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How To Choose a Reputable Dog Breeder Do not buy a puppy under 10 weeks of age. Most breeders will not let their puppies go before 10 to 12 weeks. A puppy is most vulnerable to diseases such as Distemper and Parvo between 6 to 9 weeks of age when their maternal antibodies begin to break down. Do not purchase any puppy that has not had proper shots and has not been wormed. A puppy at 8 weeks of age should have had at the very least one modified live Parvo shot and a Distemper Measles shot for minimum protection against these viruses. They should also have had 2 wormings prior to these shots so that a worm infestation will not interfere with the shots. Most puppies that die from Parvo are wormy . Parvo is the biggest killer of young puppies and one of the easiest to spread. A "born in the USA" virus it was spread world wide within a year. Most good breeders give Parvo shots every 2 weeks from 4 weeks to 20 weeks to help close the window of opportunity for it to infect their puppies. Maternal antibodies can interfere with the shots and can last up to 16 weeks making the vaccine less effective, but allowing the virus to invade the system when the antibodies are breaking down. Other shots given by breeders usually starting at 8 to12 weeks are corona , Bortadella, and DHPP. The shot information should be listed on your bill of sale along with the name of the Veterinarian. If the shots are given by the breeder ask to see either the bill of sale for the vaccine or the vaccines. This is not an unusual request as this is the only proof of shots you will have. If they do not have a bill of sale for the shots or vaccines they probably have not given them shots. A breeder should give you a written health guarantee for one year against major genetic or congenital diseases and 15 days from the date of sale against existing problems your Veterinarian might find or incubating viruses. PLEASE BE AWARE. ACCORDING TO FORMER STATE SENATOR HERSHEL ROSENTHAL, NON LICENSED PRIVATE PARTY HOBBY BREEDERS ARE EXEMPT BY CALIFORNIA LAW AND ARE NOT REQUIRED TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PUPPY’S HEALTH UNLESS THEY CHOOSE TO. VERBAL AGREEMENTS ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS THE INTEGRITY OF THE BREEDER. DO NOT BUY WITHOUT A WRITTEN AGREEMENT. Senator Rosenthal had tried to pass a state wide breeders license requiring all breeders to stand behind their puppies but it failed. Check with your Veterinarian about genetic problems associated with the breed you are interested in. Ask if your breeder will stand behind their puppies for these diseases. Ask if their breeding stock has been properly screened for these diseases. Incidentally if your breeder doesn’t know about genetic diseases in their breed go elsewhere. If you are more knowledgeable about dogs than the breeder don’t buy from them. You should be able to see at least one parent. The newest scam in California are dog brokers or dealers. They come from out of state and set up business in private homes and apartments. If you ask about the parents they will say " Uncle Bob from S. Dakota" or "my sister Sue from Kansas " happened to be passing through and asked me to sell her puppies. I once tracked one dealer that had five breeds advertised all from different states with the same story . He had two different addresses and five phone numbers in six months. Never meet a breeder someplace other than his home. You want to see where those puppies were raised. No breeder that cares about their puppies will cart them all over the place and expose them to possible viruses just to make a buck. For all you know that puppy could have been stolen. Never buy from a breeder with two prices , one with papers and one without. Papers only cost $25.00 plus $2.00 per puppy for an entire litter, so why the difference in price? Buy only AKC or UKC registered purebreds. If they don’t have papers they may have been suspended by their registry for such things as bad record keeping, inhumane living conditions, impure breeding, or cruelty convictions. At the time of sale the breeder should provide you with your registration application. It should be properly signed and transferred to you. If there was a prior owner proper supplemental transfer application should be provided and signed by those previous owners. If no papers are available at the time the breeder should provide you with the registered AKC OR UKC name of both parents, name of breeder of litter, sex of your puppy , color and date of birth. This is the only hope of getting registration papers if the breeder doesn’t provide them after purchase. There are only two major all breed dog registries in the United States, the American Kennel Club ( AKC) established in 1884 and the United Kennel Club ,(UKC) established in 1898.. There have been a few new all breed registries pop up in the last 10 years , but in my opinion I would only buy from AKC and UKC breeders. I do not recommend co-ownership’s. Some breeders do this but don’t forget you are not full owner and if the breeder wants that dog back he may be able to get him. Also if your breeder should be suspended by their registry so is your dog. I also would avoid breeders terms. The breeder will sell the puppy for cash and some puppies. This forces you to breed your dog. The breeder will usually pay the first stud fee but you are responsible for any additional costs of raising the litter and in some cases additional stud fees if the breeder didn’t get the required number of puppies in your litter. I know one man that bred his female 3 times and still owed the breeder one puppy plus an additional one for the next breeding. It is a great deal for the breeder for a constant source of puppies. One breeder had over 300 puppies coming back on puppy back deals. Show contracts can be O.K. as