Buying pets that came from pet mills

[zakisrage]

Would you guys buy a pet that was rescued from a pet mill? (i.e. puppy mill, cat mill, etc.)

I've always hated pet mills because of the cruel treatment that the animals suffer at the hands of disreputable breeders (the mere thought of the barbaric treatment dogs, cats, and other animals go through makes me sick to my stomach), and I'm glad that people who rescue them try to find better homes for them. However, my feelings about buying one that was rescued from a pet mill are mixed. I know a few of my relatives and friends got pets that were rescued from pet mills, but at the same time, I know people who refuse to buy animals that came from pet mills because the pets are often ridden with diseases.

I would like to hear your guys opinions. Just remember to keep this civil.

 

[Juno]

I don't think a lot of people knowingly buy from pet mills - quite often, it's people who are unaware of where the animals in pet stores come from, and lots of pet stores tend to buy their animals from mills because they are so cheap and easy to get. It's an awful cycle.

I get what you say about the mixed feelings - if you know these animals are suffering, you'd want to save them by buying them but I really think it's best to boycott them and put mills out of business. If animal welfare is a concern, authorities should be contacted to get the animals out of there and into proper care, but buying them to save them does not help the animals in the long run, it just keeps the mills in business.

So yeah, I think awareness is key in this issue. In my city, the SPCA managed to get a law passed, banning pet stores from selling dogs entirely, because of how they are known to stock from animal mills. If you want a dog, you have to adopt one from a shelter or buy from a reputable breeder, and I think this is a much better system that more cities should look into.

Impulsivity it also a huge issue with pet stores in general - people see a cute animal in the shop, they buy it and take it home without doing any prior research. Pet stores are just that, a business - they don't care if you're going to be a suitable owner or not, that's not their responsibility. As long as you have money, you can buy a pet. But reputable breeders and shelters are a different story, at least with what I'm familiar with - they do background checks, they may come over to your home and see if it's suitable for animals, and they will decline if they don't think you'll be a good owner. But I'm sort of getting off track here, so I'll leave it at that for now. :P