Ethical Pet Shops

In order to make it easier for the BB population to support the pet shops who act in an ethical manner by refusing to sell puppies and kittens I am trying to list as many as possible.

Please post any shops in your area who don't sell pets and I will add them to the list.
ACT
Pet Barn - Fyshwick

NSW
Enfield Produce (they do sell rabbits, poultry, and birds) - Enfield
Yagoona RSPCA (the RSPCA also has an online store) - Yagoona
PetCare 2000 - Yagoona
Wahroonga Pet and Pool Shop - Wahroonga
Pet Barn - Multiple Locations
Petbiz - Multiple locations
PetSTOCK - Multiple locations
Pet O - Brookvale
Petcare Superstore - Tweed Heads *
Paws on the Coast - Umina Beach
Moggy & Mutt Pet Boutique - Northbridge New South Wales 2063
Delicious Delights 4 Decadent Dogs - Gladesville
Bowhouse - Bondi Beach New South Wales 2026
Dogs and the City - Double Bay

NT


QLD
PetSTOCK - Multiple locations
Pet Cafe - Ashgrove
Pet Supplies Direct -Multiple locations
Petwise Store - Multiple locations
Pet Centro -Clayfield
Perfect Pets - Kingaroy

TAS

VIC
PetSTOCK - Multiple locations
"Pets @ Home" - Fountain Gate *
The Newport Pet Shop - Newport
Pets & the City - Albert Park
Pet Love -Coburg
WA
PetSTOCK - Multiple locations
Better Pets and Gardens - Multiple locations

Feel free also to name and shame any stores that you do see with kittens and puppies for sale.

For more about puppy farming and pet shelters please see these sites
Where do puppies come from?
DEATHROWPETS.net - Home Page
leostory.org

If you are thinking of adding a pet to your family please consider a rescue dog/puppy or cat/kitten.

You can find a pre-loved pet through the following organisations.
PetRescue - find your new best friend!
adoptapet (RSPCA)
Peninsula Animal Aid - Brisbane
Best Friends' Rescue - Brisbane
Luv-a-lab - Labrador Rescue (Victoria)
Monika's Doggie Rescue
Animal Aid (Victoria)
Melbourne Dog Rescue
Save-a-dog scheme
Paws 'n' Hooves (NSW)
Wagga Animal Rescue
Greyhound Adoption Program NSW - Home
The Greyhound Adoption Program of Queensland
Gap Victoria
Victorian Dog Rescue and Resource Group Inc. (VicDRG)
Rigby's Rescue
You can also contact your local pound/shelter. The details should be on your local council website.

If you want a pure bred please keep it in mind that many rescue dogs and dogs in pounds are pure-breeds.

* Works with local rescue organisations to arrange adoptions.

I'll add more shops over the next few weeks hopefully.

The shops below are evil in my opinion because they sell puppies and kittens.
Pet's Paradise
Petsville in Parramatta .
Pets on Broadway in Rhodes and Broadway

I used to work in a pet shop that would sell sick animals to families and when they died accuse the owners of bad practices... Needless to say I left we only deal with rescues and shelters now

Please add to the "good guys" list:

Pet Cafe - Ashgrove (QLD)

And "Pets @ Home" - Fountain Gate. They do sell animals, but they rehouse animals from Lort Smith Animal Rescue organisation.

And Peninsula Animal Aid - Brisbane
Best Friends' Rescue - Brisbane
Luv-a-lab - Labrador Rescue (Victoria)

hmm.. some stores get their animals from local suppliers tho.. how would you ever know if it's a puppy farm or not?

The petshop I used to work for (doing their books) never sold puppies and kittens at this time of year because of people buying them as gifts. But they had a few puppies & kittens there other times.

Hi Dach - what a good idea. Although I think we have missed a category for those like the one I want to add...Petcare Superstore at the Harvey Norman Complex in Tweed Heads have joined with the local Friends of the Pound and sell rescued animals. They make no profit, raise awareness for the local rescue service, are sold responsibly (eg. with animal and owner needs in mind) and as well as vaccinated/wormed etc. they most importantly come desexed.

Liz, if it's from a local supplier chances are that they are a backyard breeder who pumps out as many pups as possible regardless of the mother's welfare or the welfare of the puppies. I don't think that any reputable breeder would sell their pups through a pet store.

If you buy a purebred puppy from a reputable registered breeder most of them will offer you support and advice for the lifetime of the puppy - this extends to helping you rehome them if nessescary.

One of the main reasons that our pounds are overflowing is the ease with which people can buy undesexed animals from pet shops. Most of the registered breeders will get potential buyers to sign a desexing contract and increasingly they are refusing to sell undesexed animals because of the danger that they will become involved in puppy farming or backyard breeding.

