Opt to Adopt! Jack-Jack and Bebe Belle's story.

Puppy mills are a subject close to our heart at Parker's Pets as both Bebe Belle and Jack-Jack are puppy mill rescues. Now that spring is coming and puppy buying season is coming, let's all OPT TO ADOPT. What are puppy mills? Puppy mills are commercial breeding facilities where dogs are bred for profit. Generally, dogs are kept in cages their whole lives, never given human attention or veterinary care. Their whole lives are to breed puppies, who are then sold to pet stores. No matter what a pet store says, no reputable breeder sells their puppies to pet stores! Reputable breeders, who breed for the love of the breed and to better the breed, care where their puppies go.

Jack-Jack was rescued from a puppy mill in central Indiana when the miller decided to retire. A known puppy miller, he placed an ad in the local paper to try to sell his breeding stock. The local pound saw this, and implored him to let them take his older breeding dogs. He sold Jack-Jack and two other males (including store favorite, Izzy) to the shelter. They, in turn, contacted Smaller Paws & Pomeranian Rescue (http://www.smallerpawsandpoms.com/) who took them in. That's Jack-Jack's Petfinder photo above. When I got Jack-Jack- then named Pedro by Smaller Paws as he had never had a name before- he had never lived inside, never walked on grass or up stairs, had never been in a family. He spent weeks sitting on the couch just looking at us. He wasn't sure what life was like outside of a cage. That was two and a half years ago. Since then he's had some health issues- he is going blind from Progressive Retinal Atrophy from having distemper as a puppy and he had his kneecaps fixed- but is an amazing dog. He's the "Boss Man" of the store and loves to be picked up by customers or to howl for them. Just say HELLO! To Jack-Jack and he'll say HOWLO! back!

Looking for a purebred dog and think that rescues don't have purebreds? That's not true! According to the Humane Society of the United States, 25% of all dogs in shelters and rescues are purebred, just like Jack-Jack and Bebe. Want a puppy? Shelters and rescues have puppies, too. Four to five million dogs are euthanized in shelters every year, while it's estimated that 4 million puppies are being bred in puppy mills. See the problem with that?

Think you're "rescuing" that puppy from the pet store? You're not. You're just making room for another puppy, and making another miserable mother have to have another litter to produce a puppy for that now empty cage. Every time a puppy is purchased at a pet store, another dog has to be bred to make a puppy to fill that store.

What can you do? Website like Petfinder.com and 1-800-saveapet.com are great resources to search for your perfect dog. Already have a dog and want to help the cause? Give a donation of food, money or your time to your favorite shelter or rescue. Have room in your home for another pup temporarily? Rescues and shelters are always in desperate need of foster homes for their dogs.

Remember to OPT TO ADOPT! Don't buy while others die!