Think I’m cute? Meet my mother.
Don’t Buy the Lie About Puppy Mills
Online puppy advertisements only tell you part of the story. The internet is a 24-7 unmonitored marketplace and online puppy sales by online puppy mills are skyrocketing. It is estimated that more than 1,000,000 puppies will be sold online in 2020. You need to see for yourself where your puppy was born and meet the mother dog.
Responsible breeders want to know and meet you. If a breeder is willing to sell you a puppy without meeting you, this is a huge red flag. If the breeder is mostly concerned about the payment of the puppy, beware. Not only could you be supporting puppy mill cruelty by purchasing a puppy from one of these breeders but you are also opening up your family to possible future heartbreak and high medical costs. Dogs live for 10 plus years, so it’s in your best interest to see where your puppy is coming from.
You want a puppy that is healthy and well adjusted. Due to poor breeding and the shipping and transport of puppies sold online, there is a high risk of receiving a sick puppy. Sick dogs and dogs with behavior issues will affect your family for the rest of the dog’s life. Families can be faced with potential high vet bills, little recourse and tough decisions regarding their new puppy. Dogs taken away from their mothers too young can have anxiety and behavior issues that will affect you and your family for it’s life. Shipping and transport at young ages can also cause lifelong anxiety in pups.
Puppies sold on the internet and social media pages, sight unseen, are usually from puppy mills.
If you don’t see it for yourself, there is no way of knowing where your puppy was born. It’s important to inspect the living conditions of the dogs as well as meeting the mother dog and puppy before you buy. Beware of breeders that keep dogs caged in out buildings or won’t let you see their property.