How to spot a bad breeder... or a bad rescue

Harmon was rescued and adopted back in 2016.

Lately, I have noticed a growing trend: puppy mill-types of breeders are using the dog rescue language to promote their puppies and lure buyers in: “Puppies for adoption”, “Looking for a forever home”, etc. In fact, these are large-scale breeding operations, with often despicable conditions for the dogs (learn more about puppy mills here). An estimated 10,000 puppy mills produce and sell 2 million puppies in the U.S. every year. These breeders are more likely to sell puppies that have health issues, not to mention the horrible fate of the dog moms, who are used and abused for years until they are discarded when they can’t produce “good puppies” any longer.

As cities are working towards the end of puppy sale in pet stores, these breeders are getting creative. In L.A., the ban of puppy sale in stores was passed, and animal advocates rejoiced. Until it was discovered the law had a loophole. With the new law, only rescue puppies could be sold via stores. Breeders started registering as nonprofit animal rescues instead, so they could circumvent the law and continue their gross practices.

In addition, we are also seeing so-called “rescues” partnering with breeders and puppy mills. For the sake of this article, I will use the term “Rescue” to refer to both shelters and rescue organizations. These groups buy puppies off the breeders, and then offer those “for adoption” to unsuspecting adopters. Though we want every puppy to have a home, this practice only furthers the abuse of the moms and pups who are bred in those facilities, while lining the pockets of bad breeders. The only way to stop this ongoing abuse, is to force these breeders out of business.

SPOT A BAD BREEDER / A BREEDER LYING OR PRETENDING TO BE A RESCUE

Unfortunately, it is up to the public to be discerning and educate themselves, and avoid those bad apples. There is little authorities are doing against those people.

• What kind of dogs do they offer? The seller insists on breeds and only appears to have purebred puppies, especially popular breeds (for example: French bulldogs, Huskies, Maltese, XYZ-doodles, Doberman, Bulldogs, XYZ-poos, etc).
  Though purebred puppies can be found in shelters/rescues, it’s not that common. A rescue might have 1 or 2 purebred puppies in their care, but certainly not multiple litters at once. And usually rescues will say “mix” or “guess” because they rarely know who both parents are.

• Where are the adults? The page has no adult dogs for “adoption”, only puppies. And they don’t show the moms either. That’s probably because the mom is sitting in her filth in a dark cage somewhere. If you insist, they might show you a random photo of a similar breed. Don’t be catfished!

• What states are the puppies coming from? Where is the breeder based? Some states are particularly notorious for puppy mills: Missouri, Iowa, Pennsylvania and Ohio are top of the list.

• They sell in pet stores or online. No responsible breeder would sell their puppies in pet stores or via online services. Every puppy sold via a pet store or online ads, comes from a high-volume breeding facility / puppy mill. Petland, Inc. in particular is the largest puppy-selling pet store chain in the country and has been the subject of a series of undercover investigations by the HSUS, which exposed poor practices and sick and dead animals in Petland stores (citation). PuppyFind.com is another online outlet for puppy mills. So it Craigslist, and Facebook.
  NOTE that PetFinder.com is a platform used by responsible rescues. Still, you should always cross your Ts and do your research!

• Pay attention to wording. The page offers “pick up and delivery” or something similar – words not used by rescues. The seller usually won’t let you visit their facility, and will offer to meet you “halfway” on a parking lot. Rescues do transport their dogs, but there is usually more involved in the process, including a home visit, lengthy conversations, etc. As mentioned above, these bad breeders are now using words like “adoption”, “foster”, “forever home”, etc. Be alert!

• Investigate their social media. A rescue will have an active social media account, featuring their daily rescue work and adoption updates. Does the page advertising the puppies have history of rescue/adoptions? They may have family pictures of people with puppies bought via their services, to create an illusion, but you won’t see rescue stories, follow-ups, etc. You won’t see moms feeding their pups either, most likely. A rescue that has a new litter and a mom, will most definitively share pictures/videos and updates of the mom with her puppies.

