Do pet shops harm animals?
Pet shop owners try to keep veterinary bills and other animal care expenses down to maximize profits. Puppies rarely get the attention they need to become well-adjusted. Since they are not properly socialized, they are often returned, or dropped at a shelter when problems are detected. Are pet shops in the business for money? Yes. Animals can suffer while dealers and pet shops make profits. It is not unusual, for example, for a dog sold to a pet shop for $100 to be re-sold to a customer for $1,000 – $5,000. And by their very existence, puppy mills doom other animals. The marketing of approximately 1 million puppy mill animals each year prevents many people from adopting animals from pounds and shelters. It also undercuts the spay/neuter efforts of animal advocacy organizations. Why shouldnt we buy puppies in pet stores? Pet shop employees routinely deny that they purchase from mills, or brokers that trade in puppy mill animals. They claim that they purchase puppies from ‘reputable bree
