The Danger of Backyard Breeders: A Cautionary Tale

I had some friends who had been married for a few months when they decided that they wanted a puppy. They had a small apartment that was perfect for a newlywed couple and it didn’t have a lot of available lawn space. This meant that they probably shouldn’t get a large dog or a dog with high energy that would need space to run around. They knew that a small dog would fit their family and living situation the best.

They decided to take a trip to their hometown to visit their family. While they were there, they found an advertisement for puppies sold from a person who hadn’t planned on their dog having puppies. This person was technically a backyard breeder.

Side note: A backyard breeder, by definition, is an amateur animal breeder. Most often, this occurs through ignorance or neglect by not getting a pet neutered or spayed. This results in accidental pregnancies and, therefore, substandard breeding. It is very important to note that these are not necessarily bad or malicious people. Many, just like the rest of us, are learning as they go. Should they have their animals spayed and neutered? In my opinion and the opinion of most professionals, that is the most responsible and low risk thing to do.

My friends found this backyard breeder who gave them a great deal. This couple ended up adopting their new little puppy and bringing her home. This puppy was adorable, affectionate, and seemed to be in great shape. A few weeks after getting their puppy, they started to notice that this puppy was tired a lot of the time and seemed to be very calm and snuggly. They didn’t think much of it until one day, they saw their puppy struggling to get something out of its throat. Their puppy coughed up a worm!

The next day, they took their puppy to the vet where it was determined that this puppy had worms before they had brought it home. This means that this puppy and all of its littermates were exposed to the worms around their mother while in their original home. In this instance, there was treatment for the condition and there were no long-lasting effects. This cute puppy is now growing like a weed, eating lots, and soaking up all the love from her mom and dad.

I tell this story as a cautionary tale. This time, it was only worms and it was a problem that could be solved. However, I’ve heard countless stories of backyard breeders keeping puppies and kittens in horrible conditions, not getting any of their animals vaccinated, and overpricing animals while underselling health concerns. Many puppies have died from dangerous diseases like Parvovirus due to the poor conditions they were born into.

Please, please, please do your research before buying a puppy and try your best to avoid backyard breeders who do not give documentation or proof of quality treatment, good living conditions, and no health concerns. Ask for veterinary records to ensure that the puppies have received their vaccinations at the appropriate times and do not agree to take the puppy home sooner than is healthy and appropriate for the puppy. Getting a cute, small puppy near the first of their life may be tempting, but it is not healthy or good for the puppy to leave their mother and siblings too soon. The average age recommended to bring home a healthy puppy is about 8-10 weeks of age.