How much is that doggie in the window?

Price tag aside, the true cost of buying a puppy from a pet store is likely far greater than one might expect, and it’s something people simply shouldn’t do, says the SPCA’s general manager of cruelty investigations.

Marcie Moriarty and Langley Animal Protection Society’s shelter manager Sean Baker made that point during a presentation at Langley City Hall on Monday night, when they came to ask council to consider banning the sale of dogs at pet stores within the City.

The presentation came after Doggie World, a 56 Avenue puppy store closed last week, after multiple complaints were laid of puppies being sold that carried the fatal parvo virus.

Moriarty told council she regularly receives calls from people who have recently purchased a puppy from a pet store and now find themselves with a very unhealthy animal.

If a dog sold at a pet store doesn’t get sick immediately, often it will show signs of poor breeding practices later in life, she said.

The root of the problem, Moriary said, is the lack of transparency concerning the puppies’ origins.

Pet stores are so far removed from the environment the puppy is bred in, they cannot say with any level of assurance where they’re from, Moriarty told council.

“Every pet store says they use carefully selected breeders, but good, reputable breeders do not sell to pet stores.”

The sad truth, she said, is that often the animals are bred in filthy conditions with minimal veterinary care, little attention paid to their psychological needs and to mothers that have been bred repetitively.

“Breeders selling to pet stores care more about quantity than quality,” she said.

As a result, both the puppy and the consumer suffers. Many dogs purchased from pet stores are bought on a whim, and so the owners find themselves unprepared for the large vet bills they face

For that reason, many of the dogs are surrendered to animal shelters every year.

“The City has the power to either ban the sale of puppies in pet stores or to regulate (their sale),” Moriarty said.

Pet stores make their largest profit through the sale of pet supplies, not the animals themselves, so voting to ban or strictly regulate the sale of puppies would not be a vote against business, she added.

Baker told council that LAPS supports the SPCA’s request for a City bylaw to ban or regulate the sale of puppies, while recognizing there is a strong demand for the animals.

Some of the options available to consumers are to deal directly with breeders, to adopt from an animal shelter such as LAPS or the SPCA, or to adopt from a pet store which has developed a partnership with a non-profit agency.

Whatever choice is made by consumers, they should try to get the credentials of the people selling the dogs, said Baker.

Sellers should be reputable, have experience and offer a full disclosure policy. Following the presentation, Councillor Jack Arnold asked Moriarty and Baker what defines “reputable?”

“There is no legislation governing the breeding of animals and that is part of the problem,” Moriarty replied.

“I agree completely, it’s our job as government to make the rules, but I don’t see why we should limit it to pet stores,” said Arnold.

“Let’s do what’s right for animals, but let’s do it everywhere, and let’s not limit it to dogs and cats, but to animals in general.”

“We have a legal opinion and we’re looking at all our options,” Mayor Peter Fassbender said.

“The information the SPCA supplied is for dogs, cats and birds. Should we limit (a bylaw) to that or address all animals?” he asked.

Moriarty replied that a general statement regarding cages and enclosures being suitable to the species, would address that concern.

“We’ll bring something forward that is well thought out and covers all the bases,” said Fassbender.

“There will be more opportunity for input as we go forward.”