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Why we should not buy animals from pet stores. Help to shut down puppy mills.

It’s estimated that more than 90 percent of dogs sold in pet stores come from puppy mills – large, commercial breeding operations where they’re treated like inventory and stored in crowded, filthy cages with other dogs.

In recent years, there has been an explosion of websites selling dogs from large, for-profit commercial breeders.

There are no limits on breeding.  Female dogs used for breeding are bred over and over again until their bodies give out. Then they’re destroyed, sold for research or dumped at the local pound. Dogs may well be inbred, which means their puppies might have deformities.

Dogs raised in substandard conditions often suffer from all kinds of physical ailments, which can result in large veterinary bills – and a lot of heartbreak – for their unsuspecting new owners.

Puppies raised in large, commercial breeding operations are not socialized and often have behavioral problems.

Because they suffer from diseases and behavioral problems, many of these animals end up in shelters, and are then euthanized. It’s estimated that one in four animals in a shelter is a purebred.

u When you buy an animal from a pet store, you’re feeding the pet trade – in which the main motive is to make profits for breeders, brokers and pet store owners, all at the expense of the dogs and their new owners.

There is no reason to support the exploitive breeding of companion animals when millions of animals languish and die in public shelters every year.

Instead of buying a puppy from a pet store or over the Internet, save an animal instead by adopting from a shelter or rescue group. PetSmart and Petco pet supply stores also sponsor adoption days. You can also search petfinder.com, 1-800-save-a-pet.com and pets911.com, or Google breed rescue groups in your area.