If pet stores offered more services (classes of all kinds, grooming, etc.) and a wide assortment of pet related goods, they wouldn't need to sell animals in order to stay in business. I rarely seen a pet store that seems to know anything about marketing, either.

Some are better, chuck and dons is really good, as is Urb animal

What are chuck and dons and Urb?

Some localities would never put up with a pet store that sells dogs and cats from a breeder of any kind. Carrboro, NC is like that. However in Fayetteville NC EVERY pet store sells the dogs and cats. Yesterday I saw 2 such beasts. The dog has pneumonia and will hopefully live. The cat has fleas, an assortment of intestinal parasites, an umbilical hernia, and ringworm which he graciously shared with the 2 little girls in the family. I can't believe people pay money for these creatures when just down the road, more healthy ones are being killed at the rate of thousands a year in the "shelter."

You may try a nicely researched letter to the largest newspaper in your area. Or organize a boycott. Get the local media involved. If people don't know about the terrible conditions in puppy mills and where those overpriced under-healthy puppies and kittens come from, then they won't know there are better options.

Petco and Petsmart are both hugely successful national pet stores that do not sell dogs and cats. They lease adoption space to local rescue organizations. So yes, it *can* be done, quite successfully.

I have 5 pure-breed dogs and didn't buy any of them. Anastasia was found on the streets of Durham and not claimed. Max is my lab who used to belong to my friend, but changes in their family prevented them from being able to provide him with all the attention he wants. K'Ehleyr is my older Rottie. I got her from a rescue organization for free because my classmate spayed her at school. Nunyette is my baby Rottie who I was supposed to euthanize at work for being aggressive, but I talked the owner into surrendering her to me and she doesn't have an aggressive bone in her body. I also got a Boxer who was going to be euthanized because the owners couldn't afford to treat her heartworms and she was in wretched shape. I fixed her up and gave her to my mom. Tatyana, my younger Husky, was found on Petfinder.com. I picked her up from a rescue the day I called about her- no waiting. There are many rescues that don't require a waiting period. And many of the dogs at the shelter are pure-breed dogs- just walk in and pick one out!

Let me take the discussion one step further. I think puppy mills could be shut down if people would get over their need for a pure bred dog. We are overpopulated with dogs and the rescue societies and shelters give proof to that overpopulation. Whenever a specific breed is featured in a movie or TV show that breed becomes more overpopulated. We rescued a Dalmatian after the first 101 movie. Now watch for many more yellow labs to appear with the Marley movie. True there are characteristic of certain breeds but I have owned enough muts to know they too have character. Lastly, we would put an end to designer breeds which have created such things as the Bulldog which is lovable but also a medical nightmare due to its breeding characteristics.

Here is a link that might be useful: traveling and cooking with grandpa

My DIL is a groomer and an animal lover/rescuer. She once tried to save a miniature horse foal that had been abandoned by its mother.(Horse folks know if a proven mare abandons a foal, it is usually because the foal has a terminal defect and cannot be saved. Mares 'know' and do not waste energy) But, Leigh tried anyways, with no success.

She once worked for a shop owner who specialized in adopting puppy farm breeding females who were abandoned by breeders. You cannot believe the horrific injuries some of these dog s had---one female Peekapoo had her pelvis broken---to facilitate birthing abnormally large pups---that dog could no longer walk---drug her splayed legs to motivate around. I was hired to remove the carpet in two rooms in the owners house and redo the floors smooth so the dog had the run of the house.

Now and then a story of a raided puppy mill makes the news. Still is horrific.

I would support whatever it takes to get pet stores to cease selling dogs/cats/birds/etc---allowing rescue groups to fill that niche.

I agree bullies are medical nightmares....but more so when bred at puppymills or by backyard breeders. I am owned by my bully. I chose her breed specifically becaus of its characteristics. She has short hair so doesnt shed and she is as lazy as I am :-) I think real breeders though breed for health as well as looks and the purebred from a breeder is much much healthier than from a pet store.

I'm a retired breeder of Bull Breeds... not English, too many health problems... I abhor pet stores and what they sell!

It's very true that Hollywood sets the mood for which pets become popular and in demand... and there are way too many people only too willing to throw males and females of unknown ancestry together to collect that puppy money. It sickens me!

We have the technology and information to breed healthy, stable, intelligent animals... but we have to be willing to commit to the breed of our choice. We must crunch data and use every tool available, we must have a good eye for a decent specimen, and we must be willing to cull. We have to balance between compassion and commitment, and there are too many who can't do that.

If you're a real breeder, you know there's no profit to be made... you're lucky to break even... but hopefully, you can spend your life working with a breed, and leave it in better condition than when you began. A reputation is all you leave behind... and how you comport yourself as a breeder determines what that reputation will be. Hopefully, you've done well, and people in the breed remember you as a decent breeder with healthy, stable, able, intelligent animals.

I know english bullies have many many medical problems...but they are so cute and fit my need...I could not handle a high energy or a big dog. I need a snuggle bunny :-)

I will not buy anything from any store who sells puppies or kittens.

No responsible breeder would ever sell to a pet store.

Backyard breeders and puppy mills are where the animals are from and they won't stop breeding until people stop buying....

I agree with you buyorsell :-)

The pet stores I stated were the ones in my area. Do look them up, Not all pet stores are bad, its useally the chains that are, but not always.

