If you’ve ever wondered what pet stores do with puppies that fail to find homes, you’re not alone. As cute and cuddly as they are, not every puppy gets purchased before outgrowing the typical pet store cage.

If you’re short on time, the quick answer is that unsold pet store puppies are usually returned to the breeder or sold to another store willing to take older puppies. However, problems can arise if the puppies aren’t wanted back and end up bounced around or discarded.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll take a deeper look at the fate of unsold pet store puppies. You’ll learn key factors that determine what happens, gain insight into problematic outcomes for some puppies, and find out how certain pet stores are improving the system.

Background on Pet Store Puppies

Where Pet Stores Source Puppies

Most puppies sold in pet stores come from large-scale commercial breeders, commonly known as “puppy mills.” These facilities prioritize profit over animal welfare, keeping breeding dogs in poor conditions and failing to adequately socialize puppies during critical development periods.

An estimated 2.4 million puppies nationwide originate from puppy mills annually.

Some statistics show that an estimated 99% of pet store puppies were sourced from puppy mills as of 2022, according to the Humane Society. These breeding facilities persist due to consumer demand for trendy purebreds and designer mixes, which pet stores leverage for substantial retail markups despite minimal oversight of breeders’ standards of care.

Profit Motives and High Turnover Rates

The vast puppy mill-to-pet store supply chain prioritizes high-volume puppy output and retail profits over animal welfare. Upper-end revenue estimates indicate commercial dog breeding is a multibillion-dollar industry in the United States.

Yet only young, healthy and attractive puppies comprise worthwhile inventory for pet stores. Thus, breeding facilities cull less marketable puppies. Meanwhile, pet stores generally refuse to place puppies that develop health or behavioral issues during lengthy store dwell times, instead opting to return unsold puppies to an uncertain fate.

Outcomes for Unsold Puppies

Returned to Breeders or Brokers

If puppies do not sell within the allotted time set by pet stores, typically 8-12 weeks, they may be returned to the commercial breeders or brokers where they originated (ASPCA, 2022). Unfortunately, these breeders and brokers may simply re-sell the pup to another store, continuing the cycle.

Per the ASPCA, an estimated 2.4 million puppies bred in mills are sold through pet stores annually in the United States.

Transferred to Other Pet Stores

Rather than return unsold puppies to overcrowded breeding facilities, some stores opt to transfer them to other retail locations if the pet is still young enough to sell. This gives the puppy a second chance at finding a home.

However, it further spreads disease risks and does not solve the underlying issues with commercial dog breeding and mass puppy sales.

Taken in by Store Employees or Rescues

In more humane cases, pet store staff members may choose to adopt unsold puppies themselves rather than allow them to return to poor breeding conditions. Local animal rescue groups sometimes step in as well.

For example, Petfinder connects over 11,000 animal welfare groups across North America to rehome eligible pets. Volunteers foster puppies until they are matched with adopters. Unfortunately, space in rescues is limited, and they cannot take in every puppy.

Euthanized or Abandoned

The grimmest fate for unsold pet store puppies is euthanasia or abandonment. Store owners may make the call to put down puppies to cut losses or release them outdoors if they cannot be transferred or rescued. Exact numbers are unknown, but this tragic practice still occurs, according to the ASPCA.

An estimated 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized per year in the country.

Outcome Details
Returned to Breeders/Brokers 2.4 million pups re-sold annually
Transferred to Other Stores Spreads disease risks
Taken in by Rescues Limited capacity
Euthanized or Abandoned Exact numbers unknown

The fate of unsold pet store puppies can clearly be bleak. Adopting from shelters and ethical breeders who focus on animal welfare are safer, more responsible options for adding a furry friend to your home.

Preventing Problems for Unsold Puppies

Stricter Regulations on Sourcing

One way to help prevent problems for unsold pet store puppies is to implement stricter regulations on where stores can source dogs. Many puppies in pet stores come from puppy mills, where dogs are bred in poor conditions just for profit.

Implementing laws that require stores to only source from reputable breeders who treat their dogs humanely could help reduce the number of unsold puppies. Stores would likely be more selective about only ordering puppies they expect to sell.

Humane sourcing laws exist in some places like California, but need to become more widespread.

No-Kill Policies

Pet stores should also adopt strict no-kill policies regarding what happens to puppies that are not sold within a certain timeframe. Rather than euthanizing unsold puppies, stores should be required to surrender them to local rescues and shelters that can properly screen potential owners.

Stores could even partner with specific rescues to take in their unsold dogs. This helps give the puppies a second chance at finding a forever home. Some large pet store chains like PetSmart and Petco have already implemented commendable no-kill policies for unsold pets.

Improved Screening of Buyers

Better screening processes for potential puppy buyers at pet stores could help minimize unsold inventory. Stores should thoroughly vet buyers to ensure the person is truly committed to properly caring for a puppy before allowing an adoption.

Screening steps could include counselling on the responsibilities of dog ownership, home visits to ensure adequate space, contacting references, and requiring proof of enrollment in puppy obedience training.

While this may be more labour intensive for stores, it helps match puppies with prepared owners and reduces impulse adoptions that could fall through. Responsible breeding advocates have called for buyer screening laws. One study found screening reduced returns of purchased puppies by over 75%![1]

Adopting Not Shopping

With an estimated 3.1 million dogs entering animal shelters in the United States each year, adopting a pet rather than buying one from a pet store or breeder is the more ethical choice. Here’s why you should consider adoption first:

Reduce Overpopulation

There are simply more dogs being bred than there are homes for them. Many puppies sold in pet stores come from puppy mills, where dogs are bred in inhumane conditions solely for profit. Adopting helps reduce the demand that keeps these mills in business.

With millions of lovable dogs waiting for homes in shelters, there’s no need to support irresponsible breeding.

Save a Life

An estimated 670,000 dogs are euthanized in U.S. shelters each year simply because they don’t have a home. Many are healthy, friendly pups who would make great pets. By adopting, you opens up shelter space for another dog who might desperately need it.

Give an abandoned dog a second chance at life in a loving home.

Get a Healthy Pet

Contrary to popular belief, animals in shelters are not all broken and unhealthy. Many are given medical treatment, spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped before being put up for adoption. Shelters thoroughly screen animals before making them available to ensure they are healthy and temperamentally sound.

Adopting also means you can meet the pet before taking it home.

Bond With Your New BFF

Adopted pets show an amazing capacity to love and trust, despite difficult backgrounds. By adopting, you get the satisfaction of knowing you helped heal a dog and changed its life forever. The bond between adopter and adoptee can be incredibly strong.

There’s simply no love quite like the unconditional love of a rescued animal.

The next time you’re looking to add a furry friend to your home, make the compassionate choice – head to your local animal shelter, save a life, and give an orphaned pet the loving home it deserves. You’ll likely find your perfect match waiting for you there!

Conclusion

So what happens when puppies go unsold at pet stores? As we’ve explored, outcomes can vary greatly depending on policies and ethics. While some stores take back unsold puppies or transfer them responsibly, lax oversight can lead to discarded puppies.

The good news is that awareness and regulations are making the retail pet industry more accountable. Still, adopting from shelters or reputable breeders remains the most ethical way to welcome puppies in need into our homes.

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