Tonight, Isaac and I went on a date in this newly renovated, upscale pedestrian mall and we passed a pet store. We stopped in and I saw that they sold puppies. The employee was quick to "explain" that they aren't like other pet stores. He claims they only work with good reputable breeders and they have 5 vet techs on staff and they turn people away if the dog isn't a good fit and refer them to a breeder or rescue and they follow AKC regulations, blah blah blah. I pretty much just smiled and nodded, then noticed they had a Shiba. I almost couldn't tell he was a Shiba...he was a dingy cream color, extremely overweight, and had blue eyes. I wanted badly to say something and mention everything awry with this poor dog. I mentioned he was chunky and the vet tech told me male shibas are 25-30 pounds anyway and that he might love his food a little too much. I politely left but I'm furious. A blue-eyed cream shiba isn't exactly breed standard, but he's from a reputable breeder? And he's not fat from being overfed or an underlying condition? Yeah, right. I think I was too angry to say anything and not in the mood for an argument. I want to go back and point out what's wrong and see what they have to say. Ugh. And then we got rearended on the way home. Not a good night. Poor Shiba pup.
The pet pass pet store gave me same excuse pups come from loving breeders.. Never seen a cream shiba with blue eyes before wonder if husky was mixed in sometime down the line.
I've seen a white boxer with blue eyes so who knows could be a pure shiba with blue eyes.. sad they feeding the dog too much. :/
The mall petstore near me has been no longer for two or three years hurray!♪ sadly there is petlands in Indianapolis. :(
The whole following AKC regulations thing is what annoys me the most, I think. They can argue about whether their breeders are good or reputable. They're WRONG, of course, but the fact is that it's loosely defined, so people can argue about it. There's no way, however, that they're following AKC regs. AKC regs require health testing and a lot of other things that that the PUPPY MILLS they're getting these dogs from aren't doing. It's fraudulent, and way more so than the normal BS claims of pet stores that sell puppies. The really unfortunate thing, here, is that there's almost no way they'll ever face any repercussions for their lies.
I'm really glad no pet store sells dogs or cats where I live.
I wish more than anything I could do something. The most I can think I'd accomplish is making them feel and look stupid. I think ill go in during a peak time and hopefully ward off potential customers. I just can't believe the crap they're telling people and how horrible that poor Shiba looks.
I don't know how big your community is, Angelofmusic, but if you live in a small enough place I bet a petition could go really far. That's how our local humane society keeps those that sell puppies or kittens out of business.
The poor dog probably isn't a pure bred Shiba. In all likelihood, it is some sort of northern breed mix. Maybe Samoyed or other. If you feel like it, find out who the store owner is and write a letter to the store owner describing the situation and ask that the store not sell "Shibas". You could always cc local animal groups on the letter (see below).
Don't know where you live, but the local "animal group" plus HSUS rep in our area managed to picket a new Petland store sufficiently that it closed "for business reasons".
If they claim to follow AKC regs and that it's from a reputable breeder, you should go back and be like "oh, awesome, can I see his paperwork, then? I'd love to know his lineage!".
Or report them to the AKC. I'm sure the AKC would not be too thrilled to know that mill puppies are being sold with their "stamp of approval" since it could seriously undermine their credibility if people start thinking "Oh, I bought this AKC puppy from this pet store, but it's got a lot of health problems. So AKC isn't a very good or reliable thing to judge by".
The AKC already has a lot of puppy mill dogs registered with them and they don't seem to care very much---they could refuse to register puppy mill dogs, but they don't. While I think claiming that they follow AKC regs is a fraudulent claim in a way that even saying their breeders are reputable isn't, I don't think this means the AKC will do anything about it. The AKC is, in many ways, it seems, quite complacent about puppy mills. They could refuse to register people's dogs, kick them out, etc but this only seems to happen in the case of gross violations.
Nope. The AKC even advertises in the puppy mill industry magazine, The Kennel Spotlight (the same people who brought you the SW Kennel Auctions). I don't even know where to start with that one, it's all kinds of wrong...
p.s. Angel, that sucks that you got rear-ended! I'm assuming you're okay since your anger at the pet store obviously outweighed the accident.
AKC will refuse to register dogs from a source if that "breeder" does not adhere to their rules of registration, ie, forges litter information, lies about parentage, fails USDA inspections, etc, but not because someone calls the place a puppy mill. AKC is a registration body, and as long as registrations are in order and the kennels meet minimum standards of care and send in the correct paperwork, they register.
AKC will not place restrictions on the number of dogs a person can own, and actively advocate for no restrictions on numbers. Obviously, this is self serving since they make money on registrations.
The underlying problem is more in the definitions. There isn't a litmus test to determine who is or is not a puppy mill, and the term gets thrown around all the time, especially when the intent is just to slander someone or get their ire up. I mean, I've had people call me a puppy mill, and I have 3 Shibas and I have not bred any of them!!! So, saying that one place is a puppy mill really doesn't give a person an accurate depiction of what goes on there. That's probably something you will spend a lot of time on in your law studies I imagine (definitions) ;)
AKC does have a point when, in their press releases, statements are made such as "it is not the number of dogs that defines a breeder, it is how they are cared for." Fundamentally, I agree with that sentiment, but practically speaking, what sort of care can 1 person give 200+ dogs? Again, as long as they meet minimum USDA standards of care and send the right papers in, then that appears to be acceptable to AKC and local humane enforcement.
Masakado Shiba Inu www.masakadoshiba.wordpress.com "Common sense isn't so common"
I think people need to remember AKC is a business first. I keep up with their legislation alerts and they always get upset at bills to limit the number of animals a person can have. I like that they fight breed specific legislation, but then again which kennel club wouldn't? I feel changes need to be made in AKC in general. They really shouldn't let puppy mills put out dogs, it defeats the purpose of a closed regestry IMHO. Ill never forget when they let a dog known to have testicular cancer compete in the tournement of champions (I believe he won his group). It made no sense when its supposed to be for breeding stock.
I agree--I have issues with the AKC for all the reasons noted. But yes, they are a business, and a registering body, and also a political body (lobbying for breeders rights, etc). I can't really expect too much from them. But it is galling to have a dog with a myriad of health issue from a breeder the AKC has called "a breeder of merit."
