Don’t Ship Puppies

My vet asked me to pass along a warning to our group about shipping puppies. Earlier in the day she had a puppy brought in with heavy discharge from her little eyes and nose, a horrible cough and very weak. The new owners were noticibly upset as they had paid a lot of $ for their new pup. The baby has pneumonia which is treatable, but it also appears to have an underlining congenital abnormality with its lungs which may not be treatable. The new owners contacted the breeder when the pup arrived so ill, and the breeder said “Send her back and I’ll ship you another one.”

Of course the new owners were not going to ship this sick little pup back, but now, in addition to the cost of the pup, the expenses associated with the immediate medical crisis and unknown future expenses, this little bundle of joy has brought with her much worry and regret.

The vet said this was the third case of a very sick puppy that was shipped that she had seen in the past few days! (None were goldens.)
In addition to not knowing the health of your pup, you also may be unknowingly supporting puppy mills that keep dogs in deplorable conditions. The web site may show a beautiful facility, but that does not mean this is where your puppy was raised.

Also, pups do not have a fully developed immune system until they are 4 months old, so any germs they encounter in route could be deadly.

Reputable breeders are often hesitant to ship puppies as they do not have the opportuniy to meet the pup’s new family to ensure a safe and loving home.

If you are looking for a golden retriever puppy, go to www.grca.org and click on “puppy referral” for a list of reputable breeders who screen for hip, heart, eye and elbow health. Expect to pay $1500 and up and then a few months later, don’t forget the spay/neuter surgery for another $500.

Makes a rescue golden at $250 sound like a sweet deal! Plus they are house trained:)