User:Parkermcarthur

Designer dogs in Puppy Mills

These dogs live their entire lives in these crates. Their paws have never stepped foot on grass and many are unable to walk from being confined 24/7. The only reason for the existence of these dogs is to breed. When they are no longer suitable for breeding purposes they are either bludgeoned to death or shot. These are the mothers of the cute little puppies you buy at your local pet supermarket or the local flea markets. What a sad ending to such a beautiful animal. Do you know the difference between a reputable breeder and a puppy mill? If you had the opportunity to tour either one, would you know what to look for? Sadly, many people don't. Many people are uneducated about the difference. Many people who are looking to add a puppy or dog to their family are usually 'blinded' by the cuteness of the animal and sometimes act impulsively. These people are eager to take their new pup or dog home without knowing much about the dog's history. The Internet is a great place for thousands of business owners around the world to advertise. Many businesses are legitimate and very reputable. The Internet is also a place for scam artists and cons to also advertise their fraudulent businesses and prey upon unsuspecting folks. Unfortunately, there is little that can be done to remove these people from advertising on the World Wide Web but there is a great deal that we can do as consumers to educate ourselves about these businesses.

HOW TO RECOGNIZE A PUPPY MILL

Ok, so you are ready to add a furry, four-legged friend to your family. You know what your options are, right? You can adopt a puppy or adult dog from your local SPCA or Animal Shelter (preferably), you can contact a dog rescue in your area (or out of state), and you can acquire a puppy from a home owner that put a cardboard sign in the yard that reads: FREE PUPPIES. Another option is to purchase a puppy or dog from a dog breeder. The Internet is chocked full of dog breeders from all over the world but which one do you choose? The first thing you need to do is to educate yourself about breeders and their kennels. Don't be fooled by a fancy website that claims to be "AWARD WINNING", "PROFESSIONAL", "CERTIFIED". Beware of breeder websites that fill their website with letters from former customers praising the breeder and referring the breeder to the pubic. Usually these 'letters' are fabricated by the breeder. Also beware of a breeder's website if it is loaded with too much information especially if the information appears to be cut and pasted from other sites. If a breeder appears to be an 'expert' on everything under the sun, chances are they are using someone else's information and claiming it to be their own. If a breeder has many, many links to their website from other sites on the Internet, chances are that this breeder is over-advertising and is desperate to sell puppies and dogs. No reputable breeder would stoop to such practices. Nor would a reputable breeder feel the need to defend themselves against former, angry customers. Other things that should raise a red flag for you: The website is loaded with photos unrelated to the kennels and animals. The website is loaded with 'bling', too much information about the breeder, too many advertisements, too many accolades about the breeder and claims ofaffiliationswith: the AKC and or the Universal Kennel Club International or any other clubs. PRICES: Beware of the breeder's prices of puppies and dogs. Example: If a breeder is selling 'hybrid' puppies and dogs for thousands of dollars, run do not walkaway from this business. A 'hybrid' puppy and/or dog is nota pure breed dog. A 'hybrid' puppy and/or dog can neverbe registered with the American Kennel Club and a 'hybrid' dog is nothing more than a mutt. Hybrid means: The offspring of two other breeds. NOTE:Animal Shelters and rescue groups are FULLof 'hybrid' dogs and a dog or puppy adopted from one of these facilities is usually very inexpensive. It is irrelevant if the breeder posts information regarding the 'lineage' of the puppies and adult dogs. It is irrelevant if the breeder has bred a pure Golden Retriever to a pure Poodle and created a Goldendoodle. The results are the same. The puppies are still 'hybrids'. BEWARE OF PACKAGES: Some breeders will offer puppy 'packages' of varying prices. This means absolutely nothing to you. This is only a way for the breeder to grab your attention and suck you into purchasing a puppy for an enormous amount of money. The scam is to make you believe you are getting a great deal because the breeder will include things like: A vet check, first vaccinations, warranty, and so on. ANY REPUTABLE BREEDER SHOULD PROVIDE THIS REGARDLESS OF PRICE! If your new puppy has NOT been checked by a veterinarian and has NOT had it's first set of puppy vaccinations, DO NOT BUY A PUPPY! Most reputable breeders