As the "mother" of a newly adopted shelter dog, I do not believe that these dogs come from reputable breeders. If that is the case, I suggest and challenge Charm City Pets to disclose where they actually come from on the "cribs" of the puppies. The consumer can then investigate and confirm whether this is actually the truth or not. They should not have anything to hide if, in fact, they are actually telling the truth and are legitimate. There are so many wonderful, pure bred dogs that are given up every day in the shelters. Please do not advocate for this type of "business". It should be outlawed, in my opinion. True animal lovers would not consider "selling" animals. As far as the "gimmick" of the cribs and nursing outfits..to resemble "babies".....come on......obvious manipulation and playing on people emotions. Sad.

Boycott the store it's a front for the Mills!
There are thousands of really good dogs looking for homes!

I don't even know where to begin with this article. Yes, pet stores are legal. Yes, this pet store is pristine and cute and the owners love those puppies. No mention was made of the parents of these puppies who are bred to death, discarded when no longer profitable, and kept in deplorable conditions. Had the reporter gone to a puppy mill, she would have seen some very horrible things. Oh wait, puppy mills don't let people in to see their dogs. That's why investigators have to go in undercover. The article brings up the fact that the puppies are from USDA-approved breeders. Does the author know how meaningless that is? Here's a great link: http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/puppy_mills/facts/pet_store_doublespeak.html

The public needs to be educated on the whole issue of pet stores and puppy mills.

Here's a link to a pet store owner who got it right. He educated himself to where the puppies were coming from, was appalled by what he found, and changed the model of his store. It can be done!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB8TNd3s4Ek

What a truly disappointing article this is. 1) it's a shame that Mr C feels as though his personal safety is an issue, if asking a business owner legitimate questions on his FB page is threatening, then this country is more sad than I thought; 2) the fact that no other pet stores selling puppies/kittens in this area would give a comment should be a HUGE red flag; 3) many of these pet store owners turn a blind eye to being educated about puppy mills (or worse yet they ignore it) because it clearly affects their profit, I invite you to watch an interview with a store in Glendale CA that made the transition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB8TNd3s4Ek.....so of course every store concerned with the almighty dollar is going to defend what they do; 4) this story mixes in bits and pieces of other stories from other areas, which we have limited details about and we are expected to draw a quick opinion??; and 5) Howard Co took in only 2400 animals last year, and BARCS took in 12,000!?!?!!? I think someone needs to check the math (or the books/records at Howard County). How about visiting these 'reputable breeders' that these pet stores are using and reporting back the details and some pictures?

All you have to do is to "google" the names of the organizations the owners claim their puppies are registered with and you will find that they're a scam designed to let people without a rudimentary knowledge of pet ownership think they are getting a "purebred" dog. Let's be realistic here - a "purebred" dog does not include anything with "doodle" in it's name, "poo" or "toy" - if one were to actually take a look at the AKC website and learn (hello, owners of Charm City Puppies! - take a look and do some REAL research) - you'll find that a) a reputable breeder will not sell to a store b) these "poos", "toys", etc are not recognized breeds - and just take a look at the facts....if you are getting dogs from a "breeder" with "no more than 75 dogs" on the property...IT'S A PUPPY MILL! In most places, that "breeder" would be called a hoarder, but because of lax regulations in some states, they breed the dogs like chicken and cattle - and sell them to ill-informed young people who thought it would be a "joke" to open up a store selling puppies in an environment to make it look they're babies. There is just so much wrong with everything these owners have said and done....and I own two pet boutiques in our local area. And we don't sell animals - we, like any responsible business owner; took the HSUS pledge to not be a part of the problem. Thanks Cossentino's for contributing to ignorance.

This article is ridiculous. People who are against the cruelty of puppy mills are not "animal rights activists"! Responsible breeders do not sell to pet stores. End of story!