Monica's Rescue in NSW rehomes rescued dogs from pounds.

Hi Dacholstar -
What a great post.
Can I add some reputable rescues? I don't know if I'm allowed to add web addresses but these are easily googable, or just PM me.
Animal Aid (Victoria)
Melbourne Dog Rescue
Save-a-dog scheme.

It might also be worth noting that if people are after a dog of a specific breed that contacting the breed association in their state is usually worthwhile. Most of them run a rescue or rehoming for their breed.

Cheers

I read something recently that said that PetBarn in QLD is starting up a partnership with RSPCA up here, so they take puppies and kittens from the RSPCA to display and sell in their shops instead of puppy/kitten farm and backyard breeder stock.

Members in NSW can join this orginisation that is seeking a solution through legislation
Fix NSW Animal Policy

Great idea. We have a dodgy petshop here...have had a few people call work to complain about them, but unfortunately there is not much we can do...

I think if pet shops are selling animals, they really should be desexed before being sold, or the new owners must sign a contract to have the animal desexed.
A lot of reputable breeders also have the owners sign something similar, particularly if the pet is for "pet" purposes only and not a show animal, that it gets desexed once it is old enough.

For a couple of local rescues, there is Wagga Wagga Animal Rescue, she also runs a rescue called Mini Foxie rescue, dedicated to mini foxies. And she also works in conjunction with Albury Dog Rescue, and there is one in Yass, name escapes my mind right now... but just for a few rural ones...and they also transport intra and inter state as well.

Actually, "Sophie's Choice" is a good one as well, she's not a rescuer as such but she does post up lots of dogs that desperately need adopting/re-homing from pounds and the RSPCA as well. Although we aren't looking for a dog, I always like to have a bit of a look at the dogs out there..I know I shouldn't cause it makes me sad, but I still do it...lol

FANNNtastic thread!!!

Just wondering if you would be able to add a couple more to the list for Victoria?

GAP - Greyhound Adoption Program
Victorian Dog Rescue
Rigby's Rescue

The web addresses should be easily google-able, but pm me if you want me to send you the links.

I've fostered a Greyhound for GAP before and they were absolutely wonderful. I also fostered for Melbourne Dog Rescue and they were fantastic as well. Plus I also think Rigby's Rescue is great. We see a number of the Rigby's Rescue dogs come through the vet clinic that I work for and there are some wonderful carers and dogs in their organisation. If anyone feels like browsing their site, there is a dog on there called Tilly who is up for adoption and she is one of the sweetest dogs I've met :)

What a fantastic thread!!

When I was in my teens I worked for three days in a pet shop. I was told I could only clean the cages out at the end of the day once the pups had gone into the back area. By 4pm the pups were sleeping in their own poo and their water would be soaked through the newspaper. It was so horrible.

At one point I saw the owner microchipping a kitten with a cigarette in his hand.

After day 3 the owner had pinched me on the bum for the third time in as many days and I went with my Mum to the police station to report him for assult. Needless to say I never went back.

As part of my little revenge plan against the shop I rang the RSPCA and told them about the conditions of the store and the microshipping incident. An inspection was done and the store was fined!!

Anyway, just wanted to say that this is a great thread and something I support whole heartedly.

:hide:
I just want to say one thing at the risk of being shunned - not all puppies brought in Pet shops come from "Puppy Farms".

My SIL breeds Labs but cannot afford or be bothered with registration fees with VCA, all of her dogs could be registered though. When her girl dogs do have litters (one season in one season off) she often goes through a pet shop as it is easier for her to sell them (she is a farmer not a full time dog breeder). When she sells them herself they are generally much cheaper then you would find with registered breeders but are just as good - just not from show lines.

Most registered breeders charge an absolute fortune for pure breds and it can make pet ownership for some people very costly. You shouldn't have to spend a tonne of money for a pet regardless if you are wanting to show or not.

Our Newfie cost $1500 and that was 12 years ago and he had a short life span of 6 years we didn't get another "pure bred" from a breeder and I will never buy from a breeder again.

I personally prefer rescue dogs and have 1 adopted semi rescue dog (we knew her previous owner and she was not taken care of). Admittedly she has taken some work and we still have a few small issues with her but she is generally good and is very loving and loyal especially towards me (I was the one who brought her home).

