Sadly, it is still legal for pet shops in the UK to sell puppies to the general public. The fact that it is legal does not to my mind make it acceptable. 

Pen after pen of dear little puppies of multiple breeds can be hard to resist, however what you are seeing is the ‘public’ side of a very sinister practice.

The little pups you are seeing are not bred on the premises; they are usually bred in shabby, unheated, unhygienic and isolated kennels located on puppy farms.

They often have mothers who are undernourished, un-groomed, parasite ridden that are unhealthy and over bred. A soon as a mum is in season she is mated, she whelps her pups without help and is left in squalor to rear them alone. Unlike pups from a reputable breeder, she has no warm bed to lie in, no care and attention, no quality food, no veterinary attention and no clean living environment. When her pups have left her and she is in season again she is mated again and so the cycle is repeated until she is no longer able to produce puppies. At this stage, she is discarded.

The kennels are usually dirty, cold, dank and dark. The puppies have no stimulation, little human handling or love and attention. When the puppies are approx. 5 weeks old they are taken from their mother (which is very sad for the mother and puppy and far too young an age for them to be separated), they are loaded unceremoniously into vans and transported to the pet shops. Often the van will call in at several premises on the way making a long, tiring, cold, hungry and often frightening journey for the baby pups.

There is also the risk of cross infection, each of these pups has been reared in different kennels, combining the pups from multiple kennels will expose puppies to germs they have yet to encounter and gives rise to a strong probability that they will become poorly.

Once at the pet shop they cleaned up, flea treated, wormed put into nice clean purpose built pens where they will spend their time with little human stimulation (or socialisation) until such time as a willing (but foolhardy) buyer purchases them.

Please remember, the pets shops aim is to sell puppies, naturally they will be keen to present their ‘merchandise’ in the best way possible. Everything will look clean and professional and the pups will look healthy (but possibly small and underweight) in most instances as only visibly healthy pups will be on display.

Sadly, those pups that are not sold at the ‘cute’ stage often have no commercial value and are disposed of. When you buy a puppy under these circumstances, you are supporting this cruel trade. You are also buying a puppy that is highly likely to have had a poor start in life.

In order for a puppy to grow into a healthy, long lived and happy dog the puppy needs good nutrition whilst in the womb and his mother needs to be fed well during lactation. He needs a healthy, vaccinated and parasite free Mum and a Mum and Dad who are health screened for the common hereditary diseases found in the breed. As he grows, he needs a plentiful supply of good quality food, health care and regular worming together with stimulation (toys, and human love and attention). He needs space to run around, to explore and fresh air. If he's reared on a puppy farm then these items will be distinctly lacking.

A significant number of puppies bought in pet shops do not live to see their first birthday; indeed many do not live long enough to settle into their new homes.

Pet shop puppies are inherently of poor quality due to the over breeding of the mother and her health and living conditions and the environment in which they are born. Many will have health problems including gastroenteritis, parasite damage, eye/ear problems together with behavioural issues stemming from lack of socialisation and being separated from their Mum’s at a young age. In addition to this, the parents of the pups will not have been health screened for the conditions known to occur in the breed. You could be buying a puppy who will develop FN and die, one that will develop PRA and become blind or one that develops chronic hip dysplasia.

Do you really want a puppy badly enough that you will buy one under these circumstances?

You should also consider whether the puppy is actually a pedigree puppy. You will not have seen the mother (and possibly the father) and your ‘pedigree’ certificate could be inaccurate. Many pet shop puppies are no longer registered with the UK Kennel Club. When alternative registries are used, the validity of the information submitted by the breeder is not verified and cross checked.

As reputable and caring breeders, we receive dozens of phone calls a year from concerned owners who have bought puppies from pet shops. Without fail, these phone calls are very distressing as owners are fraught with problems and have nowhere to turn. Pet shops do not support their buyers they sell indiscriminately.

The buyers of these pups have problems with health, temperament and behaviour. Clearly, there will be ‘lucky’ owners who having bought a pet shop puppy encounter few problems and undoubtedly, we don’t hear about these as it’s only the owners with problems that contact us. However if you buy a puppy from a pet shop and have no problems you appear to be in the minority!

If you buy a pet shop puppy you can expect to pay approx. £575 - £600 (for a cocker), for some people that is a significant saving on the cost of a puppy from a reputable breeder, however we would ask that you consider the wider picture. Do you really feel that a saving of £100 or so is worth the trauma the pup has endured and that of his mother? Do you feel the saving is a bargain when you consider how many pet shop puppies are unthrifty, die or have behavioural problems?

If you are planning to buy a puppy from a pet shop, the chances are that you are unaware of the circumstance in which pet shop puppies are reared, have opted for the convenience, making an impulse purchase or you have limited funds available. Whatever your reason please consider the welfare of the puppy before your own needs.

We are supposedly a nation of dog lovers and yet through our own desires we perpetuate cruelty every time we buy a puppy farmed puppy or a pet shop puppy. Be a dog lover and buy your puppy from a committed and caring breeder.