long as you are aware that once the contract is signed you must finish that dog in the show ring. The cost can be quite high and your dog will spend time away from home to be on the show circuit . Spay neuter contracts where papers are provided after proof of altering and in some cases financial penalties if the dog is not altered within a certain period time are perfectly appropriate . Pet over population is at an all time high. In the Los Angeles area 40,000 dogs plus a year are killed in the pounds. Good breeders will sell with limited registrations and or neuter contracts and won’t encourage breeding. . A reputable breeder will be able to show you letters and pictures from satisfied clients. Their puppies will be well socialized, clean., properly vaccinated and they will not try to push their puppies on you just to get rid of them. They will provide a written health guarantee ( 15 days against viruses and 1 year against congenital or hereditary defects) , shot record ,registration papers or the information stated above if not back from UKC or AKC, a bill of sale, and at least one week supply of food . They also will be there for you after you buy and will always take back the puppy in the future if you are unable to keep it rather then have it turned into the pound. Remember buying from a reputable breeder is a privilege not a done deal.. PLEASE BE AWARE AS OF JANUARY 1, 2002 ANY PERSON BREEDING THREE LITTERS PER YEAR OR SELLING 20 PUPPIES PER YEAR FALL UNDER THE PUPPY LEMON LAW IN CALIFORNIA. I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND ONLY BUYING FROM BREEDERS FALLING UNDER THIS LAW. THEY MUST PROVIDE YOU WITH A DOCUMENT CALLED "A STATEMENT OF CALIFORNIA LAW CONCERNING THE SALE OF DOGS" AND A "DOG PEDIGREE REGISTRATION DISCLOSURE". BREEDERS NOT FALLING UNDER THIS LAW ARE STILL EXEMPT FROM STANDING BEHIND THE HEALTH OF THEIR PUPPIES. COST OF BREEDING A LITTER OF PUPPIES Necessary for the health of the mother and her litter A trip to the veterinarian for the following: Health check., worming, and fresh shots for mom , brucellosis test....................$160.00 Stud service fee........(give or take depending on breeder ) $1000 ... After breeding: Top quality food .................................................$44.00 Whelping pen ......................................................$90.00 At birth: Vet check and cleanout shot .................................$55.00 Tails and dew claws............................................... $120.00 As puppies grow: Misc. expenses (trash bags, extra heat, papers, paper towels heating pads)..........$130.00 Vet visit 6 weeks for 1st shots and worming (distemper measles and parvo ) l .................................................................$200.00 Vet visit 8 weeks for 2nd shots and worming (DHPP) .................................................................$200.00 Vet visit 10 weeks for 3rd shots (Parvo) .......................................................................................$100.00 Vet visit 12 weeks for 4th shot (DHPPC)..............$200.00 Advertising for min 4 weeks (1 week per pup )...$336.00 Puppy food ....................................................................$ 45.00 Exercise Pen...................................................................$ 90.00 Toys.................................................................................$ 32.00 Breeders license and unaltered fee...LA City ........$200.00 (LA County $250 ) Litter registration...................................................$ 33.00 Micro chip or Tattoo now required ID on AKC litter record 160.00 Cost for 4 (Wire or Silky Terrier ) pups without problems......$3195.00 to 3275.00 (798.75 or 818.75 each pup) HIDDEN COSTS, PROBLEMS AND SLOW TO SELL: You have to be present when your female is in labor and you loose one or two days of wages. include you lost wages in the price of your puppies. If you are going to sell your puppies check with your homeowners insurance to see if you are covered if a person is injured or heaven forbid bitten while looking at you puppies, Most homeowners will not pay the claim as you are conducting a commercial activity. Add fee for additional commercial insurance to the puppy's selling price. Your puppies don't sell in four ads. You must continue advertising at $84 per week (cheap ads do not work just eat up valuable selling time) Puppies are going to need additional shots at about $50 each per set. What if they don't ever sell. You must license the puppies at 4 months. If you have more than three dogs you are in violation of most city dog limit laws. Are you now going to turn them into the pound, give them away , put them to sleep , or keep them and hope you have understanding neighbors when you have extra dogs. MEDICAL PROBLEMS C-Section................................................. $600 - $1400 Mastitis eclampsia, pymetria................ $150 - $500 Supplement for puppies if mother dies or cannot nurse..............$5.00per day and up All pups get Parvo................................................................................