While Pet stores often claim "our puppies come from breeders, not puppy mills" the word breeder is not an exclusive term. Anyone who puts two dogs together and produces puppies is, technically, a breeder.

Truly responsible breeders do not sell their puppies to pet stores, they want to meet their puppy buyers in person and do not sell their puppies to the first person who shows up with cash in hand. Most breed club's Code of Ethics state that their breeders refuse to sell their dogs to pet dealers orany other commercial sources of distribution.

The bottom line is this, thousands of homeless dogs and cats of all sizes, ages and temperaments are euthanized annually because there is simply an oversupply of animals. If we as asociety perceive dogs and cats to be part of our families then we cannot uphold a double standard that also turns them into products. Pet stores violently defend their practices because they generate huge profit margins from the sale of puppies.

If you agree that puppies are not products, that they instead are living, breathing and emotional creatures that deserve a life free from the misery of being locked in a glass showcase and used for profit and a persons greed then please - do not support petstores that sell animals & sign this petition to urge the City of Calgary to change their bylaws in regards to selling animals comercially.