Md - banning the sale of puppies in pet stores

[Bruins_Boxer]

Last year Md had proposed some legislation to try and stop puppy mills . much of the legislation would not really do much to stop puppy mills but could have a very big impact on small hobby and reputable breeders . There was an overwhelming opposition , both in letters and by people showing up in person at the capital, the legislation was stopped. But we knew it would be back .
At the public meeting one of the delegates asked what would make breeders happy ? What would stop puppy mills and not affect the responsible breeders ?

Someone replied " stop allowing puppies to be sold in pet stores , as they get their puppies from puppy mills .If there are no places that will sell puppy mill puppies then the puppy mills will not have a local place to sell their puppies ."

There is now new legislation being proposed here in Md that will prohibit the sale of puppies in pet stores . I have not read the whole bill yet.
As long as they do not throw additional regulations that will affect reputable breeders this will be a big hit to the puppy mills .

[Rubidawg]

YAY!!!! That could be GREAT news! I hate pet stores, they make it too easy, they over charge, and the poor pups (and their moms and dads) suffer way too much for the pet store's gain.

Before we got Rubi, we were in MD visiting our family. There was a new pet store in Bowie that EVERYONE was talking about - the cutest pups, kittens, everything. It took over a place where I used to get all my fish and fish tank supplies, so I was curious.

We walked in and saw the most adorable fawn male (semi-flashy). He was probably about 4 or 5 months, getting too big for the cage he had been living in for the past 2 to 3 months. He looked MISERABLE! Wasn't jumping around, barking and playing like the other pups - he just laid there with the saddest look on his face. We had talked about getting a boxer for a lil while, we were in MD for my grandfather's funeral, and something kept drawing me back to go look at this baby. I couldn't take it anymore.

Asked the petstore guy how much for the boxer.....I was shocked when he told me $2,000! WHAT! I said he's gettin too big, looks sick and I'll make you an offer. He went down to $1500! Wow....that's nice. This poor dog suffered. I wanted him so badly, but I wasn't about to support a pet store and/or pay that kinda money. Broke my heart. Weeks later, Shawn's uncle was in the same petstore and saw that boxer still there...looking worse than before. He talked to the owner (his Uncle Joe talked him down on a collie they had bought several months earlier for $200 from $800), and the owner said $1350 for the boxer. At this point, it had to be close to 6 months old. I guess the guy really thought he'd get the money for it.

A few months later, my mom is in the pet store....boxer pup is gone.

Still breaks my heart to think what could have happened to him.
Either he got so sick, he died.
Someone paid ridiculous money to bring him home and are dealing with most likely health problems for the rest of his life.
Or, god knows what.

It just sickens me that Pet Stores and puppy mills get away with this stuff!

[Newcastle]

Without really thinking about it, the big concern would be how the bill defines "pet store" - I could see a push to define the term as any person or entity that sells at retail, which of course includes home breeders.

[whitepupzoe]

  That would be great!

And you're right Dawn...they do make it too easy.  Perfect example is my Zoe.    I refuse to go in to any pet store that sells puppies...especially boxers, my heart just cannot take it.  

[Bruins_Boxer]

Without really thinking about it, the big concern would be how the bill defines "pet store" - I could see a push to define the term as any person or entity that sells at retail, which of course includes home breeders.

Exactly.

As long as they do not throw additional regulations that will affect reputable breeders this will be a big hit to the puppy mills .

[Theresa]

Sounds like a start in the right direction.  

[Rubidawg]

Without really thinking about it, the big concern would be how the bill defines "pet store" - I could see a push to define the term as any person or entity that sells at retail, which of course includes home breeders.

Exactly.

As long as they do not throw additional regulations that will affect reputable breeders this will be a big hit to the puppy mills .

Definitely agree there. That's just the problem with these legislations tho. On one hand, it could be a great way to stop some of these horrible puppy mills....but on the other, you have to wonder at what means do they get to define the rules....and will that only make selling other ways (thinking black market or will mills result to newspapers) easier for the consumer?

[Patti]

 I refuse to go in to any pet store that sells puppies...especially boxers, my heart just cannot take it.  

I agree, I can't even look in the window

[BoxerPerson]

Every time I see puppies, kittens (other than from the HS having them there for rescue) or other pets at a pet store...I let anyone know,, that is looking at the pups (or other babies) that these are puppies from a puppy mill, or kittens etc, from breeders trying to make a buck that do not breed for the betterment of the animal.  I have scared off many a prospective buyer   I guess they could come back later...but I do my best to let people know that any baby in a pet store (other than the previously mentioned HS pets) is the product of a greedy person trying to make a buck off their pets!

[gbfboxer]

I live in MD and there is a place that always had puppies that were sickly and I'm sure came from puppy mills. They had been shut down several times only to reopen a week or 2 later after paying fees for their infractions. A group of local dog lovers and local vets filed complaints and we succeeded in getting the place shut down for good. The white boxer that my parents have now is one of the dogs seized from the shop when they were forced to close. My vet knew that I've taken on fosters before and called to ask me if I'd try to take him on. He is partially deaf, had a horrible lung infection that took over 6 months to treat, a heart defect, Irritable bowel and was so emaciated and underweight (17 lbs at 4 months) that our vet told me that she didn't think he could survive. He was terrified of people, women in particular, and I'm pretty sure he was abused to top it all off.  The really sad thing is that that same dog was for sale for $2500 at this shop! He has so many issues that took forever to correct and work through. It makes me so sad to see these poor dogs so mistreated and hope that this law will benefit dogs all over the state but I fear that if this law gets passed many boxers will be put to death rather than being rescued and handled with care because of the cost required to keep them alive.