Pardon the Interruption: A Brief Rant (Well, not so brief)

If my daughter hadn't been with me, if she hadn't brought Charley on the expedition -- Charley, living proof that there were healthy boxer puppies inside -- I'm pretty sure I would have turned the car around. I didn't think that I was buying from a reputable breeder. I KNEW I was pulling into the driveway of a boxer puppy mill. 

That's not to say they didn't take care of and love the dogs. But they weren't AKC registered. The mother had had multiple litters that same year. When the breeder took us to meet her, her nipples hung so low she looked misshapen. But she appeared cared for.

I didn't like seeing a male boxer tethered to a tree. I didn't ask, but I'm hoping it was only temporary. Maybe because we were coming. After all, the yard wasn't fenced in.

Bottom line: they were churning out puppies for the money. All the horror stories .All the recommendations to purchase only from reputable breeders.All went out the window for the black. female. runt.


But I believe we would all gravitate to reputable breeders if we could afford it. Then again, aren't the reputable breeders in it for the money, too?

Face it, are papers THAT important? And more, are they worth $1,000 more? Is it nothing more than the difference between buying couturier clothing compared to buying off the rack? After all, most people do ok with their off the rack clothing purchases. And most people who buy "off the rack" dogs are happy with their purchase.


It is true that when one is dealing with puppy mill, the risk of cross-breed fertilization, and the risk of in-breeding is certainly higher.. The former is really not a big deal. After all, you KNOW you're not buying AKC registered. And the latter? Well, most of the time the dogs are ok.


And even though I know better than to do it again, I'm already looking at a gray pit bull puppy, sight unseen. (No thanks to Cesar Milan's "Junior"!) I don't know why, but I've been bitten by the pit bull bug. I know the puppy's daddy, Diesel. I know nothing about the female nor her environment. The ONLY thing holding me back (I'm asking my husband to cover his ears while I write this) is the ultimate cost of buying another dog. 

Once burned, twice shy.


In the end, you're paying for the label, a name brand, a pure breed with healthy pedigree (usually). And, even though I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I rescued the black female runt,  I did my part to further the reason these puppy mills exist in the first place. And, for that, I do have regrets.


Coming up: Meet Sonny