Care For Chihuahuas

Most people are completely unaware that there are Chihuahuas at puppy mills. In fact most don’t even of what a puppy mill is or that they even exist. I had never heard of a puppy mill until after I had purchased my Chihuahua from a pet store. I hope that this article encourages you to never buy a Chihuahua from a pet store who purchases from puppy mills again. You can ask your local pet store to show you documentation which proves where they received their puppies from. This will allow you to ensure that the pet store is receiving their puppies from a responsible breeder.

What is a Puppy Mill

It is tempting to walk by a pet store and not stop in to look. They are filled with all kinds of adorable puppies. Yes the puppies are cute and you want to take each one of them home with you. If you have been considering buying a Chihuahua, then I am sure you have been looking at pet stores and looking online for your perfect Chihuahua.

The first thing you should know about a pet store is that many pet stores buy their puppies from puppy mills. In case you have never heard of a puppy mill or know very little of them, they are basically puppy farms. They are puppy farms where the owner’s main concern is gaining profit from the puppies they breed and has very little regard for the animal’s well being or health. A puppy mill houses up to hundreds of different dog breeds which live out their entire lives confined to cages, in many cases chicken cages. Chihuahuas at puppy mills are used as breeding machines. They are normally kept outside in tiny cages, no matter how big the dog is. The dogs are forgotten about in extreme cold or extreme heat or rain and many dogs even die. Some puppy mills cram as many dogs as they can into one cage, so that they can make room for more dogs to breed. These dogs are never given a toy, a treat, a blanket, a loving touch or even taken for a walk. Some of these dogs don’t even know how to walk since they never had a need for it living in a tiny cage. Also, once a dog is no longer able to reproduce, it will just be shot or drowned…whichever the owner will find the least expensive and convenient.

Adopt a Shelter Dog!

Think twice about purchasing your Chihuahua at a pet store or even online. Normally these dogs are purchased from a puppy mill, although there are some pet stores that only purchase their puppies from responsible breeders. If you do purchase a Chihuahua from a pet store, ask for documentation to ensure you are not purchasing Chihuahuas from puppy mills. Don’t help support these horrible places that abuse and torture innocent animals all for profit. Instead, consider adopting from your local shelter or rescue group. Shelters are full of all kinds of Chihuahuas both purebred and mixes who all need a loving home. So think twice about where you get your next puppy and adopt a chihuahua. Don’t choose to buy Chihuahuas at puppy mills.