What Do Ethical Dog Breeders and Dot The Kitten Have In Common?
Today I have a cat-inspired question which has a very important dog point to make at the end.
What do ethical dog breeders and Dot The Kitten have in common?
You may recall that about 3 months ago now I ‘adopted’ a stray kitten who was very ill. Dot was possibly only hours from death when she was rescued from a neighbour’s garage and brought to me. I bottle fed Dot and nursed her back to health for 3 months.
During this time we found out ‘Dot’ was actually a little man, so renamed him Donny.
Donny charmed everyone who met him.
I never intended to keep Donny so as soon as he was well enough I started looking for his forever home. The local RSPCA branch (Royal Society For The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) allowed me to post on their Facebook page. I also put adverts in the local vets and post offices.
To find the right home for him I had to use my skills as a former dog rehomer. I set out the key criteria which would be ideal for Donny in a new home:
- A house not close to a busy road – cats wander!
- Nice garden, preferably well fenced
- Decent indoor space for cat food bowls/water bowls and litter trays
- Mature couple or family with older respectful children – kittens have sharp claws and should not be homed with children who are too young to understand how to behave properly around animals
- Part-time workers, home workers (due to Donny’s young age), OR a friendly cat or dog to be around during the day
- New owners who were not put off by his long term health problems
Armed with this list I vetted all the callers. I asked them all the above questions and more. However all the questions had to be answered well. I turned away several people because they didn’t meet the required standard. What was most important to me was that Donny got a fantastic home that was every bit as good as I provided.
By chance my window repair man spotted Donny on a visit and was smitten. I asked Mark all the questions and he scored a tick in ALL the boxes. Donny went to his new home 2 days later and is now King Of The Castle!
And that’s where this applies to you. What I did and how I did it is your key to finding an ethical dog breeder.
If you are looking for a dog or puppy, an ethical dog breeder will ask you seemingly endless questions, including why you want this breed of dog and why you think it suits you. This is not because they are being difficult. It is because they care. They want all their puppies or dogs to go to a home that is as perfect as it can be. They want your standard of home and care to be as good as they already provide.
This picture shows how you should expect to see a mum and her puppies – cosy, warm, safe, clean, loved and healthy.
If you want the best dog or puppy, be prepared to be grilled. Breeders who sell to anyone and everyone without asking questions should be avoided. An ethical dog breeder only places puppies when the right home comes along, and will keep them at home until this happens. They do not sell puppies at a discount – “last one of the litter and needs to go” or “buy two together and get them cheaper“.
Ethical dog breeders have a waiting list of vetted homes for future litters.
I have personal experience of choosing a puppy as well as an adult dog, and there are over 100 ways to find and choose an ethical dog breeder. I’ve put some of them together for you in an ethical dog breeder checklist. So if you want to get the right puppy, learn from Dot The Kitten’s story and claim your free ethical dog breeder checklist here.
P.S. Sign up and you’ll also get your Quick Start Guide To Choosing A Dog, and Guide To Non-Shedding Dogs thrown in for free!