June 2, 2013

A new study out of Penn Vet confirms what most of us in the veterinary industry have known for a long time: puppies purchased from pet stores have a dramatically increased likelihood of psychological problems as adults. These pet store pups, which primarily come from puppy mills, were shown to be substantially more likely to display aggression toward their owners and toward other dogs. The authors of the study theorize that these problems stem from a lack of socialization, early weaning, and increased maternal stress during pregnancy.

There are so many reasons to avoid purchasing puppies from pet stores; thankfully we now have concrete scientific evidence to add to the campaign to end puppy mills!