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Tour de Pet Stores

February 05, 2008, 11:21PM MT

By Kelli Ohrtman

An inside look at Los Angeles pet stores and shelters

An inside look at Los Angeles pet stores and shelters

Last weekend, a few of us from Best Friends went on a trip to conduct some research. We preach that people should adopt pets instead of buy them, and decided to choose an area and take a tour to gather info. We wanted to know if there really are as many puppies for sale in stores and classified ads as we think, and how many of the same kinds of animals are sitting in the shelters. We picked Los Angeles.

Some quick background information; California has the third highest number of pet stores in the country behind Florida and New York. The majority of stores are within an hour’s drive of Los Angeles, and in some areas, there are several shops selling puppies within a few blocks of one another. Read on to learn what we found.

Puppies & Purebreds Galore, at your local Shelter and Store
At one pet store in the mall, we counted 66 puppies for sale. Prices ranged from around $1,000 to over $2,500 for puppies in all shapes and sizes. There was a Boxer, a German Shepherd, an Akita, a yellow Lab, and about every small breed imaginable. We inquired about the yellow Lab puppy, who was just under four months old, and starting to get “big” by pet store standards. “He’s on sale for fifteen hundred dollars,” said the young store employee.

Who would buy a Lab pup for fifteen hundred dollars unless he/she comes fully trained for something or other—leading the blind or disabled, hunting, obedience, anything? At the very least, a puppy that expensive should have had OFA certification against hip dysplasia somewhere in his pedigree. But no such luck. From the store, you get either APRI or AKC papers which don’t guarantee the health, temperament or conditions under which the pup was raised. It says that, right on the papers. Puppies come unspayed or neutered and with no microchip, and since they’ve lived in a wire-bottom cage since they were born (learning to urinate and defecate in their own living area) good luck with housetraining. So what do you get for all that money? A cute pet for a couple thousand bucks.

Shelters Full

Later that day at the shelter, we walked the rows of kennels in what was an admittedly sad place. 45,000 animals enter Los Angeles’ city shelters each year, and less than half ever make it out. 78,000 end up at county shelters. There at the South L.A. shelter, in a chain link run by herself, was a little yellow Lab pup. If adopted, she would be spayed and microchipped. Her adoption fee was $87.00.

In fact, for nearly every breed of puppy we saw for sale in a store, we saw at least one of the same breed at the shelter. Mini Dachsunds, Maltese, Chihuahuas, St. Bernards, Poodles, Pug, Miniature Pinscher, Westie, Shih Tzu, Cocker Spaniels, Labs, Huskies, Golden Retrievers, and mixes of everything above.Breeders didn’t come up with anything new when they started making “designer” breeds. Shelters have been getting mixed breeds in and adopting them out for decades.

So here’s the thing. If everyone who bought a puppy from a pet store or online or through the classified ads were to have just stopped. Stopped and thought just for a moment about from where they were choosing to get a new pet. And then, before plunking down fifteen hundred dollars for a pet store puppy, they made a trip to the shelter just to see what was there, to spend a few minutes with a dog, I think many would choose to save a life. It costs a lot less and gives you the warm fuzzy feeling of doing the right thing, being socially responsible, and being part of the solution.

Besides, all pets adopted from area shelters are spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped for a fraction of the cost of buying a puppy. What a bargain.

What you can do:
While you may be aware of the wonderful, beautiful animals sitting in shelters in Los Angeles and across the country, your friends, family and acquaintances may not be. The most simple, effective thing that anyone can do is talk to people and get the word out.
1.) Visit the county and city shelter websites:
Los Angeles Animal Services (City).
Department of Animal Care and Control (County)
2.) Can’t find the perfect pet at a shelter, check www.petfinder.com, a website with all rescued animals from shelters and groups in every state.
3.) Encourage others to check shelters and Petfinder when looking for a new pet
4.) Volunteer at your local shelter
5.) Download your own “Adopt, Don’t Shop” flyer and post it in your community. Click here to download the flyer.

