NO decent, responsible competent breeder sells their dogs to pet stores.
EVER.
Regardless of whatever nonsense any pet 'industry' PR wonk claims.
PR wonks are hired to lie to the public to protect their 'industry'.
All this does is tarnish the reputation of GOOD breeders while promoting the bad ones.

THIS COMMENT IS NOT INTENDED TO INSULT OR UPSET ANYONE::Come on people pick up the want ads and get a real job. Why live off the backs of your animals by making a profit off of their pain and putting them in serious danger. It makes me sick when people claim to love their animals so much and then they breed them for a profit. It should be against the law. I could not sleep at night knowing my baby was in paon and in danger of death, all so I didnt have to seek a real job. And no one can tell me that being a breeder is a real job, you sould be ashamed of yourselves, I mean come on, The animal is doing all the work and recieving none of the benefit. If you really loved your animal you would be getting her spayed so she could live alot longer without getting cancer of the female organs, which happens alot if their not spayed. If they make it that long since they have been turned into a puppy or kitten factory. If your animal becomes pregnant unintentiolnally thats different then pimping them out for profit. And the people who use their males as studs are just as bad, male dogs can get prostate cancer and really can benefit from being neutered. So please think about get real jobs instead of living off the backs of your animals, I would say pets but if you breed for profit they are not pets but more like meal tickets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I completely agree with you Terry. No responsible breeder would sell their dogs to a pet store. Responsible breeders make sure their dogs are going to a good home and that the home is a good match for that specific breed.

Sadly, the responsible breeders have been bamboozled by the pet-miller supporters that any of us who want to rid the world of puppy-mills also want to get rid of the good breeders.
There are those who say ALL breeders are bad, but they are in the minority.
Unfortunately, the bad breeders are in the majority and are supported by well-funded organizations who make big bucks off the backs of mill-abused animals.
I don't see a way out of this horrible mess.
And the USDA is useless, for the most part.
Very depressing.

I agree with you for the most part, Terry, but there really aren't "responsible" breeders while millions of dogs are killed in shelters each year (about 1/3 purebred). The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council has the distinction of being one of the very few organizations in existence, in which just about every statement that comes out of their mouths is a complete LIE. Just like every word that comes out of the mouth of a pet store employee, whose job exists because of consumer fraud and systematic ANIMAL ABUSE. To prove this point, walk into any given pet store that sells dogs (not rescues for adoption) and see if they tell you their puppies come from quality breeders OR factories where the breeding dogs are caged for most (or all) of their lives as breeding machines. Lisa and Alexander, given that it's 2012 and all the information that we have at our fingertips about the very nature of puppy mills/pet stores and the the pet trade ... it's interesting that you chose to close this article with a statement from a pet store EMPLOYEE rather than a pet RESCUER.

This bill won't be very effective, as most pet store puppies come from mills in the rural Midwest and Amish country. Maryland pet store shoppers won't likely travel to visit the mills in person. Instead, they'll search google and find a nice website, which will ease their doubts and any guilt they may have about shopping at a pet store. It is a law in California to disclose "breeder" information on pet store cages, but no pet store customers are traveling from Los Angeles to Missouri to check them out. That's why ordinances are being passed in city after city throughout the U.S. to ban the sale of commercially bred dogs in pet stores. An ordinance (which is expected to pass) will be voted on soon in Los Angeles.

As long as there are people who want pets there will be people who breed them.
This is a fundamental law of economics, and to wish it otherwise is utopian and useless.
All we can do is push for more humane conditions in the breeding 'industry'.
Any discussion of 'eliminating' pet breeders simply backfires, and does far more harm then good.
The sentiment behind such discussions may be laudable, but the consequences are
anything but.

The one thing that bothers me and this whole thing is that some shelters are making it very hard for everyday people to adopt dogs and cats. I have noticed that some shelters are charging $350 a dog. Alot of these animals aren't finding homes because of the large cost of adopting. Some breeders are charging about the same prices. Don't get me wrong...people that want a pet should be financially able to keep their pet healthy and happy, but the prices that shelters are charging is getting out of hand.