• Vetting/Spaying and neutering. Bad breeders will not spay/neuter the puppies, and leave that up to you. Heck, they probably don’t even take them to a vet. Good rescues will usually spay/neuter the puppy before sending them home, or they will make you sign a contract and follow-up with you when it’s time to spay/neuter your pup. The whole idea of rescue is to limit unwanted litters, which participate in the overpopulation of dogs and high euthanasia rates in U.S. shelters. Spaying/neutering is very important to the rescue community.
  A good way to test your breeder, is to ask for their veterinarian references. Make sure the vet is legit, has an actual practice. Visit them, or call them (don’t be fooled, sometimes the breeder will give a fake number so they can pretend to be a vet). Do your homework.

• Cost of a puppy. Note that a puppy will usually cost $300-600 from a rescue. That’s because you are getting a puppy who is fully vetted, vaccinated, spayed/neutered, etc. These costs add up and nonprofit organizations only survive on donations. See the adoption fee as a donation to help future lives, as opposed to the fee paid to a breeder, which only lines their own pockets.

• Buying a puppy to save its life? Those bad breeders will often lie to buyers. They will tell you the puppy will be “sent back” because nobody wants it. They will offer a discount. They will make you feel like you are saving a life / adopting, when really, it’s the oldest scam in the breeder’s book. By buying a puppy in a store or online, you are 100% supporting the ongoing abuse of dogs.

SPOT A BAD RESCUE

Although it pains me to admit it, there are bad dog shelters/rescues out there. Some of the signs will be similar to those above. It is up to the public to educate themselves and pay attention, as the world of nonprofits is very poorly regulated.

If you are overwhelmed or uncomfortable adopting from a rescue group, you can always go to your local city/municipal shelter (the pound). They are all full of amazing dogs waiting for a second chance - including puppies, and are often more scrutinized as they are out in the open. They are also cheaper and will sometimes have a lighter adoption process.

• A rescue often has “purebred” puppies available. This could be a sign that they are working with local breeders / puppy mills. Which is not what a good rescue would do.

• They adopt puppies out way too early. A good rescue will normally wait until a puppy is fully vaccinated, before sending them home (unless it’s a foster-to-adopt situation). That means rescue puppies usually go home around 2-3 months old depending on when they came into the rescue’s care.

• A reputable rescue will offer support as the dog adjusts to your home. They usually work with trainers, vets, and have a support system in place. Make sure they have those things in place and can offer advice. If they don’t, adopt from somewhere else!

• A reputable rescue has a 501(c)3 status, and are a nonprofit organization. Good dog rescues will have such status, because this is how they are able to raise money and operate thanks to donations. Some breeders are now applying for that status, in order to circumvent puppy mill laws. It’s a dark loophole you need to be aware of. Note that the 501(c)3 status makes an organization a PUBLIC entity. This means that you have the right to scrutinize, ask questions and have a look at these organizations’ finances. Once you have a nonprofit EIN number, you can search the IRS database. You can also search for them in the GuideStar database, which provides a quick look at the organization’s assets and EIN number.

• The organization is all about glorifying their director, founder, leader, president and such. Again, nonprofit organizations are PUBLIC entities. They cannot be set up for the personal glory of one person. They are here to serve the public. Pay attention to their social media: are the posts often about glorifying one person? Does it seem a bit icky? Is there a lot of public drama happening? People being blocked? Some bullying perhaps? Run away. Just because we help animals, doesn’t mean we should take abuse from other humans. There are enough amazing rescues out there!

• The rescue pulls a lot of dogs from the city shelter, and it’s not always clear what happens to these dogs. Perhaps, when you ask questions, you are ignored or blocked. Bad rescues pull more dogs than they can handle, and often will send those dogs away to “board and train” facilities, where the dogs sit in yet another cage, sometimes for years. Sadly, there is no incentive to stop these rescues, because the many dogs they pull dogs from the city shelter help reduce the amount of euthanized dogs and makes the city’s stats look better. Sitting in a cage at a boarding facility might seem “safer” than a shelter cage, but at the end of the day, these dogs are deprived of the same things: a family, space, sometimes even daily exercise, etc.

• The rescue pulls a lot of high profile rescue cases. Is the rescue always jumping at the opportunity to pull dogs who have been featured in the media, or have severe medical conditions? With those cases, they can raise a lot of money, by pulling at the heartstrings of their supporters. Of course, it’s wonderful that rescues pull costly medical cases and dogs who have been terribly abused, and I am all for that. But, they need to do so responsibly, and it should never become a business model. If something feels icky, again, follow your guts.