MY LETTER TO THE EDITOR---Hello again..this is the second time I have contacted you. I am very obviously the one leading this "movement" spawned by Charm City Puppies. I have asked to be contacted in regards to this story as I wanted to give our side. Our side meaning 95% of the people who commented on the original article. They have all gathered on Jericho the Phoenix's page..We have also started a Mid-Atlantic Coalition to End Pet Store Sales of Puppies and Kittens (inspired by Charm City Puppies). How on earth could you have excluded all this valuable information from your readers? Your publication is seeming one sided right now and I am hoping that isn't the case. I have everyone's support there and we are all formulating ideas and constructive approaches. I am wondering why you would contact a local rescue who's attitude was "it's not my job" when clearly we have taken on this task as our job. Doesn't make sense, unless you really don't want to hear the other side of the story. We are extending an olive branch to sit and speak and help Charm City Puppies. That would have fit right into your updated article...the person "not involved" who you did interview ..even said that....so why didn't you contact me?

Please contact me Patch Staff~~Thanks!!

FURTHERMORE~~~~ Here is a petition we started specifically FOR Charm City Puppies that has over 750 signatures in 3 days! HOW IS THAT NOT PERTINENT INFORMATION???? http://www.change.org/petitions/charm-city-puppies-adopt-dont-shop

How is the owner fearing for his life?? He is doing that to portray us as violent which we are CLEARLY NOT. I have asked the community for no name calling even!!! We want to sit down with him and negotiate...why is he fearing for his life?? Sounds like his own issue...nothing we did! Good attempt at making us look bad...anyone that is following us... knows he is lying to make us look like radicals.

To KC - what an unbelievable statement. Most "shelters" are run by local governments or by organizations contracted out to manage them. They have absolutely no need to "steal" any pets. You provide not one piece of evidence to support your claim, not even anecdoctal. All you've proven is that there are just really stupid people in our midst.

Go spend a few days in a shelter and watch the people flowing in to drop off their pets because..."I have to move", "I don't have time for him/her", "He won't listen to me", "I can't afford it", "He's too big", "I'm allergic", "She's pregnant", "I don't want him anymore"....or better yet...watch how many animals are brought in by animal control because someone just let the animal go instead of making the effort to bring them in...that's the real truth. But, you don't care - you're trolling.

Oh Sam, I need to find out what stores you own so I can spend all my money there! :)

'KC' is quite out of touch with reality. I don't even know where to begin with his/her reasoning because it's so 'out there'. BARCS receives over 12,000 animals a year, for all the reasons Sam lists, and more. I hardly think they have the time/resources to go out stealing animals to fill their cages! If this practice is so rampant as you suggest, then please put together a list of FACTS (with citations) that you have about our local MD shelters doing this. PLEASE educate us, not with random spurious comments, but with clearly researched/referenced FACTS on this matter. Don't be another person spreading information that you are unable to back up - that is in poor taste and not respected.

Jackie at Charm City puppies informed me they have an adorable OriPei...from a breeder named Tabatha Cannon. This is an example of a "USDA Breeder" that came right from the store itself. I also have the names of about 4 more breeders I was given during my conversation with them..don't believe me? Stop in to visit their adorable OriPei (Pug-Sharpei mix). Last I checked respectable breeders don't butcher the breed like that.

Another pet store located in Columbia, "Today's Pet", has been operating in Columbia Mall for years. They too sell puppies from puppy mills. We know, we bought one there 11 years ago. never see any press about them though. Strange.

Today's Pet IS on the radar screen.....not sure what folks have pursued in the past, but in light of this situation, they are in the forefront of everyone's mind in this protest......see comments sprinkled through original Patch article as well as on the 'Jericho the Phoenix' Facebook page......

I thought that the store was selling only "pure bred" puppies? An "OriPei" would not count, would it??

This isn't just an online debate -- this is a local network of educated adults getting together (yes, using the internet as a common meeting place) to voice our opinion and organize efforts to make strides in what they (we) believe in!

