to go to anyone at all and then allowing the people to breed them indescriminately. And of course they do not really care where they come from, registered with the local council, registered with the state government, as a puppy farm, and it is all OK to them!!! They also need to be required to keep the vacinations up to date. Most states do not allow them to be sold without the first vacciantion, usually given at 6 weeks. But if the pup is still there at 12 weeks, when the second vacination is due they are not required to have it done, nor are they required to keep worming it, etc, etc. They have to be vet checked and obvious signs of worms treated, but it is recommended that pups be wormed every 2 weeks until 12 weeks and then monthly to 6 months and they don't do that. They do the least amount possible, for the shortest time possible.

I do know of vet clinics that have as a way of trying to keep some kittens alive handed them over to pet shops to sell. They had 20+ litters dumped on them. They were rehoming what they could, some were able to go to shelters, but they were growing up too fast. They desexed them, as well as all the vacinations, worming, etc, etc.

[alpha bet]

Just got back from Europe - visited quite a few dog clubs etc and they were all surprised to hear that pet shops here sell pups and kittens.

There is no question - dogs and cats should not be sold by pet shops under any conditions. It is the only way to start the change of public opinion.