$1200 up Veterinarian fees are an average after calling several Vets in different areas. The above does not include time off work to deliver pups, care for orphan or weak pups, cost of your time (about 4 hours a day , includes caring for, socializing , merchandizing ) commercial insurance or genetic screening required in some breeds (OFA CERF etc.). This also reflects the 1st litter additional litters will not need a new whelping box and exercise pen . This also represents top quality breeders with great concern for their puppies breeding legally ethically and morally. Oh one more expense often overlooked the IRS WILL WANT PART OF YOUR SELLING PRICE. What it all boils down to, do not breed unless you are totally committed to the care and well being of your dog and her puppies. You should have at least $4000 in you bank account and should have a backup plan if the puppies do not sell, which if you have a good size litter or professional competition the odds are that they won't all sell. If you are breeding to show your children the miracle of life they will probably see death also. Many pups are born stillborn, some are deformed, and most litters will have at least one fading puppy. The mother may also die. If you are breeding to get a companion for you dog. I am sure she would much rather have you just buy one for her. Once she is bred she will have a 40% chance of breast cancer before she is 10 yrs of age. She is also at risk for pymetria, and uterine and cervical cancer If you are breeding to get your money back from the purchase of your dog I would suggest that you take the $4000 and go to Vegas and play the slot machines. Your odds are probably just as good and you would have much more fun. .
WHERE IS THE BEST AND WORST PLACE TO PURCHASE A PUPPY Best :A licensed professional breeder is the best place. They are usually required by law to stand behind their puppies. They also chose to breed legally. Most are members of dog clubs. A hobby breeder that has been active for several years in breeding and will stand behind in writing behind their puppies .Most are members of a dog club. Better than nothing : A pet shop. If unable to locate a breeder in the above categories you might try a pet shop. They are required in most States to stand behind their puppies. They as a rule usually have inferior quality puppies at top prices but I have seen some nice puppies and adults purchased from pet shops. Most are reputable and won't knowingly sell a sick dog any more than a good breeder would, but be aware that there are some bad shops so do your homework. Worst: Mass production kennels usually have several hundred dogs They breed multiple breeds. Usually sell retail and wholesale. They are generally licensed and must stand behind their puppies but anyone breeding more than two or three breeds cannot have the quality control need to breed sound healthy puppies Backyard breeder. Pet people that breed just for the fun of it and to make a quick buck. They usually sell their puppies too young and by law are exempt from standing behind them . They usually know absolutely nothing about raising puppies only that they are cute. Most don't give proper shots let alone worm their puppies prior to putting them up for sale Puppy brokers. In my opinion the worst place to buy a puppy. They usually operate out of unlicensed homes bringing in many breeds from out of state They usually move regularly and in most cases want only cash and have no warrantees. The best way to spot one is to ask to see the parents. If they don't have one of the parents I would not buy one of their puppies.. . . .
COMPARING AKC TO UKC
AKC UKC Established 1884 1898
Number of Breeds registered 160 300
Altered mix breed and unregistered NO YES purebreds allowed to compete in performance or field events with Limited Privilege Listing LPL as long as they are neutered
A non-profit run by elected Board YES NO
UKC is owned by Wayne Cavanaugh a retired AKC Vice President and a AKC judge
Unregistered purebreds allowed to YES YES compete in performance or field events with Limited Privilege Listing LPL
Worlds largest performance registry NO YES
Worlds largest breed./conformation registry YES NO (2nd)
International registry NO YES
Registration with 3 $32 $16 generation pedigree
If inbred it is mentioned NO YES on puppy and permanent certificate
A Code of Ethics you must NO YES agree to if you breed your dog
Dogs with a disqualification listed YES NO in their breed standard may be bred
Dogs with a disqualification listed in their breed standard may be registered YES NO
Dog with defects or frequently produces YES NO defects may be bred
Vicious dogs may be bred YES NO
Registry allows you to broker YES NO or wholesale your puppies
Registry requires that purchaser receive NO YES health guarantee
Limited registration YES NO
Accepts each others registrations NO YES AKC is accepting UKC Coonhound registrations for a limited time to ad the breed to their registry
DNA Program YES YES
Conformation/Performance/Field YES YES Events
Professional handlers allowed YES NO
Dogs considered vicious by event NO YES Judges are disqualified and may loose their registration
Breeders or owners associated in NO YES any way with dog fighting loose all rights to registering dogs and litters for life even if not convicted of the crime
Owners or breeders convicted of YES YES cruelty will loose all rights to register dogs and litters for life
Conformation has an altered dog NO YES class other than brood bitch or stud dog
Number of puppies produced by the NO YES Stud dog and brood bitch listed on registration
Registry supports laws restricting non commercial /hobby breeding YES NO PAWS, a federal law endorsed by AKC which will require hobby breeders to be USDA licensed. Eight Directors voted to support PAWS without the approval of the 800 plus club delegats. Clubs representing more than 60% of breeds registered by AKC have gone on record to appose the AKC. including the Silky terrier Club of America . To view the list and learn more about PAWS go to http://saova.org/1139opponents.html or http://pet-law.com As it stands now only breeders selling to pet shops need this license. This law will put a huge group of small breeders out of business. Only breeders who breed less than 6 litters per year or sell less the 25 puppies. This law is bad for the consumer as it will force the consumer to by from Pet shops and pay higher retail prices due to supply and demand. In CA thanks to breeder restrictions we have seen a huge increase in puppies smuggled over the boarder. A smuggler can easily make $6000 per day selling dogs in the park.