I, personally, prefer the term "animal advocate" as opposed to animal activist because so many people take the word "activist" and turn it unnecessarily into EXTREMIST. Although when it comes down to it, I am an animal activist, but I have been keeping CLOSE tabs on all of the networking related to informing and educating people about Charm City Puppies & Today's Pet -- and so far I have not run across a single extremist.

It would really be nice if some of the efforts on the "activists" (advocates!) ends were recognized.. more than just quotes.

This is not limited to just an "online debate," it's a real life concern for other living animals. Stop by Mid-Atlantic Coalition to End Pet Store Sales of Puppies and Kittens on Facebook and see for yourself!

Nothing has changed for the puppy mill dogs in all these years and nothing will change as long as ignorance, and outright denial continues. It is a fact that these dogs are horribly mistreated throughout their lives. It is a fact they are crippled because of the caged conditions they live in. It is a fact their offspring are born and sold for pure profit with NO interest in how they live. Anyone ever get an invitation from the millers (i.e. greeders) to visit, open door policy, come and see our dogs? It will never happen because they know you would be horrified. Animal lovers will continue to be their voice, bust the greeders and get these dogs into proper homes after they have been altered and fully vetted. We will also continue to educate the children. The next generation will put an end to this criminality.

Strange that anyone could be so adamant about defending this industry when so much proof to the contrary is available online and in person by visiting any one of the mill establishments or the countless dogs in rescue that have been over bred and neglected by them. All of us in rescue have seen this directly, in person and dealt with the animals who are victims of it so we know the truth. None of us have anything to gain but a clear conscience in working to prevent animals from being mistreated and misused for profit. ....cannot help but wonder what ulterior motive that one person would have to gain by fighting so hard against the good of animals.

Here's some advice on how to make them both stop. Stop by their stores, find out the manufacturers of the products they carry, and start contacting the manufacturers of the products and let them know that it is not acceptable they allow their products to be sold in establishments such as these. Most reputable companies, especially those who sell to boutiques, don't really want the bad publicity that comes with being associated with these kinds of businesses. Contact the landlords, and let them know that this is not acceptable and you WILL do something about it. Tell the landlords that you will not frequent the surrounding businesses and let the surrounding businesses know that if they would like your business, to put some pressure on the landlord to not rent to businesses like this. It will take some work, and some time, but it will work - it's working all over the country, it will happen here. And, this particular business won't make it anyway, the young owners seem to not have it in them to stand up for what they believe in (if they truly feel puppy mills are fine), or enough education to even remotely understand the ramifications of what they have done, or the business savvy to not open up a business going the way of the Atari computer.

Simply put...No reputible breeder would EVER ship their puppies all over the United States to pet stores. Over 90% of puppies found in pet stores are from puppy mills...They may be prue breed, they may be "registered". It's all bull to mislead the public. The fact of the matter is that the parents of the cute puppies that will be sold for hundreds or thousands of dollars live a MISERABLE life. They are confined to cages, are not fed properly, do not receive clean/adequate water, do not receive vet care, are not groomed, are not loved. THEY ARE PRISIONERS! It is disgusting that anyone human being can consider this industry appropriate. I own a puppy mill survivor. My poor pup spend NINE years making some dirt bag money. Upon her rescue, she was groomed, placed on thyroid medication for a condition that was completely ignored and MOST OF HER TEETH were removed because she never received proper nutrition or vet care. Stop the excuses of why pet stores should continue to sell live animals. It is a national disgrace....
“If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.”
― St. Francis of Assisi

See ya'll over on the 'Jericho the Phoenix' page where a TON of wonderful progress is being made on this and related issues from people who know and understand what is going on!!!!

The RICO Act refers to Racketeering & Corrupt Organizations. It was originally used against drug dealers but is now available for use against any business, organization or group engaged in activities listed in the act itself. One only has to Google RICO & access a wealth of information. While Holly's heart is in the right place she is not practicing "intimidation" but she is misguided in her efforts. Instead locate the landlord for this strip mall & express dissatisfaction w/ the presence of this tenant. Blaming the GastroPub is inappropriate & misplaced.