The only way to stop puppy mills, since cruelty is legal is for people to STOP buying puppies from pet stores and the internet. Ordinances banning puppy stores are passing in many cities, people are getting it. We have a wonderful rescue only store in a mall in West Los Angeles, called "Love & Leashes." Since December 10th opening they have adopted out close to 100 dogs & cats from kill shelters around Los Angeles. People are loving this store, it's pleasant, you can bring your dog to see if it gets along with a dog you are interested in, the volunteers are wonderful, nice, informative. There is a puppy mill store in the same mall, there is a table in front of this store to inform people that this store gets their puppies from inhumane breeding factories in the midwest. Come on everyone ADOPT/RESCUE, why would someone not want to save a life. Why would someone buy a puppy and support the evil pet trade industry. Think about it! Pass the ban!

Forget for a moment that there are so many homeless dogs, there should be a moratorium on breeding. A good breeder wants to know that his puppy is going to a good home, Mills, commercial breeders and pet shops only care that you have money in hand. They do not care about the welfare or the health of their dogs, they are in the business of making money. If you are thinking of getting a dog, that would indicate that you care about them. Please help stop this wholesale farming of puppies and save a dog's life..

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Viagra For Dogs? You Bet! It's The Drug Prescribed For Pulmonary Hypertension In Dogs

Viagra has more uses than the one that made this drug famous. Viagra (Sildenafil) is the drug prescribed to treat severe pulmonary hypertension in dogs. Viagra is also the drug prescribed to treat the same health issue in humans.

Pulmonary hypertension is high blood pressure in the lungs, and renders dogs afflicted with it unable to walk more than a few steps without collapsing.

Proper dosages of Viagra prescribed by a veterinarian for a dog suffering with pulmonary hypertension can help control the high blood pressure in the lungs and enable a dog to lead a more normal life. Viagra, which started out as a heart medication, dilates the veins and allows more blood to flow to the lungs and heart. Viagra is sometimes the drug used to treat heartworms in dogs also.

Viagra does not have the same famous effect on dogs as it does humans, but Viagra seems to be a good drug for both man and man's best friend.

so you see Viagra is good for some dogs.in fact it can be lifesaving... but has NOTHING to do with reproduction.. me thinks ARC doth protest too much .. or is uneducated in the use of this drug in canines that may need it..or perhaps has some lascivious interest in the sex lives of canines

Jan Dykema (above commenter) breeds and shows American Bulldogs and gets on various forums and articles in defense of puppy mills/pet stores. Her normal tactic is to change the subject and focus on something else or to insult various animal welfare organizations and rescuers. Google her for a laugh and see some of her choice comments.

Oops, she breeds Bull Terriers, my bad. In any case, she's horrific.

LOL.. Change the subject?/ Viagra is the subject. ARC says that Viagra is used to increase puppy numbers and even on their own website the claim dogs get erections from Viagra.. It is a lie. How else to put it? When confronted by the truth and science you can always revert to sensationalism . Most mammals have an os penis .. that means a penile bone.Dogs can maintain erection for hours without any help from Viagra.. Humans cannot as they have no os penis. Even if they did the amount of time they are erect has nothing to do with the amount of sperm produced.. there is your little science lesson for the day. Maybe some will learn something on this forum
Arc says:
"some breeders inject dogs with hormones and medications like Viagra to ensure they produce as many puppies as possible."

Impossible but who cares when you are spreading sensationalism. as they say "Sex sells."

Pet Stores & Online Pet Sales: Here is the truth behind the pretty website listed below: The Otsego County SPCA has been called in, as well as NY State Troopers, to remove over 130 dogs that are staked out w/barrels for shelter and no bedding in the barrels in subzero weather. The dogs are emaciated, eating their own feces, and in horrible physical condition and unable to fend for themselves. There are vizslas, GSP’s, Weimaraners, and Rhodesian Ridgebacks in peril that I know of. There may be other breeds at this puppy mill as well. http://www.southsidedogs.com/

wish i had time to read all these comments. ill say this... my dog was on viagra for his pulmonary hypertension. its a useful drug & helped prolong his life. my dog was rescued many years ago & he was traced back to a puppy mill in tennessee. he had many health problems in his life no doubt caused by his genetics and lowered immune system. no arguments are necessary here. these animals were domesticated By People for our own entrainment, comfort, and health benefits. in every single instance where we take part in the breeding and sale of these beings for our own profit we are betraying every being that is already here and in need Because Of People. if you love a breed, then rescue it. we do not deserve "rights" to these animals. they belong to themselves. Shame on the breeders.