Registry supports commercial wholesale YES NO pet shop breeders AKC recently signed a contract with Petland It has 120 stores and sells 1000s AKC of puppies annually. Petland has a very bad reputation. It is very easy to find out about their reputation by going online. The Board of Directors did this without asking the 800 plus club delegates and due to the outcry of the dog fancy are now trying to get out of the contract
LATE BREAKING NEWS THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES PASSES THE MOST RESTRICTIVE DOG OWNERSHIP LAW IN THE NATION ALSO THE CITIES OF AGOURA HILLS, AND LA PUENTE SOON TO COME SANTA CLARITA . THIS LAW COVERS ALL OF THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF LA COUNTY IT IS ILLEGAL TO BREED AND SELL MIX BREED DOGS, 2ND GENERATION HYBRIDS OR MIXED BREED DOGS RESULTING FROM THE ORIGINAL CROSSING OF TWO A FULL REGISTERED PUREBRED BREEDS (LABRADOODLES, PUGLES, PEKE-A-POOS , MALTI POOS, COCK-A-POOS ). ANY LA COUNTY OR LOS ANGELS CITY BREEDER MUST ALSO OBTAIN A BREEDER LICENSE OR HAVE A KENNEL LICENSE TO BREED A LITTER. AS OF JUNE 1 2006 ONLY DOGS REGISTERED WITH THE FOLLOWING REGISTRIES MAY BE BRED OR KEPT WITHOUT BEING SPAYED OR NEUTERED. APPROVED BREED
REGISTRIES THE FINE IS $250 FIRST OFFENSE AND $1000 FINE AND UP TO 1 YEAR IN JAIL FOR THE 2ND OFFENSE IT IS ALSO ILLEGAL IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO SELL A PUPPY AND LET IT GO TO IT'S NEW OWNER BEFORE IT IS 8 WEEKS OF AGE. TO DO SO IS IN VIOLATION OF THE ANIMAL CRUELTY LAWS. TAKING A DEPOSIT AND HOLDING THE PUPPY UNTIL IT IS 8 WEEKS OF AGE IS LEGAL AS OF APRIL 1 2007 ALL DOGS IN SAN BERNARDINO MUST BE ALTERED AT 4 MONTHS OF AGE. NO DOG BREEDING WILL BE PERMITTED AND INTACT DOGS MUST BE REGISTERED AND EITHER COMPETING IN THE SHOW RING OR ALREADY TITLED . A BILL HAS BEEN INTRODUCED IN SACRAMENTO THAT ALL DOGS AND CATS OVER 3 MONTHS OF AGE IN THE STATE OF CA BE NEUTERED UNLESS THEY ARE AKC, UKC OR ADBA REGISTERED SHOW OR PERFORMANCE DOGS OR INTERNATIONAL CAT ASSN SHOW CATS . THE BILL IS AB1634 SPONSORED BY LEVINE AND PADILLA. A GOOD LINK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BILL AND ITS IMPACT ON RARE BREEDS AND WORKING DOGS PLEASE GO TO THE FOLLOWING http://saveourdogs.net/registries.html ALTHOUGH THIS LINK IS MORE FOR THE WORKING/HUNTING DOG OWNER ,THE LAW WILL GREATLY LIMIT FUTURE OWNERSHIP OF HEALTHY, WELL BRED CALIFORNIA PETS. WITHIN A FEW YEARS OF PASSAGE, MOST PUPPIES AND KITTENS SOLD IN CA WILL HAVE TO BE BOUGHT THROUGH PET SHOPS, FROM PUPPIES IMPORTED FROM HIGH VOLUME COMMERCIAL KENNELS. DUE TO THE HIGHLY RESTRICTIVE INTACT REQUIREMENTS (WHICH IN MANY AREAS, STILL WILL NOT LET YOU BREED THE DOG ) HOBBY BREEDING WILL CEASE TO EXIST AND MANY BREEDS OF DOGS AND CATS IN CA WILL BECOME EXTINCT. OTHER USEFUL LINKS DEALING IN ANTI PET OWNERSHIP LEGISLATION PET LAW http://www.pet-law.com/index.html NATIONAL ANIMAL INTEREST ALLIANCE http://www.naiaonline.org/body/articles/archives/nobred.htm
The City of Los Angeles and Riverside and Sacramento County are also in the process of passing this ordinance or one very similar. Riverside is including cats Just added to the list of counties considering mandatory spay and neuter Ripon ,San Joaquin and Kern Counties, .Santa Barbara, San Jose, Santa Clara , Sonoma County