I was referring to stores that actually sell pets.....I don't think any of them are good because I've been told by many breeders that a good breeder will NEVER sell their animals to a pet store.

chuck and dons sells pets, but only small scale- shelter rescues i think. I agree with you though on most of them.

There is a petition to get Petland, a very popular store in the Southeast (I remember them all over Florida) to stop selling puppy mill pets. You can sign it here!

Here is a link that might be useful: Petland Petition from HSUS

Pet land has the best prices for Innova Evo though in the twin cities, take away pet land and bad comes as well as good.

Frankly if they just made it illegal to breed dogs without a lisense there'd be no puppy mills, or if there were still puppy mills they would fail down in number drastically. we cant go fishing without lisense, why not breed animals without one?

Thanks Meghane....I haven't seen a petland down here in the Miami area but I signed the petition anyway :-)

Thanks Meghane. I feel strongly about stores that sell pets, and would never even buy litter from them. I do admire Petsmart for working with local rescues to show and adopt cats. I got my Sofie from Petsmart in Durham, NC (she was from Mebane!), and am so grateful for that.

The only way to end puppy mills is to boycott them for all they sell.

Here's how I look at it (In My suitation of things)

A: I go to Pet land, buy proper food for my pets, only the puppies/dog evils "COULD" be supported- we don't know if pet food perchice dollars actually go to that cause, it may be only buying pups that actually supports it." The suffering ( if any) is in an area thats far away from my eyes and ears-and I get because of it healthy pets( mine).

B go to a supermarket, and buy crappy cat food that is made from all kinds of awful things, including rendered cats/dogs,tumors from downers, 4'ds, roadkill, moldy grains, you name it. ( there's even a sick all vegan diets for cats! at the super value I go to) The cats/or dogs slowly get sick and die from dental disease,UTI's, cancer-you name it. And you supporting evil anyway matter what choice you make- for B its "probably for sure"cannibal pets, garbage diets and the lies of the pet food industry. For A its "maybe" puppy mills.

If given no choice I'll take possibly supporting puppy mills over that later and the health of my two cats, any day.

Like one of my best friends said, the only way never to support all and any evil in this crazy world of ours to to just die. So if your going to live evil MUST be supported in one way or another- get over it.

Runs you are wrong, there are other options...at least for most people. I buy my dogs food at dog boutiques....the big box stores never carry the brand she eats which is Orijen. I have also bought my dogs food online. Last time I think we purchased two bags of the Orijen online and got free shipping. If you care you can avoid those bad pet stores. The supermarket and puppy mill pet stores are not the only options. You buying anything at a puppy mill pet stores help supports puppy mills. If the stores close down they can no longer purchase puppy mill dogs. When you help keep them open even buying other things you become part of the problem. I am actually quite surprised at you Runs. You go off the deep end alot but usually its because you are preaching against cruelty and bad food. You try to make people change the way they think one person at a time....it never occurred to you that you can make a difference by shopping somewhere else. I know it may not be possible for you to shop elsewhere...but to make a blanket statement that you must support Evil one way or another..shows to me that you are mostly talk...and no action.

Most people aren't on a spend down of $2000 and on wavered services. So I guess if my income goes down after I leave home I'd better just buy junk and actually see bad and support it, rather then buy decent food support bad and never see bad- No thanks!

Its completely uncontary to why pets should be kept, to do this and silly There's always going to be puppy mills, until people are banned from breeding dogs, and that is never going to happen..

I don't like it, but if it means my pets live longer, I say go for it!.

Runs your post makes no sense to me. Are you saying that because you have a limited income its ok for you to support puppy mills? I'll have you know that it was cheaper for us to buy Orijen online than it was in the boutique we usually have to buy it from.
Honestly while I am capable and do feed my dog the best I do not think others who have less than me are horrible owners because they feed their pets what they can afford or they don't know any better. However, a person that supports a puppy mill store when there are better options out there, to me are bad and lazy people. I could understand if because of your condition you can't find somewhere better to shop....but to come on here and say that others should just do it too shows that you care about YOUR animals, just not others.

Show me a place where Orijen is $15, like dry EVO is at Pet land and I'll happily do that.

Its not something I like, but you've got to do what's best for your pets. I don't like puppy mills either but sometimes there is no other option.

bottles,VS tap water is another example- both are bad, in different ways, bottled, because its bad for the enviornment, tap because of the stuff they sometimes put in it.. I guess if you didn't care about toxens like murcury, or parasitic infections or diseases like beaver fever you could drink from a lake, or river. But you wouldn't be very healthy, unless you boiled it.

Orijen is expensive and I wish I could find it at $15 a bag. But there's got to be another place where you can buy your brand of food around the same price...I don't know how easy it is for you to get around though....so for you its a different...but don't advocate others to just give up too. As for the bottle water vs. tap....I have heard that most tap water is better than some bottled water. Our tap water has to meet certain standards whereas there are none or lower standards on the bottle water....I remember seeing some news story about it awhile back...you would be better off filtering your tap water with Brita. That way you get the best of both worlds.

True. We have water filters at work and they are good ( not attracted outside but just pitchers).

Take into account for gas and transportation, too. I don't drive but it eats up my pca hours. I look at it this way, walking's better for you, and I'm giving good food,too.