Letting surrounding businesses know why you no longer patronize them is completely appropriate. If a brothel went in next door and people didn't feel comfortable eating next door to one they would tell the restaurant owner why. I used to enjoy going there, but I can't now. My message to them was not intimidating and in no way did I blame them, that would just be stupid. I simply told them that I can't comfortably sit and enjoy a meal there sitting next door to a puppy store! Most business owners like to know why customers choose to patronize/not patronize them, it's called communication! WOW, how far off topic can we get......that is usually how these forums end up. Done here.

I am disappointed in this article and am questioning whether the Patch is a legitimate journalism outlet or just a venue to sell ads for local businesses. I have several questions left unanswered. Whoever wrote this article for the Patch, please feel free to respond and answer. I only took one news writing class in my college days, and if I had turned anything like this in- I am sure my professor would not have given me a very good grade.
1. What kind of process do prospective buyers of dogs from Charm City Puppies have to go through? Anyone who has purchased from a reputable breeder knows that you can't just walk in and buy a puppy. There is a wait period and some sort of background check.
2. What are some of the names of the breeders that Charm City Puppies buys their inventory from? Furthermore, did the staff of the Patch even find this out & investigate further?
3. Will Charm City Puppies take back inventory that has been sold, but does not work out with their new family? Or will these puppies end up in a local shelter?
4. What happens to the puppies that are still on display in the store after they have grown up and are no longer puppies?

I also find the following quote troublesome, "The business owners told the paper they didn’t get store animals from puppy mills—rather all came from local families, pets that would otherwise have gone to government shelters and faced euthanasia."
Why would these "local families" be forced to sell to Charm City Puppies and not be able to sell the puppies themselves? Why would these "local families" have to take the puppies to shelters to face euthanasia? According to the article, about 50% of the animals taken to the local shelter were euthanized because "Those included feral cats and animals with medical and behavior problems." So by any reasonable logic the author of this article is implying that the Charm City Puppies inventory is made up of animals that the "breeder" couldn't sell and would have gone to the shelter to be euthanized because they weren't adoptable? Not to mention, it costs about 75% less to adopt from a shelter than the $999.00 that Charm City Puppies is charging--- and that's not even including the cost of getting fixed. I am still convinced that getting an animal from the shelter is the way to go.

Puppy Mill puppies ARE the NORM for pet stores. "Local famlies" aka breeders, sell the puppies themselves to make money. Charm City wants to go into the puppy selling business to MAKE money or they would not bother with it! Wake up - it is blood money! Our local shelters kill dogs every single day - There is NO reason whatsoever that Charm City should sell puppies. They should do what the community needs ..... which is hold adoption events at their location instead of continuing to over tax the shelters and rescues. As a community we need to stand up and tell them we do NOT want you to sell puppies. We do not want to continue to allow puppy mills to flourish because pet stores chose to sell live animals. If Charm City sells live pets I will not shop there and I will remind my friends they chose to sell puppies.

just because it's a legal business does not mean it's an ethical business.

I'm reading through all the comments, sitting next to my recently adopted puppy - when he, his Mom and his 4 siblings were found, they were all starving. Someone had not bothered to have his mother spayed and when she ended up with puppies, the 6 of them were discarded. The Mom, and two puppies survived. One of the puppies had to be euthanized because she was in so much pain. Two others died when they couldn't be nursed back to health. The Mom is a full blooded, yellow lab. I'm sure she's not that old, and she and her two surviving pups are the lucky ones - they've all been adopted and are thriving. I'm sure the Mom was an adorable puppy when she was obtained by her original owners. Dogs and other pets are expensive, they require time, training and care. My puppy, whom I love, is a LOT of work. When people who have no experience with animals see these cute little puppies in stores they often don't understand the work and expense required to care for a dog. Dogs don't just become great pets, their owners worked HARD to get them that way. Dogs are also not a status symbol - if you're looking for a great pet for your family, it should not matter that your dog is a purebred. If this pet store really cared about animals they would focus on educating people looking to bring a pet into their home on the time, cost and effort required to care for a dog.