Beginning June 2 2006 ALL dogs living in the unincorporated cities in Los Angeles County must be spayed or neutered. Beginning at four months of age any unaltered dog must be neutered or spayed within 90 days or face a $250 fine for 1st offence and a misdemeanor on the second offense which will include a $1000 fine and/or imprisonment up to 6 months . The only exception are Service and Police dogs, dogs with a Veterinarian stating that it would be too dangerous due to age or a health condition to have surgery, dogs owned by and housed in a licensed kennel and "Competition" dogs. A competition dog is a dog that is fully registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC) United Kennel Club (UKC) or the American Dog Breeders Assn. (ADBA) AND must meet one of the following requirements: Have been entered and shown in one dog show every year , have gained an American Championship in conformation or a performance title (Obedience, Agility), or the owner must belong to a dog breed club certified by the County of Los Angeles that has a Code of Ethics in regards to breeding of dogs. Included in the Mandatory Spay and Neuter Law is mandatory micro chipping for ALL dogs NO exceptions. Seniors and low income people will get their chips implanted at no charge. Most micro chipping at your Veterinarian cost $40 up. The exemption must be applied for annually. The unaltered license is $60. If the dog is to be bred , a breeders license is required for $250. Only one litter per residence per year. Head of County Animal Control has sent our letters to 85 incorporated cities in and around the County urging them to also adopt this ordinance. At this time Los Angeles City, Orange County, Sacramento, and Riverside County have stated interest. Riverside is already drafting the ordinance. Last week people began getting letters informing them of this law.
Mexican Puppy Mills Breed Grief in Southland
Owners learn too late that their new pets are diseased or too young to survive on their own.
SAN DIEGO - Smugglers are flooding the Southern California pet market with
disease-ridden puppies from Mexico, prompting law enforcement crackdowns,
raising public health concerns and breaking the hearts of owners who watch
their dogs die, often within hours of buying them.
Animal control officials estimate that hundreds, perhaps thousands, of
puppies have died since an underground market, stretching from puppy mills in
Mexico to street corners in San Diego and Los Angeles, was uncovered last
year.
The puppies - usually small breeds like Poodles, Yorkies, Pugs
, and Chihuahuas - are typically sold through newspaper ads to bargain-seeking
buyers who pay cash. The dogs, bundled in hand crates, appear healthy. But
some suffer from parvovirus, distemper, scabies and other hard-to-detect
ailments. Separated from their mothers too early, some die from starvation
because they are so young they lack teeth to chew food. Such very young dogs
also often fall prey to diseases because their immune systems are not fully
developed.
Marietta Ruttan of Oceanside paid $600 to a Moreno Valley woman for a Maltese
puppy that died less than one day after the purchase. "I tried to cuddle
and cradle it, and be good to it, but it wouldn't eat, move or do
anything," Ruttan said. "I was going to name it China but it didn't
live
long enough," she said.
The "puppy conspiracy," as some call it, first came to authorities'
attention last year when complaints started flooding in to local law
enforcement agencies. Officials in the tight-knit community of animal
control agencies began hearing similar stories.
After answering ads hawking puppies in local newspapers, buyers meet sellers
in out-of-the-way public places. The sellers, carrying the puppies in crates,
don't take checks. Sometimes they follow people to their ATM
machines before handing over a pup for cash.
