Many people are becoming more aware of the sad reality that pet store puppies often come from large puppy mills and are opting for other ways of purchasing puppies but what people are less aware of, are the ways in which large commercial breeders are beginning to use online sources in order to place puppies in homes across the country.
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Recently on August 3, seven puppies out of 14 puppies died in the cargo hold of a plane due to suspected heat-related complications. These puppies were being shipped as cargo from a commercial breeder in Oklahoma to Chicago, Illinois many of whom had connecting flights to other parts of the country where pet buyers awaited their new puppies after purchasing the pups online from what they thought was a reputable breeder.
Now, puppy mills are no longer only reaching out to pet stores across the country to sell their puppies, but they have also targeted innocent individuals who look online in hopes of locating a reputable breeder to find the puppy they wish for. One of the major red flags to look out for and be aware of when purchasing a puppy online from a breeder is if the breeder does not need to meet the buyer in person and simply offers to ship the puppy to the buyer. Any respectable breeder will always need to meet the potential pet owner in order to ensure that the puppy is going to a suitable home.
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The internet has now become a dangerous tool for purchasing pets, “The Animal Welfare Act requires breeders to be licensed and meet specific minimum standards of care for animals bred for resale, but a loophole allows puppy breeders who sell directly to the public—which includes over the Internet—to go unregulated” Cori Menkin, ASPCA Senior Director of Legislative Initiatives.
The bottom line is that if you are interested in buying a puppy, do some research, actually go the breeding facility, meet the breeder, see where the puppy was born and what their living conditions are like. This is the only way to be safe in knowing that your puppy is not a product of the puppy mill industry.
For more information on this story please visit the ASPCA website which features this article http://www.aspca.org/news/tri-state/08-13-10.html#1