About five years ago, my then-next-door neighbors decided to get a dog, and not just any dog. They’d spent years dreaming about and planning for the day they’d have both a landlord who allowed dogs and the time to spend with a dog. Now they had both, and they wanted to get a miniature Poodle, preferably female, and “apricot” colored. And they wanted to know if I knew any Poodle breeders.
Well, gosh. No, I don’t know any Poodle breeders, but had they gone to any of our local shelters? Looked into rescue organizations? Were they aware of petfinder.com?
Yes, yes, yes, the wife answered, impatient. The problem is, she had her heart set on a female, apricot-colored, and small. And she wanted to get a young pup, not an adult, so they could raise it from the get-go. And she didn’t want to wait a year for a dog who met this description to show up in a shelter.
I tried to warn these folks (an educated couple in their fifties) about the evils of puppy mills. I gave them articles that describe how to identify a responsible breeder, and told them about the risks of buying from unprincipled or ignorant puppy producers. I suggested that they go to dog shows – the Golden Gate Kennel Club show was not far off – and ask Poodle exhibitors about retired show dogs, or pups that didn’t meet conformation standards. Ask for references, I told them; somebody might know somebody who has a dog who needs a new home for some good reason – a divorce, say.
We had these conversations daily for a week or two. Then the wife announced gleefully, “I found our dog! There is a breeder in Texas who has a litter of eight-week-old miniature Poodle puppies, and one of them is an apricot-colored female! He’s putting her on an airplane tomorrow!”
“I’m happy for you,” I said (probably rather flatly). “I hope it works out.” Inwardly, though, I was hugely disappointed in my neighbors. Should I have shouted, “Don’t you get it? That’s a puppy mill! Goodness only knows what you are going to get!” Maybe. Would it have made any difference whatsoever if I had? I don’t think so. The couple drove to the airport the next day to pick up their pup. And it was weird, because then I didn’t see them or get a telephoned “puppy report” for about a week. I guessed that maybe I hurt their feelings with my opinions about adopting (as opposed to buying) and my lack of enthusiasm for their luck in finding their dream pup.
Only it turned out even worse than I feared. They enjoyed only a few hours with their new pup when she started going downhill. She spiked a fever and grew listless. They took her to a veterinarian, who suggested that she was probably closer to five weeks than eight and diagnosed her with pneumonia. The vet was also pretty sure she wasn’t a purebred Poodle, but only time would tell.
The pup spent the better part of the next three weeks in the vet’s clinic as she fought for her life. My neighbors confessed to me that they spent almost $8,000 on vet bills.
When the husband called the breeder to complain about the condition of the puppy – supposedly “100 percent guaranteed” – he was told, “Put it to sleep, send me a receipt for the euthanasia, a check for airfare, and I’ll send you another one, no problem.” They didn’t kill the puppy. She grew into a leggy (and fearful) white dog with a Poodle coat and a terrier face.
Meanwhile, on any day on petfinder.com, you can find hundreds of dogs who resemble Poodles as much as that pup did. As a matter of fact, there’s one in my local shelter now; she’s what reminded me to tell this story. Feel free to give this page to anyone you know who’s in a big hurry to buy a puppy of a certain description – or even a certain breed.