KC--amen for some facts for some of these people! Not only have they obviously not gone in to talk to the owners, but they are making up these apparent "facts" about the shop. Instead of attacking you for facts, THEY should give facts. They have nothing besides ACCUSING them of carrying puppy mill puppies and ACCUSING them of this and that. Truth is, NONE of it is true. Saying that Mr. C should have no reason to fear for his safety so he won't comment is ridiculous? No YOU ALL are ridiculous. I know for a fact they have gotten threatening emails and phone calls so good job at AGAIN making assumptions. As for going to "rescues"--yes great...but not only is the Howard county shelter BARE most of the time because they KILL over 50% of their animals, but recently a maryland animal "RESCUER" had her animals taken away because she had dead animals all over her "rescuer" home....This pet shop is unlike any other and more of them need to be like this. It is a fabulous and well-kept place and a WONDERFUL place to get a puppy.
KC and Vet Barnes---I'm with you all the way. Bravo for your knowledge in educating these so called animal activists

There are several studies that show that "pet store dogs' are not usually found in shelters. The ASPCA has an interesting stat:
More than 20 percent of people who leave dogs in shelters adopted them from a shelter. (Source: NCPPSP) so retention and "shelter returns" are a bigger problem than "pet store" dogs in shelters.
Rescues and "humane societies " transport thousands of dogs per year around the country in large trucks and vans for "adoption" at places that are "short on dogs" ( isn't that the idea .. to be "short on dogs"?) many of these dogs become ill after transport on occasion bring disease that were previously unknown to the population of dogs in the area they are transported to and are rarely temperament tested or minimally... the background of the dogs are unknown,.. and amazingly enough many of these are touted as "puppy mill rescues' that are matted, urine soaked etc and classified as unsocial.. however after a few days they are miracle of mircales "ready for adoption"
To call every commercial breeder a "puppy mill" and "disreputable' is a falsehood that needs to be addressed. also from the ASPCA site:
"The majority of pets are obtained from acquaintances and family members. About 15 to 20 percent of dogs are purchased from breeders, 10 to 20 percent of cats and dogs are adopted from shelters and rescues, and 2 to 10 percent are purchased from pet shops. (Source: Ralston Purina and NCPPSP)"

So if only 2-10 percent come from pet shops it is difficult to believe that many dogs in shelters come from pet stores unless everyone else keeps their dogs ( disproved by the stat re: shelter returns above). I have cared for many pet shop puppies and many lived long and healthy lives. I cannot say the same for shelter pets most of them came in with serious illnesses or diseases. Particularly comes to mind a mixed breed puppy from a shelter who passed his worms on to his new owner who then lost his eye to the parasitic infection. His owner was a boy of 14. We rarely hear about the healthy animals from pet shops because there is no emotional story for fundraising.
Note that "The average number of litters a dog produces is one a year; average number of puppies is 4-6. " Every year 16 million people are looking for pets. With only 2.6 million shelter animals available there is no way only show breeders can supply enough pets. But, I forget the goal of animal rights is to end pet ownership. Even shelters are running out of dogs. Note the number of shelters who have to import dogs to sell. If only "purebred hobby breeders" are breeding dogs there won't be enough dogs. This is already happening. As the noose is drawn by groups like HSUS pushing legislation to eliminate ALL dog breeders by using words like 'puppy mill" and "back yard breeder" and yes even "responsible breeders ( few can meet that criteria set down by them) dogs will become more rare and much more expensive

Not to worry,vet Barnes, the "rescues" will ramp up their efforts importing small,desirable breeds not only from different states but from different countries,allow even more "cute",small breed dogs have litters than they already do, and will continue to "adopt" them intact to make sure they will not run out of desirable small breed puppies they can "rescue" and find "forever" homes for!