Need more proof that the shelters are (over)full of great dogs? Scroll through the pictures below, taken recently at a County shelter (Lancaster location) in L.A.

Posted by Kelli Ohrtman: Best Friends Network
Main Photo: Puppies for adoption at the South Los Angeles shelter.

Comments

Posted February 19, 2008, 11:49AM by Hppyhazel

I never buy anything from a pet store that sells pure bred pets. I only buy from a local pet store who takes in puppies from local people who don't want them. All my dogs and cats where rescued either from our local Humane society or from a person who was going to do a horrible thing by 'getting rid of them with a bullet'. My next pet will also be rescued. Good job with the story, I hope it gets the word out about breeders and pet stores who buy from puppy mills.

Posted February 07, 2008, 1:26PM by CourtneyCox

Nice work Kelli.... reporting such as this makes it "real" for people and will hopefully inspire them to help the cause. Animals are not products... some day everyone will realize!

Posted February 09, 2008, 9:22AM by katmac

One of the most compelling pieces I've ever seen about puppy mills can be found at the link below. The Dateline piece also had some interesting information about AKC registrations. Wish I could find the original Dateline article. But this is a pretty good re-cap from what I remember.

http://www.caps-web.org/2_11dateline.php

Posted February 10, 2008, 11:51AM by marys

Great reference, Katmac! Difficult to read. In response to SueB, I hope that you are aware that because of the background these animals have had in the breeding kennels, there is a good chance they will not make it. So many have paid hundreds or thousands for a very sick animal, only to loose them shortly after purchase. If there were no more pet stores, the breeders would cease the cruel practices and many more animals would be neutered and spayed. It is all a part of the solution.
In the meantime, groups of folks that care (picket and close the stores) can foster and hold adoptions, and find no-kill groups to assist.

Posted February 20, 2008, 12:42AM by pamsandwich

It brings tears to my eyes to see all those little pleading faces. Thanks for continuing the awareness and educating the public.

Posted February 08, 2008, 8:4PM by Bernadette

Great article!!!!

Posted February 21, 2008, 5:6PM by rmlamasney25

I brought up Lilly the disfigured ex-mill mother dog (who is now safe with Mill Dog Rescue) on my computer and showed it to a co-worker: "This is why no-one should buy a puppy from a petstore!" She was horrifed, but didn't understand, until I explained that these are the parents of the pet store pups, left to rot in metal cages for years on end. Lilly's face should be plastered all over the country: this is the price of a pet store puppy, it's parents abject misery.

Posted February 06, 2008, 4:41PM by melissa

Incredible story! It's so important to make sure every potential pet owner knows the facts about pet stores and shelters. Most importantly, it's critical to dispel myths regarding temperment and health of the animals at each. Pet stores may look like the better place to get a pet but that's only because they're in it for the profit! Nice job!

Posted February 06, 2008, 6:38PM by marla

Great informative story. I tell everyone I know. Keep up the good work

Posted February 07, 2008, 12:45PM by SueB

So what's going to happen to all the poor animals awaiting sale from all the pet stores?

Posted February 23, 2008, 10:33PM by bryan45777

Aww! The pups are such sweethearts! At least the shelters are making them as cozy as possible for their rough stay.

Posted February 06, 2008, 6:31PM by yvette

Great story!! It takes strength to go into pet stores and not want to shout the truth, or go into a kill shelter and not cry.

I don't even buy my pet food at stores that sell pets. I drive the extra 10 miles to a doggy daycare facility that also has a store attached.

Posted February 07, 2008, 2:59PM by mcmars

Great story... Why just yesterday I had a <ahem> spirted exchange with a co-worker on this very topic. While we both finally retired to our respective corners I think I'll be passing this one on. Ding - round 2.

Posted February 07, 2008, 3:11PM by carrie_fosters

Marion - LOVE IT!

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