Excitement often turns to grief as buyers watch their puppies slow with
sickness. Telephone calls to the sellers go unanswered. The sellers, who
frequently use disposable cellular telephones, disappear.
U.S. Customs agents, responding to requests from local agencies, have added
sick puppies to their list of contraband items, like drugs and weapons, for
which they search vehicles crossing the border at San Ysidro. Agents have
found puppies stuffed in packing crates and hidden away in spare-tire wheel
wells. If puppies appear distressed, agents give them to animal welfare
agencies. Drug-sniffing dogs sometimes alert agents to their sick canine
cousins.
"We're big fans of dogs, and we hate to see sickly, very young pups
crammed into little spaces," said Vince Bond, a spokesman for U.S.
Customs and Border Protection.
Since April, about 50 people trying to bring in puppies have been stopped.
Many are let through if they have a few dogs and carry the proper paperwork,
which includes proof of vaccination. But others are turned back.
Last week a young man from Tijuana was caught trying to bring in 11 puppies at
4:30 a.m. They were packed in two crates and covered under clothing. He said
he planned to give them to relatives. Instead, the puppies were given to the
San Diego Humane Society, where six have died of parvo-related illnesses. The
man was cited and fined $2,200.
"It's awful that people do this," said Vanessa Frazier, an
animal-care
attendant, as she cradled a nearly motionless, brown-haired Cocker Spaniel in
the agency's dog isolation room. In the next cage, four Maltese puppies -
their grimy hair shaved clean - trotted about and seemed to be recovering .The
Cocker Spaniel's prospects, however, appeared bleak.
"I don't think he's going to make it," Frazier said.
The puppy pipeline from Mexico is apparently filling a tremendous demand in a
long-maligned industry. Animal control experts discourage people from buying
puppies in pet stores because they say many of the animals come from poorly
run puppy mills in the Midwest.
Reputable breeders are recommended, but those puppies often cost more than the
Mexican puppies, which cost from $300 to $700. Also, small breeds are
sometimes hard to find in animal rescue shelters. For the puppy brokers
showing off a fluffy coat seals the deal.
"There is no such thing as an ugly puppy," said John Carlson,
director of
San Diego County's North Regional Animal Shelter. "It's almost like drug
peddling, except that it's not illegal to possess a young puppy. But it is
illegal to be selling young puppies that are sick."
Where exactly in Mexico the dogs are bred is a mystery. Some dogs could be
from Tijuana, where many people sell puppies from the backs of vans. But many
animal control officials suspect that the animals are bred in puppy mills in
the interior of Mexico and then flown in to Tijuana.
State law requires retailers to provide documentation of age and medical
history of puppies, but the burgeoning underground market is virtually
unregulated. Authorities have launched some animal cruelty investigations but
the puppy peddlers have proven difficult to track down. One of the few cases to
result in charges involved a Moreno Valley woman who was cited last spring on
19 counts of animal cruelty. She sold the animals from her Riverside County
home, but purchased them from people suspected of bringing them in from
Mexico.
Pet stores in Compton and Huntington Beach also purchased sick puppies from
people peddling dogs from Mexico, say animal control officials. Three people,
including the Tijuana man, have been cited for trying to smuggle ill dogs
through the port of entry at San Ysidro.
The situation raises public health concerns because some animals carry
diseases contagious to humans. The Dionese family of Lake Elsinore came down
with scabies after taking in Chloe, a Maltese puppy they named for a Cabbage
Patch doll. Fearful of passing the skin mites to others, they stayed indoors
for four weeks. Kelly Dionese said she lost her job and that her children
couldn't go to school. She said the parasite attack caused severe itching, and
that it felt like being "eaten alive." "My children cried for
nights," Dionese said. "That is the devil's bug."
Dionese said she saw no signs of sickness when she paid $400 for her puppy
from the Moreno Valley woman who was cited. In an ironic twist shared by
others, Dionese said she bought the dog from a private party because she had
heard horror stories about pet store puppies. But Chloe was sick. And she grew
rapidly sicker until she had to be euthanized.
"Chloe suffered," Dionese said. "It was traumatic for all of
us."
This was aired Feb 4 2006 on KCBS news in Los Angles It is becoming more common than 2 years ago due in part to breeder restrictions which have led to a lack of puppies especially small breed available for the pet buying public : http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_033201159.html CBS) LOS ANGELES
Puppies are cute and cuddly but many of them come from puppy mills and can
be seriously ill. They carry diseases and could die in a matter of weeks.
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