I swore I was going to stop commenting to the uneducated, conspiracy theory people on here. Everyone who commented against this store is not an extremist, so please stop making generalizations. You are forgetting one thing about that cute puppy in the store...the horrible conditions the mothers and fathers have to live in year and year out. The owners of this store have said they get their puppies from Missouri (the puppy mill capital of the world). Chances are very good the puppies' parents are living in horrid conditions and being bred to death. If you don't want a shelter dog, please make sure you can see and visit with the parents of your new puppy. That is the ONLY way to be sure you are not getting a puppy mill dog. I don't think that's an extremist view at all.

Recently, two members of ReLove Animals Inc. visited Charm City Puppies. The following includes the facts from that visit.

On February 5 at 11:29 a.m., Tony Cossentino stated in response to The Sun's article ..."As the owner of this store, I would encourage customers who are curious to come in to the store and visit directly. We will gladly set the record straight on any questions you may have about us and our puppies. We might just change your mind about what you think of puppy stores. I will not respond further on this forum because it is too easy for certain individuals to bully us online with unfounded things that they would never say to our faces. None of the opposition has even visited the store to see for themselves, not even the leader. Please search 'Charm City Puppies' on Facebook for more information. Thanks, we love you Charm City!"

We visited the store on Thursday, February 9th. The store is lovely and clean, with a nice variety of products. The puppies were cute and seemed relatively happy in their cribs.

Part 1 (cont)

For more updates on our upcoming educational demonstrations, links regarding pet stores, puppy mills, and animal welfare, and other ongoing developments please join our Facebook page 'ReLove Animals Inc.'

Part 3

There are problems with each way of acquiring a family pet unless you deal with a bona fide breeder. I would say a "bona fide" breeder would be someone with a passion for a particular breed of dog or cat. This persons animals receive excellent medical care, are not bred in such a way as to endanger the mothers health and the mothers are not killed when they can no longer produce income. This breeder should be able to allow you to meet the parents of the puppies/kittens and allow you to choose your puppy/kitten from the litter. The breeder will ask you for almost as much information about yourself as a mortgage broker AND verify the information. If the breeder asks you to wait in a specific area while they retrieve a puppy/kitten for you, RUN! There is probably a very good reason they don't want you to SEE the area where they are housing the animals they have for sale. I am not a breeder. I have a coworker who shows and breeds Maine Coons and a family friend who ran a boarding kennel and bred retrievers until they were physically unable to maintain the operation.

Part 1) The reason there are so many pure bred (or appear to be pure bred) cats and dogs in the shelters is because people often purchase a pet because it looks adorable and it’s so cute and cuddly. They do little to no research about the breed. They are unable to realize that tiny bundle of fur could or will grow into a dog that weighs 60 to 100 pounds or more in some breeds. They have no idea how much it costs for veterinary care such as wellness checks, spaying or neutering, vaccinations and preventative medications. They’re unaware of how much time is required to maintain certain breeds of dogs AND cats coats. They’re on their way home with the new pet totally oblivious of the number of times they leave work to meet up with friends for drinks and/or dinner and what happens when Fido needs to use their outdoor lavatory while they’re partying. Will that ball of fur still be so lovable when they come home to a puddle of pee or a steaming pile of poop?

Part 2) Will the puppy still be cute and cuddly after it digs a hole in the carpet, shreds paper or tissues or destroys the sexiest pair of heels you own or will he be on his way to a shelter in the morning? Do they know if their puppy is one of the breeds that is a puppy for up to 2 years and unless trained will chew everything including furniture? Regardless of the weather that puppy will still need to go for a walk or outside to relieve himself even when the pet parents prefers to lounge indoors during bad weather. Do they know if a certain breeds barks more than another and could annoy their neighbors until the police are at their door?
If they take home a kitten do they know how much damage those claws can do when they come out? Have they ever seen what cat claws can do to furniture and drapes? Have they ever attempted to clip a cat/kittens nails? Have they ever been face down cleaning a litter box which MUST be cleaned at least daily? Do they know that ball of fur could leave some stinky surprises to let you know how unhappy they are with how their litter box is being maintained? Do they know how hard it is to get the odors from those surprises out of carpet? Will this be when they dump the cat/kitten at a shelter? Do they think they might like to clean a puddle of slime with a wad of hair in it or would this be something that would have the cat/kitten on the way to a shelter?

