written by Maggie Calderwood
Brown Dog Foundation Director, National Board
Responsible pet ownership begins before you even own your pet. It begins with research to make the best decision. Where is the best place to purchase or adopt a pet? A pet store, an advertisement in the classifieds of the local paper, on websites such as Ebay, Craigslist or Petfinders, from a breeder listed on the internet? How do you educate yourself to make the best decision for you, your family and your new pet?
What type of pet would you like to acquire? Have you researched breed attributes, qualities and activity levels? All are considerations to insure a great quality of life for pet and owner.
Now that you have decided on the type of pet, where should you look for the new addition? Animal Control Facilities, Humane Shelters and Rescue Groups are the first place to look for the new family member. Private Rescues will do thorough research on the pet’s new family and environment to guarantee a good fit for all involved in the process. A/C facilities and shelters don't do as thorough of a background check, but all share the common goal of finding the pet a home for life, the furever home!
Purchasing from pet stores and over the internet is a risky option when acquiring a pet. The goal here is to generate income for the stores and the breeders. Good breeders do exist but far too many bad breeder and puppy mills are easier to find. It is up to you to do the research when purchasing a pet.
1. Always insist on meeting the puppy or kitten and the parents of the puppy or kitten before making the purchase.
2. Look at the medical records available on the pet being purchased and on the parents. Reputable breeders will have the records available and will not have a problem revealing the medical history of the breeding stock.
3. Avoid meeting the seller at a highway rest stop for an exchange, having a puppy or kitten shipped as cargo freight on an airplane, or walking into a store front and purchasing the cute face without asking any questions or doing any research on the breeding facility of the pet.
Why is researching the breeder and parents of the pet important? It is important to prevent unforeseen medical issues and heartache when the pet you are in love with has a genetic disease or disfigurement a few years down the road. I was involved in a rescue at a backyard breeder/puppy mill facility last fall and acquired a male used as breeding stock for 6 years. During those 6 years, this male was chained to the bumper of car, fed fairly regularly and bred. This male had been born on the property and unfortunately for him was not sold with his litter mates. I was responsible for transporting this male to a breed specific rescue and during the 3 hour transport I named the dog, Caramel. It was the first name he ever had, before that time he had only a number attached to his being. Caramel was supposed to be grey and white but was the color of Caramel when I picked him up because in 6 years he had never had a bathe except for the rain and snow storms he endured while chained to the bumper of the abandoned car. The door of the car had been removed, this was his shelter.
The rescue immediately bathed him, took him to the vet clinic for vaccines and to be neutered. He lived in a foster home for 2 months where he was house-trained and taught doggie etiquette and was then adopted into a very loving home where he lived for 6 months before suffering a massive heart attack. The autopsy showed a congenital heart defect. This story is sad on many levels. The breed specific rescue supplied over $1,200.00 in medical care and rehabilitation for this poor dog and the new owners invested not only money, but their hearts.
This is not the saddest part of the story. Caramel sired over 100 puppies during his stud career, puppies that may or may not have the same congenital heart condition. The bouncing, happy, fluffy puppies on this facility’s website show no indication of the hidden health issues that may occur down the road.
Without the proper research, an owner may be looking at costly medical procedures in the future; such as heart surgery, hip replacement, luxating patella repair, corrective eye, ear, nose surgery. Will you be able to afford these types surgeries or will you be forced to make the decision to surrender or euthanize your pet?
Brown Dog Foundation is committed to helping responsible pet owners with medical care for their pets during times of financial crisis. Pet owners can help Brown Dog Foundation by doing their research before acquiring a new pet. If everyone takes the step to end irresponsible breeding of pets then we will all have a better and healthier life!
RIP Caramel.
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