Where to find a puppy/kitten

As part of any new year, more and more new puppies and kittens begin to grace our doors and more and more clients continue to ask where to find that new pet.

There are several avenues to find your new family member; all with pros and cons. Pet Stores have great selection of breeds and easy accessibilty. They also have a dubious reputation for getting pets from puppy mills and selling pets with health issues. This is not to say there are not great pet stores, but as the saying goes buyer beware.

Breeders are also a source of pets. Pure and less common breeds can sometimes only be found through breeders. Most breeders are reputable and breed for the love and improvement of that particular breed. Some, however, are motivated by money and don’t care for the health and well being of their breeding stock or their offspring. The rules I will recommend when it comes to breeds are:
1.   Find a breeder that concentrates on 1-2 breeds. Multiple breeds/multiple litters begins to feel like puppy mills.
2.   Ask to see their facilities. Check if they are properly caring for all their animals. If they are unwilling, they probable have something to hide.
3.   Ask to see the parents. It’s a good indication for health of their offspring. Good breeders will also genetically test for breed specfic conditions. Ask what they test for.
4.   Negotiate a better health guarantee. Most guarantees I see are from a few days to maybe 2 weeks. A lot of genetic issues may not show for several months. See if they are willing to extend genetic health guarantees to 6-9 months of age.

Last, but definately not least, is your local animal shelter and/or rescue group. These organizations have many wonderful pure and mixed breeds of dogs, cats and exotics that need loving homes. These pets are health and behaviorally screened and usually completely vaccinated, dewormed and neutered. They also adopt out pets for very reasonable fees. It’s probably your most economical pathway to a new pet. With such a pet overpopulation issue in the U.S., it’s hard not to consider looking at these institutions for your next pet.

Happy Looking and Happy New Year!