Thursday, March 24, 2011

Sign the Petition and Get the Facts

Yesterday we launched our online petition asking The Family Puppy to stop selling puppies. Please take a moment to sign this petition. This is yet another way to both educate the public, media and of course, to put pressure on the store.

Petitions by Change.org|Start a Petition »


Make sure you download The Family Puppy Breeder Fact Sheet too.



I believe it is most important to arm the public with the facts. Since puppy stores will never say “Why yes, indeed, our puppies come from puppy mills”, consumers should know what to look for.

To make it even easier, simply never buy a puppy from a store or breeder without seeing the parents and the living conditions of the puppy. Keep in mind, some kennels actually have multiple kennels. One is for customers who are purchasing puppies and the others are where most of the breeding dogs live. Since Michigan residents may not travel to Indiana, Minnesota, Iowa or Ohio, we have provided the much needed information they need to make an informed decision.

The store can dance around the tough questions and appear to be transparent with breeder names and select photos of some of the kennels. With all of their guarantees, warranties and sales-pitches, it is certainly hard to believe they will sell you a sick dog.

Whether you are a puppy buyer or just simply curious to find out if this store “is different”, here are some questions the store does not want to answer:

1. How many dogs does your breeder house?
2. Do you work with distributors who purchase from other breeders?
3. Do you visit ALL of your breeders?
4. Do you work with the same breeders as Petland?
5. Do your breeders specialize in one breeder and know that breed well?
6. Do your breeders have any formal training?
7. Are there enough full time employees to take care of the puppies?
8. Do your breeders seek veterinary care when needed?
9. Do the breeding dogs live on wire floors?
10. Are any of your breeders being investigated by the USDA?

I have a feeling you would not get straight answers from the store. Puppy Mill Awareness already knows the answers to all of these questions.