• The rescue won’t take their dog back. Any responsible shelter/rescue will want their dog back if something happens. If a shelter or rescue doesn’t have a “return” policy, do not adopt from them. As much as we want perfect matches and dogs to stay in their homes, things happen. Good rescues understand that. They would never want to leave you and the dog stranded, and put the dog at risk. Also, good rescues don’t shame people publicly for returning a dog. Sure, they might vent a bit because it can be frustrating, but they understand that at the end of the day, it’s important to keep everyone safe.

SPOT A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER

I am a rescue advocate, and will 100% recommend adopting versus buying from a breeder. That being said, I understand that some people will go to breeders instead. If that’s your decision, please make sure to go to a good, responsible breeder. Avoid the pitfalls I listed above, and keep this following checklist in mind. Responsible breeders are far and few in-between. The Humane Society has gathered guidelines to help you identify them. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Responsible breeders will keep dogs in a clean, spacious home, not in dirty cages piled on top of each other.

• Note that an AKC affiliation is NOT a sign a breeder is good. As a matter of fact, lots of puppy mills register with the AKC. The AKC does little investigation into this, because they make money per litter/puppy born. It’s not in their interest to reduce the number of registered puppies, on the contrary.

• Responsible breeders don’t sell in stores or online. Always in person. They’d never send their puppies away to a pet store.

• Responsible breeders are transparent and open. They will encourage multiple visits, will have strong relationships with local vets, etc.

• Responsible breeders keep numbers small. They will usually focus on one or 2 breeds at most, and have very few puppies at a time. After all, a litter is a LOT of work if you do it right.

• A responsible breeder will do extensive health testing on the parents they breed, including to find out about any potential congenital / genetic disorders that might be passed on. They will not / should not breed the dogs until the test results are back and it is safe to proceed. They also only breed their females once a year, twice at most, and care about her well-being.

• Responsible breeders won’t sell puppies and send them home until the pups are at least 8 weeks / 2 months old. If a breeder offers to send the dogs to you before that age, it is a bad sign.

• Responsible breeders want to know about you, what home you can provide. They care about their puppies and will always offer to take the dogs back if there is an issue, any time during the lifetime of the dog. If they don’t offer that option, run!
  

CONCLUSION

Bizmark was rescued and adopted.

Though I can’t speak highly enough about adopting an adult dog, I understand the desire to have a puppy. There is a right and a wrong way to go about it.

If you decide to buy a puppy, please find a responsible dog breeder. Buying from a puppy mill supports an industry based on the exploitation and abuse of dogs, and it can lead to a TON of devastating and costly issues for your pup. These high-volume breeders don’t really care about the well-being of their dogs. They won’t do genetic testing to rule out congenital illnesses, and will often breed family members together. A lot of the XYX-doodles and XYZ-poos they sell are dramatically inbred, which can lead to health and behavioral issues.

And for the love of God, if you bought your puppy at a breeder, a store or online, don’t say you “adopted” a dog. As a rescue advocate, I hear that at the dog park often, and it irks me to no end. “Adopting” means saving a life, bringing a dog home from a rescue organization that dedicates themselves to ending the abuse and suffering of dogs. If you pay someone to breed a dog, if you pay a store owner for a puppy, you are “Buying” a dog from someone whose business it is to exploit dogs and bring puppies into this world. Whatever your reason for buying instead of adopting, please be respectful of the rescue workers out there, and use the appropriate terminology.

And if you want to bring a puppy home and decide to go through a rescue, thank you! It could be a bit more challenging and you might have to wait longer for the puppy of your dreams, but it is 100% doable. After all, it takes 9 months to bring a human baby into your life. Adding a puppy shouldn’t be rushed either. There are lots of things to consider.

Litters and puppies get dropped at the shelter all the time. Pregnant moms are rescued all the time too. Though puppies are in high demand and the adoption process can be competitive, there are ways to make it happen: get involved with your local shelter / rescue. Follow their social media closely, create a relationship, apply and get pre-approved if possible, or even better: become a foster home! Fostering a puppy is a great way to get to know puppies, support the rescue organization, and placing yourself at the top of the list when the dog is officially available for adoption.

Much love!
Sophie

Peapod’s puppies were all adopted!