Thursday is National Puppy Day.
- We want to see your puppies! Upload pictures to Bay News 9 from the BN9+ app
- Therapy Dogs Parade: Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, St. Pete 10:30 a.m.
- @Natl_PuppyDay
- SPCA Tampa Bay
And you may feel overwhelmed with joy looking at pictures of adorable bundles of joy. But before you run out and add a four-legged friend to your family, there are some things to know.
The Better Business Bureau is offering advice to people looking to adopt puppies. What to be aware of when it comes to disguised online puppy mills:
Willingness to ship your puppy to you: Unfortunately, most puppies sold directly online often come from puppy mills. If they are willing to ship your puppy to you – to any state in the country – they may be more concerned about making the sale than the safety of the puppy.
Unwillingness to actually show a puppy’s papers: Often, it isn’t enough to accept orally that your puppy has papers. A sure sign of a puppy mill, or mill distributors, is their lack of knowledge of the puppy’s parents.
Offering more than two or three breeds: If their website shows multiple breeds, including rare and desirable breeds, you can assume that there are several dogs churning out puppies in these situations. Puppy stores are no exception and are main suppliers of puppy mill puppies. Legit breeders will focus on less than three breeds, taking pride in the care of their beloved breed.
Offering inadequate contract agreements: Make sure to check your contract. Breeders that practice fairly will often provide spay/neuter agreements, breed papers, and health contracts. A puppy mill often will not. A reputable breeder will also ask just as many questions as you would, verifying that they are providing a good home for the new puppies.
You can report puppy mills by alerting your police department or animal control authorities.
Here are some local animal shelters:
The Humane Society of Tampa Bay
Friends of Strays Animal Shelter
Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center
Also in honor of National Puppy Day, the U.S. Department of Defense has shared a video titled: From Puppy to Soldier. Can this day get any cuter?! Enjoy the puppy soldiers.