Adopt your dog

Published: Saturday, 10/11/2014

FEATURED EDITORIAL Toledoans should adopt rescue dogs rather than risk purchasing animals from unethical breeders

More than 30 people along Talmadge Avenue at Monroe Street in Toledo protested the business practices of the Family Puppy store in Franklin Park Mall last week.THE BLADEEnlarge | Buy This Photo

With all of Toledo's dog-rescue operations and shelters, there seems little reason for consumers to glut the community's canine population and risk supporting ethically dubious commercial breeders by buying dogs from pet stores.

Animal advocates have protested the Family Puppy store in Franklin Park Mall since it opened a year ago. Last year, Toledo became one of a growing number of municipalities that ban the retail sale of dogs and cats unless they are obtained from shelters or animal-control agencies. The law does not shut down stores in operation before this year, allowing Family Puppy to stay in business.

Click here to read more Blade editorials

Toledo's law is right for the city and for animal welfare. Large dog and cat breeders that sell their animals to shops are often known for substandard conditions - neglecting animals' health needs, failing to provide animals adequate exercise and socialization, and keeping females pregnant repeatedly without breaks. Virtually all animal welfare groups denounce commercial-scale breeders.

'We tell people, if you can't see the parents of the puppy you're buying, it's probably from a puppy mill,' Susan Robinson, an organizer of Boycott the Family Puppy Store, told The Blade's editorial page. 'Responsible breeders would never sell their dogs to a store for resale.'

State laws and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have begun in recent years to tighten regulation of commercial breeders. There is an important distinction between small-scale breeders who specialize in particular breeds, oversee one or two litters a year, and sell directly to responsible owners, and the mills that essentially operate animal assembly lines.

Some big breeders have gone unpunished for violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act. Undercover investigations routinely produce footage of appalling conditions in breeding facilities.

Not all pet stores get their animals from puppy mills with egregious conditions. John Stottele, owner of Family Puppy, told The Blade's editorial page that he works with his breeders to ensure adequate conditions for dogs.

Such breeders, he said, maintain amenities such as indoor kennels and exercise areas. He said he does not do business with breeders that have broken the law, regarding medical and other serious issues related to an animal's well-being.

'I somewhat agree with the activists,' he said. 'Bad facilities need to be closed and rethink what they're doing. That's one of the reasons we decided to deal only with breeders we could visit.'

But asked to identify the 15 to 20 Indiana-based breeders he works with, Mr. Stottele demurred. He said only that buyers could check the origin of any dog he sells by requesting its records.

Toledo's pet-shop law requires Family Puppy to keep sourcing certificates for each of its dogs. Still, it's worrying that Mr. Stottele declines to disclose the names of his breeders.

It is questionable whether a commercial breeding facility that holds 25 to 50 dogs at a time, like most of Family Puppy's breeders, can tend adequately to their welfare. Adherence to Animal Welfare Act standards is commendable, but they represent a floor, not a ceiling.

Without visiting breeders directly, consumers never can know whether the animals they see in pet stores were raised humanely. Prospective owners can buy from small-scale breeders who sell directly to owners. Responsible breeders hold just a few dogs at a time, tend to their breeds' genetic health, and are eager to show the dogs' living quarters to buyers.

Rather than risk supporting a breeder who raises dogs unethically, local would-be dog owners also should take advantage of the area's many shelters and breed-specific rescue options. Doing so not only saves the life of a shelter dog, but also opens up space for another dog to enter the shelter off the street.

It's a good deal - for dogs, the community, and consumers' wallets.

Guidelines: Please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. If a comment violates these standards or our privacy statement or visitor's agreement, click the 'X' in the upper right corner of the comment box to report abuse. To post comments, you must be a Facebook member. To find out more, please visit the FAQ.