On our What You Can Do page we advocate supporting pet- and pet suppliy stores that do NOT sell live animals. Many of them do exist, and they are a great asset to their communities.

       Remember that policies can differ between different franchises of the same chain, so what is good or bad in one community may not carry through to other communities. The owner of the particular franchise pictured here actually gave US some of the criteria for what he considers to be a good, responsible pet supply store:

1. DOES NOT sell puppies or kittens.

2. DOES NOT sell live animals of any kind, including small mammals, reptiles or birds, 99% of which probably also come from some sort of a "commercial breeding facility" or mill. This franchise owner tells us that, in his experience, reptiles, small mammals such as hamsters and rabbits, and birds, are often considered "starter pets" or even toys by parents who buy them for small children. They are even more disposable in this society than kittens and puppies.

3. DOES support reputable rescues and shelters in their efforts by inviting them in for regular adoption days, providing an invaluable venue for those rescues who do not have a shelter but rather keep animals in volunteer foster homes. He wishes he had the space for a "Cat Room" where foster cats could rotate into and out of on a weekly basis, so that they could have even more exposure to potential adopters.

4. DOES donate pet food and supplies directly to area shelters and rescues, as well as making barrels available for patrons to donate. Also approves donation cans at the registers to make it easy for patrons to donate their change to responsible area rescues.

5. DOES NOT allow area breeder or free-to-good home ads to be posted on the store bulletin board.

6. DOES encourage local shelters and rescues to bring in photos of pets available for adoption, posters for their fund-raisers, and informational bulletins that might educate his patrons, etc. He also gives space for people to post flyers of missing or stolen pets.

7. DOES hold in-store fund-raisers such as a "Christmas Wish Tree" for local shelters and rescues and provides sponsorship for outside events.

8. DOES pass his attitude on to his staff, so that they are courteous, helpful, and supportive both to patrons and to rescue personnel. Several of the staff at this store are actively involved with one or more of the rescues in the area!

       Many pet supply stores or chains support rescues and shelters in the never-ending job of cleaning up after puppy millers and uncaring pet owners. If you see anything on the above list that your local pet supply store doesn't do -- it wouldn't hurt to ask the manager if they'd consider trying it!