Part 3) I hope this sheds some light on how so many pure breeds end up in shelters. I doubt anyone is stealing them to fill shelters since there are more than enough humans who are unable to THINK before they leap into a situation. These would be the same people who are always exempt from blame because nothing is ever their fault, it’s the stupid animal. Those of us on the other end receiving that unwanted and possibly abused animal don’t see it that way. We are the ones who have to try to comfort that animal as it whimpers and shakes in fear and HOPE that someone will come in and give it a home before it has to be euthanized (KILLED) to make room for the new batch of unwanted cute and cuddly balls of fur.

There is NOT an over population problem. If healthy dogs are dying in shelters it is the shelter's fault. There is a shortage of dogs and that is why hundreds of thousands are imported into the U.S. or sent from state to state. The ONLY increase in purebreds that are in shelters is because they are stolen from sound breeders under the guise of abuse. Open your eyes people. You are being fooled

I am having trouble finding logic in your comment. It seems that euthanasia rates would be low if there were no "supply" - right? Not "3 million to 4 million a year" (ASPCA). And where does the resupply of 3-4 million EACH YEAR come from if not from over population? From imports? From people importing dogs from other countries? Maybe you didn't explain your point clearly and can answer these questions with some thought. "Hundreds of thousand...imported into the US or sent state to state (do you have a stat for that?)?

Even if all shelters euthanized only sick or behavioral issue dogs, & you were correct that "there is NOT an over population problem" then it would be challenging for me to go to a shelter & find it full or partially full of dogs; some of the ones there actually "stolen from sound breeders under the guise of abuse." Would you agree? There would be empty cages. Not many too choose from. The shelter could charge higher prices b/c they aren't just covering expenses but making $ b/c there is a "demand"- supply & demand laws - right? Running a shelter could actually be a profitable business given your logic. Given your logic, it doesn't make sense that there are 172,945 healthy mixed or purebred dogs looking for homes (there is a shortage of dogs! Are they making these profiles up!?). given your logic, I could actually pick up the rare stray or lost dog & call a shelter & say, "Can you just keep him safe for a few weeks - can you just shelter him - until his owners find him?" And they would say "Sure!" b/c there is actually a shortage of dogs in the US. All 26 stray dogs that I picked up last year would be outliers, by your logic & I could've made & selling the purebred ones. People who wanted a dog WOULD HAVE TO contact a breeder, be on a wait list at a shelter or rescue, or import one from a country with dog overpopulation issues & deal with required quarantines. And I would do all of these things to have a dog. Because, like you, I love dogs. Right? Or am I being fooled?

I am not going to do your research and homework. You can start with the Center for Disease Control for the numbers of imports and the problems it causes. Per TUFTS In 1973 65 million cats and dogs with 20% dying in shelters 1990's the number of cats and dogs increased to 110 million with a 4.5% dying.The animals put down include very sick, vicious and old dogs. Any shelter that claims pet over population and uses that as a reason to kill healthy animals should be closed and prosecuted. Now do some work and find out the facts and stop listening to emotional pleas by greedy groups that call themselves shelters

Again, looking for logic - given the stats you provided above - that there was an approximate 4.5 million increase over 17 years in euthanized animals. It seems like there are a disturbing abundance of animals to euthanize- not a shortage. Right?

