8 Common Lies Pet Stores Tell People

Buying a dog from a pet store is typically a bad idea – even when the store makes everything sound perfect. Here are 8 common lies told by pet stores.

1. “You can’t find this dog in a shelter!”

Pet stores want you to believe that they have unique dogs that you can’t find anywhere else. But this isn’t true. Look up any local shelter; they probably have a dog you’d want!

2. “We are committed to customer satisfaction!”

Dogs from pet stores actually have more behavioral problems due to their bad living conditions, so that satisfaction won’t last long when you have so much training to catch up on.

3. “Your dog will be registered, with papers!”

This doesn’t actually mean anything. An AKC registration doesn’t require any extra screening or quality.

4. “We’ll find you the best breed for your lifestyle.”

There’s really no way for the pet stores to know this. You’d have better luck with an actually reputable breeder or rescue.

5. “Our dogs are USDA licensed, or from good breeders!”

The problem with this is that the USDA doesn’t guarantee humane living conditions for dogs. Their guidelines involve a cage only 6 inches wider than the animal. Plus, licensed breeders aren’t necessarily good ones – they are often just puppy mills.

6. “We have the best purebreds!”

Quantity is simply not quality, and purebred dogs need health screenings – something they likely don’t get here.

7. “We provide a health guarantee with all our puppies.”

If your dog gets sick, they’ll give you a new one – but that doesn’t guarantee the new one doesn’t have genetic conditions that will manifest later.

8. “Pet stores save pet populations!”

This is simply not true. More than 2.7 million adoptable pets were put to sleep by shelters in 2013. There are plenty of dogs already waiting for forever homes without stores.

Feature Image Source: Pixabay