The Beginning of the Top Dog Store Series: The Background Scoop

Hello everyone!

I'd like to start a blog series that focuses directly on Top Dog Store, a recently established business in Calgary which has chosen to sell puppies.

As a bit of a background, three years ago Calgary pet stores made the decision to stop selling puppies. This was an awesome decision as it meant that they could fill their kennels with rescue pets from shelters instead! Market Mall Petland, a privately owned franchise, continued selling puppies. Robert Church was the owner before he shut it down and opened up Top Dog Store on Mcknight and Edmonton Trail NW. He has received a lot of negative feedback regarding his operations though he continues to gloss over what actually happens in the pet industry - sourcing from puppy mills. Over the next few weeks, I will pick apart all of the information that is presented to the public and show how it is not all sunshine and rainbows.

Before getting into the nitty gritty, I just want to express some blatantly obvious facts that show that the puppies in the store itself are not getting the best care.

• Robert Church pretty much claims he would never sell a large breed dog and he shouldn't! They are too big for the size of their kennels and they require a LOT more space to play. That being said, they currently sell chocolate labs. These are sporting dogs who need to run! No puppy belongs in a pet store but large breeds especially cannot live in those small kennels. 

• The kennels do not have food in them. Yes, many dogs have scheduled feeding to ensure weight management but puppies should not be part of that! Puppies, especially small breed puppies, can go into hypoglycaemic shock without having accessible food. Hypoglycaemic shock is when their sugar level depletes due to too much activity, stress, missing a meal, etc. They should be fed at least 4 times a days but free feeding portioned amounts achieves the same effect. What if an employee forgets a meal? Those puppies become at risk. For more information: http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/dog-hypoglycemia-low-blood-sugar

Stay tuned for next time when I debunk one of their "reputable breeders" as a puppy mill!

Cheers!

~ I frequently hear people say "I rescued my dog from a puppy mill." Unfortunately, you did a disservice unless you reported the circumstance to the authorities. You still paid for the dog and the mill still made a profit. The dogs that were left behind will continue to suffer. What you CAN do to prevent suffering is call your provincial SPCA. ~

Alberta: 1-800-455-9003