Should I Buy a Puppy Online?

You may have heard in the news a few days ago about a transport truck the authorities aprended last week with hundreds of dogs crammed in cages in a large transport truck. They found these poor puppies and dogs in crates, which were stacked on top of each other with no ventilation, food or water.  Some of the puppy dogs were dead, others were very sick and taken to animal shelter for treatment.  It took the animal rescue employees hours to rescue these dogs and clean them from the rotten waste that was in their cages. The dogs were saved from their ill-fated trip across country in this transport truck.  Often these trucks are headed for Florida or California where dogs fetch a higher price.

Approximately 5,000 or more Puppy Mills in the United States breed puppies much to the detriment to the health of the mother dogs.   They breed dogs too often, and for quantity not quality. Often in the news, you will hear of people who have hundreds of animals in their house.  Most times these individuals have serious mental deficiencies or are running a puppy mill in their own homes.

The reason they offer these puppies on line is that they can avoid Federal and State Laws for registering their businesses, inspection of their business and for paying income taxes.

There are only seventeen States that regulate these types of transactions online, and enforce the Puppy Lemon Law. Check with your State government before you even attempt to buy a puppy on line for your own protection and for saving these animals from their fate.

Since you are buying sight unseen, do not be fooled by the pictures, as they often are not the same dog as you are buying at the time you plunk down your hard-earned money.

If your state carries the “ Puppy Lemon Law” like in New Jersey you may be protected somewhat, from unscrupulous dealers who sell sick puppies.

The Lemon Law allows for some protection that you would have to take the puppy to the vet thereby incurring a bill to have a health check done when your puppy arrives.

By that time, you are already hooked on the puppy and would not give it back. Fraud artists prey on the emotions of people to sell dogs that are not healthy.

In some States, you have 24 to 48 hours to get a health report and be able to return the puppy, but how can you do that? Alternatively, you may have 14 days to assess illness such as:

- Intestinal Parasites, Kennel Cough, Mange, Pneumonia and Upper Respiratory Diseases.

These and other diseases require you to pay for specimens, laboratory tests and vaccinations that should have been completed before you bought the dog

Legislation has not caught up with the fraud artists who also request you send them money by Western Union, or other Money Grams that you should stay away from especially if they come from Nigeria or Africa.   Some are in England but they can be all over the world, and what you get is return is nothing.

Dog breeders at Puppy Mills do not check for genetic defects or behavioral problems so you most likely end up with a dog that barks, or exhibits destruction behavior.   

Due to the ill treatment they received by these dealers at an early age they become unsociable and damaged adult dogs.   Dog kennels and animal rescue centers are stocked with dogs that no one wants to care for many abandoned since they were purchased in this way.

You would be better off getting a good dog and healthy puppy at your local animal shelter. Some are actually much sought after Designer Dogs.   These are mixed breed dogs, which is what many people are searching for these days.

Instead of sending profits to a Puppy Mill, try searching for Animal Rescue organizations that actual rescue homeless, and abandoned animals.

Written by: Teri Salvador.  All Rights Reserved.