KC, if you actually think there is a shortage of unwanted dogs, please check out a site called Petfinder.com. Look at the number of dogs in this area alone who need homes. It is NOT the fault of the shelters that they have to put animals down. They have limited funding and limited space to house animals that someone decided they didn't want anymore. Take a good look at the number of older and senior pets who need homes. Who keeps an animal for years and then abandons it as if it's an old pair of shoes? When people show up at shelters and rescues the 1st thing they ask to see are the puppies and kittens. It's hard to get them to look at the older animals.
I don't know where you are getting your information but I'm getting mine first hand from the sources. Perhaps you could volunteer at one of the rescues so you can SEE for yourself? You'll find out quickly why so many have to limit the amount of time they can spend in shelters because it will break your heart.

OMG there will always be animals (as long as animals rights do not succeed in their agenda to end all companion animals) that need to be euthanized for extreme illness, viciousness and just plain old age. Logic escapes you. The stats I used showed that the numbers have decreased in the millions over the years. So either shelters are lying about killing healthy dogs or they should be prosecuted

Well, yes -your logic escapes me! There are some words missing from your info, which may have helped, but it does look like "dogs INCREASED to 110 million with a 4.5% dying" the evidence you chose doesn't support "shortage of dogs" theory. It appears, at least, that you may actually have issue w/animal people/shelters/rescuers/tax payers taking issue w/you/your business/someone you know business/the business model of selling dogs bred for commercial (vs. personal) sale, when you feel that shelters are euthanizing healthy dogs? Well, guess someone could be lying as you suggest, but still issue with TOO MANY animals: as a tax payer, it is outrageous the money wasted on euthanizing animals (45,000 in MD each year, that adds up to $8-9 million!) that others bred/adopted/bought/were given. Politicians on both side of the aisle agree, which is why the Senate in the MD Gen.Assem. voted overwhelmingly to pass the Voluntary Low-cost Spay/neuter bill, SB 820/ HB 767 (or is this part of the "agenda to end all companion animals" vs. reducing wasting tax payer dollars and reducing suffering? Are you for proactive approaches & efficient use of tax dollars, or reactive use of tax dollars for euthanizing? ).There will be animals that need to be euthanized -no one is arguing that so not sure what your intended point was. An issue is WASTING tax payer dollars-animal lover or not-when reducing overpopulation is an option that you object to b/c it doesn't suit you or a business model personally.

Wow. Hunte Corp., which Charm City Puppies reportedly uses, turned out 90,000 puppies in 2007 - what a production! They don't even appear to be the breeder, but the middleman: "we probably rejected 30 percent of the puppies brought to him because of the quality, but that is less than 10 percent now." That may equal 9,000-27,000 "low-quality"/rejected dogs. What happens to them? (The preacher's kid's comment concerning "God's work" is interesting). CCP- you may be in the wrong line of work - at least the wrong part of the production line! No wonder you have high prices if you are the third one with the "product"! From the article:
How the Hunte Corp. processes puppies
1. Eight-week-old puppy sold to Hunte Corp.
2. Hunte performs veterinarian check, gives booster shot.
3. Grooming and/or minor surgery if needed.
4. One- to five-day stay at Hunte.
5. Second veterinarian check. Shipped by semitrailer to pet stores
6. Arrive at pet store.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/article.aspx/Puppy_Showcase/071118_1_a1_amwor01213

You need to take your meds or eat some red meat

Stopped in this evening. Shop smells strongly of urine. Caged areas in front have clearly been wet, and puppies are walking/laying in it. Puppies in 'cribs' are laying on hard plastic with no bedding. Large puppy in back room in a small cage howling...clearly distressed/hungry. Cage way too small for this poor animal. Horrible experience for a true animal lover. $999.00 for a puppy seriously limits their chances for being adopted. Owners...shame on you. You are obviously NOT concerned for nothing other than your pocketbook. Have mercy on these poor animals. Take them to the local humane society where they have a better chance of being adopted by a loving family for a reasonable price, and cared for as they should be.
A visitor from out of state...