Thursday, March 19, 2009

Asshat Rant - Brokers

When I read posts like this it fills me with dread. I get a twist in my gut that says "Danger! Danger Will Robinson!" I don't see a helpful family taking in unwanted rescue puppies, I see an asshat snatching up puppies and then turning around and making a profit on it.

A broker.

These sorts of people take in cute little puppies and then play on other people's emotions by saying they would have been Euthanized had the "rescue" not stepped in. Comments like this automatically put people into a defensive stance ... it's human nature. It comes from our nurturing side and I have found that women are more often suckered for these sorts of things than men (though there are lots of men out there who also fall for it).

When people follow their instincts, they are generally right. I googled the phone number for the "rescue" and found this. I had to cut it into two pictures because it wouldn't all fit onto my screen (see left and right).
Don't fall for these asshats. They are usually simply in it for money and will play off your emotions.
When people do fall for these sorts of things, they are only helping the broker make more money and stay in business. Don't buy from these sorts of places. You will note that the puppy died of Parvovirus ... Parvo is highly contagious and quite deadly for puppies. From what I've seen and what I was taught, most adult dogs that get Parvo are able to fight it off and recover. For all the other pups that came into contact with Sasha's feces, they may also be infected. For a puppy, being diagnosed with Parvo is the equivalent to a death sentence. By the time it has manifested so that you are able to see the symptoms, you're lucky if the pup lives for a few days.
Asshats. They are getting puppies and spreading disease. Sentencing them to death probably without even realizing it. And the worst part? The people who give the puppies to the broker as well as the people who buy from the broker are just as much AssHats as the broker. If they didn't sell/buy than the broker wouldn't be in business, would she?
Asshats. Most asshats don't even realize they are ASSHATS.
BROKERS ARE JUST LIKE PUPPY MILLS - YOU'RE NOT SAVING THAT ONE PUPPY, YOU'RE CONDEMNING THE NEXT ONE THAT WILL FILL ITS PLACE!

6 comments:

mytwh said...

Wow, that's so sad. I think the woman we got Ziggy was may have been something like this. Ziggy is 5 now and healthy and happy, but his litter mates weren't so lucky.

I found Ziggy through a woman at work. The story is, her neighbor volunteered for an animal rescue and got Ziggy's mom who was pregnant. She had the babies, we went to the house of the woman I worked with and the neighbor came there with Ziggy. We never saw the neighbor's house, Ziggy's mom, or his litter mates. Any way, we took Ziggy (after signing something saying we would return him to her if we ever found we couldn't keep him), got all his vaccinations, cleaned out his belly of worms and he was fine. When my sister in law saw him she fell in love and I gave her the neighbors number. When she called, the woman said that all the puppies had been adopted. I found out later that they had all died of parvo. It's still really sad for me to think about 5 years later, because Ziggy is such a wonderful dog and an absolute joy. I wish I could have saved his litter mates :(

mytwh said...

I meant to add that I would never give her anything living thing after hearing the puppies died. If I ever had to, God forbid, give up Ziggy, I'd rather see him put down then go back to that ASSHAT!!!!

Calsidyrose said...

Legitimate rescue groups have contracts, addresses and provide shot records for their animals. As a volunteer for a County Shelter, I have to explain this fact again and again to our potential adopters. I shudder every time I read through the Houston-area CL offerings--we have the same issues as they do in Dallas. Even with vet-checked puppies from our Shelter, we still struggle with Parvo issues. At least we're up front about it.

Barb said...

A lot of these people are actually breeders - they may also broker puppies but they usually produce several litters of their own as well. The puppies aren't properly socialized, aren't kept clean, aren't dewormed or vaccinated. These people are worse than your average commercial breeder in my opinion.
And just like the pet stores and puppy mills, they attract people who don't know anything about raising or owning pets - and who don't know what to look for or what to ask.
At least the pet store puppies do get vaccinated, and because they're so expensive they often go to people who can afford extensive veterinary care.
These little backyard bred mixes often don't stand a chance. Makes me ill.

Rebecca said...

"They have bred their lab with a heeler and a chow"

GAH! As if messing with the puppies on CL weren't enough. I could understand them just being idiots with their hearts in the right place, until I read that they have also bred. ...GAH.

Oh and "I have small children and I don't want to take a chance with them."

Idiot. Puppies may be smaller and adorable, but those nasty puppy teeth can do some serious damage. Puppies haven't learned yet how to control themselves or their teeth really well. I would certainly be more comfortable having small children around the 10 year old black lab that was turned in at his owner's death then having litters of out of control puppies running around.

DogsDeserveFreedom said...

mytwh - such a sad story and unfortunately, happens so often. Glad you god Ziggy out of there. It's often hard to tell the people like the one you describe from the BYBer ... was Ziggy adopted by you, through her from the animal rescue? Or was it her dog at that point?

Calsidyrose - I think Parvo is more common in your area than mine. We do get cases of it, but not often.

Barb - I haven't decided yet which is worse - the big commercial breeder or the BYBer. They both come with problems IMHO. Good point about pet store puppies going to homes where they may be able to afford veterinary care.

Rebecca - I agree with you; most puppies are more dangerous to the average child than the older dog.