How do you know if a puppy you want to buy came from a puppy mill?

Anastasia Beaverhousen: How do you know if a puppy you want to buy came from a puppy mill?
I don’t want a puppy mill dog! How do you verify were the puppy came from?

Pet stores in my area have been getting busted left and right for dealing with puppy mills. I don’t want to contribute to that kind of activity.

Answers and Views:

Answer by Lindsay P
dont buy from a petstore – get a puppy from a breeder or an animal shelter

Answer by Marguerite
im glad u dont want to contribute to the puppy mills …….
i dont know where u can get a puppy

Answer by rjn529
Never buy a puppy from a pet store – these are mostly puppy milll dogs.

If you are getting a purebred dog, check the breeder. Reputable breeders are listed with the American Kennel Club, will ask you to complete a multi-page questionnaire, and will also interview you in detail to determine that you are a good home for their dog. They should be willing to answer any questions you have, and provide any documentation on the dog’s parents and lineage that you request.

Answer by TKS
If it comes from a pet store it probably does. You have to find out what the people raise, if the health test, if they register the dogs, if they are part of the family or just for money, are they titled, etc.

Answer by alisa
well, don;t get a puppy from a pet store. responable breeders never sell their puppies to pet stores as they want to make sure they are going to good homes. my first suggestion would be to go to your local shelter and check the dogs out there. otherwise do some research on breeders.

Answer by anon..
Easy, don’t buy from a pet store. Look for rescue groups in the area or a shelter. You can also ask the petsore where they get their puppies. A good store will tell you. In my area, PetCo and PetSmart only feature animals from local pet rescue shelters.

Answer by Nessa
To buy a puppy that isn’t from a mill you can either go to a Responsible breeder (one registered with the AKC or Canadian Kennel Club), a rescue or a shelter.
Ask the breeder lots of questions, don’t be afraid of upsetting them. A breeder who doesn’t answer questions or ask questions about you is a red flag, and you should look elsewhere.
Here’s a link on how to find a good breeder:

Answer by Jessica C
Research the breeder. Ask to see exactly where the puppies parents are how they are treated. If they are showing dogs that’s a good sign because they are probably working with a mentor and their vet to make sure they are creating puppies that will help the breed. Get a puppy from a shelter they need loving owners.

Answer by Swamp Poodles
Find a breeder who does health testing, offers an extensive contract- see both the parents and their health testing certification- and deal directly with the breeder- that will ensure you your dog is NOT a puppy mill dog- puppy mills will not only deal with you directly, but also will not do health testing.

Answer by Dog Trainer
Any puppy that comes from a Pet Store that offers puppies for sale is a puppy mill puppy! When someone is selling puppies for profit, they are sacrificing the health of the mother dog, as well as the puppies! The puppies are not socialized properly, are inbred from parents that are not medically the top of the line in their breed and consequently, the puppies are at risk for many medical problems and social problems down the road!

If the seller wants cash for the puppy, if the puppies are kept in a cage without their mother or sold before they are 8 weeks of age, if the mother and/or father are not on the premises, if there are a variety of puppy breeds or litters for sale, these are all cues that it is a puppy mill…..

I see too many puppies that come into our store that are from puppy mills. They do not have the standard or health quality of their breed, are bred down into “teacup” dogs that have more medical risk than the normal of the breed and the puppies are taken away from their mother and litter too early.

I work at Petsmart, we offer puppies and dogs for adoption through our local charity programs that foster dogs and cats and sell them at low cost to cover shots and spay/neutering. We do not SELL puppies! We are committed to the life of our customers pets!

Answer by Mel
Easy answer………

1) Never buy animals from any pet store.

2) Find local breeders near you – visit the breeders home to see their dogs, the environment the dogs live in, etc. Any reputable breeder will welcome a perspective buyer into their home with open arms. Caring/loving breeders want their dogs to be purchased by someone who truly cares about where that dog came from – these “good” breeders would never sell their pups to pet stores.

Answer by Brittany M
Any breeder who has more than 2 or three breeders at a time you should be suspicious of. If they have a website look through it thoroughly. The AKC also has a breeder recommendation page for each breed. Puppies from mills tend to be very unhealthy so you should be able to tell from pictures, and make sure you look up the breed standards and make sure you aren’t paying money for a mutt or unhealthy dog.

They is nothing wrong with mutts, you can adopt one from an local rescue and save money and also be countering all of the puppy mills at the same time, plus dog from shelter are often already trained to help them get adopted!