I would gladly go that way again
:D :D

NaeNae, I have no doubt that your SIL is one of the few breeders suplying pet shops who do treat their bredding dogs well but TBH I don't understand how someone who loves their puppies can sell them to a pet shop where anyone with the right amount of money can just walk in and walk out with the puppy 5 minutes later. Many of the young dogs that end up in shelters are impulse buys and IMO you shouldn't be able to buy a pet on impulse.
Some pure breeds are expensive, there's no doubting that, but the cost of a pet-shop puppy and a pure breed puppy from a breeder isn't much differant. Years ago when my Dad had problems with a pure breed b!tch he bought as a work dog (too much 'eye')we went back to the breeder and he took her back to breed with other dogs that didn't have enough 'eye'. Had she come from a pet shop our only option would have been trying to rehome her (not easy if you have a useless working dog) or putting her down.
A puppy from a reputable breeder comes with all its vet work done, microchipped, wormed and socialised. All these things take time and money. Just using Labs as an example because that is the breed you mentioned, conscientious breeders have their dogs X-rayed for hip dysplasia and osteochondrosis, and have their dog's eyes tested annually by a veterinary ophthalmologist to detect any disease at the earliest stages, and do not breed from affected animals. All these tests are expensive but by doing them breeders make sure that these issues are not passed on. If one of their buyers contact them to say that the dog they bought has developed these issues most breeders will take this into account and won't repeat the cross. Many breeders will also offer to find a solution that leaves all parties happy. If one of the labs that your SIL sells to a pet shop has congenital issues she won't even know about it so she can't do anything to stop it happening again.
The overabundance of puppies in pounds and rescue organisations means that pet ownership is not unaffordable to anyone. TBH, I know this sounds harsh, but if a person can't afford the upfront costs of getting a dog then maybe they should ask themselves if they can afford the ongoing costs.

ETA - I saw a some gorgeous labs in the pound last week (including a young boy less than a year old) so if anyone wants a lab they can pick one up for a fraction of the cost at the pound if they're prepared to wait until one is impounded or surrendered. Also Staffies, Lhassa Apsoos Maltese, Poms, a ****er Spaniel..... If it's a pure bred you want the pound has them.

I think you will find that PETBARN on the central coast (lakehaven??) were seen selling kittens/puppies/birds not long ago....
Puppies from registered breeders should come with health guarantess (we sell ALL our puppies with health guarantees) and their parents should have ALL relevant health testing prior to breeding (which we do) so that ALL major faults/hereditry disease do not show up.
MOST registered breeders charge what they do..BECAUSE they have taken THEIR time and effort to give only the best start in life for the pups. WE only breed when we want something ourselves for the show ring, and the rest are found decent loving homes (which are screened BIG time)
Pups from pet shops "may" come from "so-called" breeders BUT in all honesty...they are from LAZY BACK YARD BREEDERS/PUPPY FARMERS who DO NOT put in the time/effort.

The Jack Russell Terrier Club in NSW rescues and rehomes JRTs that have been in pounds (and other rescue orgs sometimes). We got our two through them and they are very careful to rehome them to a suitable family.

Website is Jack Russell Rescue Home.

For my local area Tamworth NSW you could add

Pet goods direct
and
Tamworth Dog & Cat Refuge - adopt a cat or dog into your family. We rescue unwanted, sick and injured dogs and cats and finding loving homes for them. <- tamworth dog and cat refuge run by a wonderful caring lady named Jean.

Great thread!
Just wanted to add that if you are after a specific breed but don't have the $$ for a puppy from a reputable breeder, it's still worth checking the breed clubs and local registered breeders in your state. They will be able to point you in the direction of specific rescue programs (such as the Jack Russel and Greyhound ones that have been mentioned - these organisations exist for most breeds) and/or might have an ex-show dog needing to be rehomed. Much cheaper, but you're doing a good deed and likely getting a dog with fewer health issues. Plus you get to know a reputable breeder and have a new support network with a wealth of breed-specific information :)

If this thread stretches to rabbits, the Pet Barn in Plenty Valley Victoria sells rabbits from a rabbit orphanage/shelter called Rabbit Run-Away. I just went there to check out prices on hutches and very nearly asked if I could adopt a gooorgeous little dwarf lop.

I've checked out the RRA website too, and have sent an application in to adopt from there. None of the breeders in my area are getting back to me about babies, and I'm thinking it might be fate that I've discovered the orphanage instead :)


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that orphanage is right near my house Teni! They are lovely and have some gorgeous bunnies. they have a fb page too that you can check out.

That's a fabulous idea Teni. There are so many animals who need love. You can also search for bunnies on Pet Rescue Australia.

On another note, there's a pet shop at Chirnside Park in Vic that sells puppies. Makes me sick every time I walk past it.

have you seen the one at knox L & B? last time i went past they had 4 huge huskies in their glass box- with no water as well. sickening.