Why, with all of the bad publicity, do people still buy puppies from pet stores?

Puppy mills are evil self serving creations that cause a lot of suffering and death in innocent creatures.
West Hollywood just banned sales of puppies and kittens from these places so good for them.

Vanity must have a place in this. Paris Hilton, I’m looking at you when I say this.

Impulse and convenience.

Because when cuteness looks you in the face, it’s hard to say no.

(impulse and convenience)

For the same reason people still do things like eat veal.
They tell themselves that one little purchase won’t make any difference, the puppy is ssoooo cute and deserves a home. And sometimes, it’s a case of willful ignorance about where that puppy really came from.

impulse and convenience.

People are lazy…pet stores are the McDonalds of drive through pet ownership. What happens after Christmas because of those purchases and second thoughts is criminal.

Ignorance.
I didn’t know shit like that was going on until last year.

Apathy.

What does the law say? Surely animal abuse laws shut down puppy mills? or am I too naive?

@faye Iowa is working on it. The Humane Society also has a good FAQ section.

Yeah, it’s impulse and convenience.

I would like to mention a friend of mine who manages the pet store that his father owns. They do sell puppies but when they are buying puppies, they actually go and check out the place they are buying from to make sure that the puppies are treated well and that the mother is in good condition as well.

A lot of places don’t do this but it’s comforting to me to know that at least one pet store does.

It’s also to get the puppy out of the pet store. If nobody buys the puppy then it’s just going to sit in the store. What kind of life is that?

Although why they don’t use that same logic to get a pet from a shelter is beyond me.

I think for the most part it is ignorance. People who buy puppies from puppy mills and pet shops (where the puppy more than likely came from a puppy mill to begin with) are unaware of the cruelty that goes on in puppy mills and so don’t realise that, by buying animals from these places they are keeping them in business to carry on with what they are doing. Those that do realise the cruelty think they are doing a good thing by buying these pups and giving them a good life. Sure, that is great for the individual puppy but not great for the thousands more that are being “bred” because of people that think they are doing a good thing by saving one, keeping the puppy mill buiness alive.

Plus, as many people have already said it is convenient. Many good breeders are picky as to the homes their puppies go to and are obviously more expensive. Puppy mills don’t care where the pups go and keep the price cheap in order to sell as many as possible. A lot of people who are looking for a pet don’t even think about the animals background and so don’t ask about any genetic health or aggression problems and so puppy mills can get away with selling dogs that may be less than healthy.

In England (not sure about the US) it isn’t always easy to give a home to a rescue dog either. When I got my Staffy, Zara, we had to have an interview to make sure we were capable of looking after one of their dogs, a home check to make sure everything was dog proof and she had to meet our other dogs to make sure they got along etc. This is a good thing in many ways but it also encourages more people to go to puppy mills because they don’t have to go through all of that in order to get a dog.

So yes, it is convenience and ignorance 100%. Thankfully, pet shops over here cannot sell puppies but you will often find adverts in pet shops from people selling puppies and I often wonder whether the pet shop have checked to make sure that they are a legit breeder rather than a puppy farm.

@Leanne1986 The process of rescuing a dog from a shelter in the US was waaay different, in my experience.
1. Show up at shelter
2. Look at sad dogs
3. Write the kennel number of our 1st-5th choice on a piece of paper.
4. Give piece of paper to representative.
5. Wait.
6. Meet dog in little room.
7. Pay $200, sign some papers saying you’ll be nice to your new friend and go home with dog.

@Likeradar There are pro’s and cons to both methods. At least in the US it is easier to rehome a dog and so people won’t be put off by the Spanish Inquisition we get over here (I personally know people who have opted out of rehoming a dog from a shelter due to how long it can take until you can take your chosen dog home). However, at least by giving people the Spanish Inquisition when they show interest in rehoming a dog they are doing something (even though I am sure it doesn’t guarantee much) to make sure that the dogs are going to good home.

i used to have a boss who was an older woman, had a really nice house, etc. She wanted to take a kitten from a shelter, and of course, would pay the fees or whatever was required. she told me the shelter people told her “Oh No, we don’t give kittens to people who work all day. Someone needs to be home with the kitten to keep it company.” so she had to tell them that her neighbor would babysit the kitten, and neighbor had to verify that she was in college and was available to be home with kitten all day to keep it company. I can understand the logic of making sure shelter animals have nice homes and i am 100% for people not buying from pet stores, and getting pets from shelters, however, some places (like the one i’m talking about) seem just to vigilant or fussy or i don’t know what’s the right word to describe it. I mean, to not send a kitten home to a nice owner because there’s nobody to be with it all day? that seemed crazy.

@jca These people don’t know cats very well. Play a little- sleep for Hours!!

Kittens do need more supervision and care than an adult cat. Just sayin’

Have had many beasties thru here, kittens are pretty easy.

They need to be properly socialized. Leaving kittens alone for hours at a time can lead to lifelong behaviors that the “owner” might not like—marking, scratching, attacking, etc.

Mine did just fine, let’s be realistic, most do. A kitten with 16 hours of quality life will bear the other 8.

I always adopt puppies. I never bought a dog. I guess living in the country you always know someone who has mutts they need to get rid. Muttts are the best dogs.

Whatever makes you feel good.

If you get a dog, adopt from a shelter. If that doesn’t work out somehow, or is not possible for some reason, buy from a breeder. The process is:
-let the breeder know
-wait
-visit breeder and dog
-buy dog
Now you have a new dog! When you let the breeder know, tell them about yourself. They will pick the best dog for you.