will guarantee that their puppies have been examined by a vet, the puppies have been vaccinated and, the Sire and Dam (the puppies parents) have been x-rayed and have been certified to have sound hips, meaning: Dysplasia-free. Dysplasia means: the enlargement of an organ or tissue by the proliferation of cells of an abnormal type, as a developmental disorder or an early stage in the development of cancer. BREEDER CONTRACT: Make sure you read the entire contract. If the breeder's contract has too many stipulations, policies, rules, regulations and requires an enormous deposit, this is sure signs of a puppy mill. If the breeder states that re-homing your puppy or dog is yourresponsibility, this is a puppy mill. A reputable breeder will almost always take the puppy or dog back and many breeders insistthat you, the buyer, return the dog to them. If the contract contains personal comments and slanderous accusations toward former customers and/or other breeders, this is a sure sign of a puppy mill. THE KENNELS: If a breeder will not allow a tourof their kennels or property, this a huge red flag. If the breeder refuses to allow you to see the kennels and the Sire and Dam of your puppy, this breeder is mostdefinitelyhiding something and is running a puppy mill. If the breeder refuses to prove that the kennels have been recently inspected by the Health Department, the Department of Agriculture or Animal Control, this is a puppy mill. If a breeder cannot show proof that the kennels and surrounding property are up to standards and code, you can bet that this is a puppy mill. Reputable breeders are very proud of their kennels and dogs and are morethan willing to offer tours through the kennels and surrounding property. Their income depends on being reputable. THE BUSINESS REPUTATION: To locate complaints about a breeder and it's business practices, all one has to do is open Google and type in the owner's name and/or business name. If there have been any complaints regarding a breeder it will usually appear on the Internet. If a breeder has had complaints posted about them on the Internet, the breeder will most likely retaliate by posting defensive responses. Another way to learn about the credibility and character of a breeder is to go to: MySpace. In the Searchbar, type in the person's name and or business name. Using the scroll arrow to the right of the Search bar, select: MySpace. A window will open up and there will usually be one or more of the same name. Click on the person's photo to view their profile. On the right of the person's profile photo there will be a box of information and at the bottom of the box will be an option to:View All Blogs. This is all you need to do to find out about this person's views. This certainly doesn't mean that all breeders have a MySpace account. Reputable breeders are usually too busy taking care of their animals to sit and write blogs all day long. Another way to find out about a breeder is to join dog forums.These are free to join and all you need to do is ask about any breeder. Sooner or later you will get a response. There are also Breeders Listslocated on the Internet. If you do not see a particular breeder on these lists it's because they have either been removed or were not allowed to list their business. If the breeder in question refuses to give you the name and phone number of the veterinarian they claim they use, this is a puppy mill. You should be able to contact the vet and ask about this kennel. EXAMPLE OF A PUPPY MILL; Here I have listed a particular puppy mill for you to investigate so you can educate yourself about what a puppy mill is. NOTE:This particular business is currently under investigation and it is public knowledge that the owner/operators are running a fraudulent business. The 'kennel' is: Lake Ridge Kennelslocated at: 165 Four Lakes Drive, Cleveland, North Carolina 27013. Phone number: 1-704-640-0477. Owner/operator: Dee Gerrish. Ms. Gerrish has several links to her website. Her main website address is: lrkgoldendoodles.com and two others: goldendoodleworld.com doodleplanet.com If you care to find out what kind of person she is, go to: MySpace. In the Searchbar type in: simply deedee. Using the scroll arrow, choose MySpace. A window will open up showing a photo of a person wearing Army fatigues sitting on a bunk bed. This is Ms. Gerrish's profile page and blog page. To view complaints about her and her puppy mill, type in the Google search bar: Dee Gerrish.There you will see the many complaints about her 'kennels'. SUMMARY: Do your homework before buying a puppy or dog. Research the business. Read, read read!!! Ask lots and lots of questions. Do not take "NO" for an answer. Know your rights!!! Don't buy a puppy or dog just because it's cute and cuddly. Don't buy a puppy or dog just because the breeder's website advertises all over the Internet. EDUCATE YOURSELF!!!!!