I HATE the fact that in many rural towns, puppies die in animal shelters every day, because they are misunderstood, incorrectly diagnosed as sickly, ornery, or just aren't adopted! Unfortunately, the average Joe or Jane just CAN'T STAND to go to the run down, delapidated, smelly animal shelter. Seriously, who wants to shop for the new family member on death row? Many people want to rescue. They just can't stand the shelter experience.
For years, I said, "There's got to be a better way." As the owner of a thriving, home-based "puppies-only" pet store in small town Ohio (the Perky Puppy started with 2 yorkies in my foyer in 2003), I was familiar with the ugliness and hatred that is spewed by well-intentioned rescue folks who think that all pet stores are evil.
We TRIED to get a local shelter to let us showcase their dogs. They refused. We'd been blacklisted. So, we stayed in the "perfect" puppy business...happy, clean, healthy puppies in a bright and shiny, fresh-smelling, no-kill environment. After all, we love puppies and we had bills to pay...the business was thriving, but that comes with a host of financial responsibilities and obligations. So we pressed on.
It was the ultimate shopping experience if you were looking for a puppy. We plugged our ears, blaming the deaths of unadopted dogs on uptight rescue organizations who couldn't think out of the box and wouldn't even take our money. ("Blood money" as they called it. Yeah...which dog died because you made THAT stupid decision.)
So, we started picking up strays, fixing them up and offering them on our website, ThePerkyPuppy.com.
Then, the dam broke open with 2 phone calls in the same week. Some innovative dog rescuers wanted to dialogue about using our store as a platform to save puppies. It was ok with them that we couldn't flip a switch and go "all rescue" in one day (see above comment about responsibilities).
We said we would love to try...They said they would love to try...We would try together...we would use creativity + innovation + a successful puppy store and website to show puppies to a world that wouldn't otherwise get to see them.
That's it. That's the whole story. That was 4 months ago (June 2008). Our connections are beginning to blossom and network. We have saved over 100 puppies in 4 months. Today (October 28th, 2008), the puppy count in our store is 42 Lucky Puppies (rescue puppies) up for adoption and 9 Perky Puppies (intentionally bred/health guaranteed).
It's working!! The Lucky Puppy (the rescue's new name) shares the puppy room and staff with The Perky Puppy for now. We are jumping through all of the hoops to establish/apply for our non-profit status. Our goal is 2 entities (one rescue, one dry goods, supplies, and a few intentionally bred puppies) under one roof.
Everyone says, "Adopt, don't shop!"
That's not always realistic.
We say, "Come in to shop and you might adopt!"
In September 2008 (3 months after starting the rescue portion of our business), we sold 16 Perky Puppies and adopted out 15 Lucky Puppies. I LIKE IT!!! This month, we will adopt way more than we sell. I'm interested to see what happens as time goes on...
We aren't opposed to The Lucky Puppy being the primary puppy business here. I'd say we are transitioning into that very, very quickly. We'll keep you posted!!!
For years, I said, "There's got to be a better way." As the owner of a thriving, home-based "puppies-only" pet store in small town Ohio (the Perky Puppy started with 2 yorkies in my foyer in 2003), I was familiar with the ugliness and hatred that is spewed by well-intentioned rescue folks who think that all pet stores are evil.
We TRIED to get a local shelter to let us showcase their dogs. They refused. We'd been blacklisted. So, we stayed in the "perfect" puppy business...happy, clean, healthy puppies in a bright and shiny, fresh-smelling, no-kill environment. After all, we love puppies and we had bills to pay...the business was thriving, but that comes with a host of financial responsibilities and obligations. So we pressed on.
It was the ultimate shopping experience if you were looking for a puppy. We plugged our ears, blaming the deaths of unadopted dogs on uptight rescue organizations who couldn't think out of the box and wouldn't even take our money. ("Blood money" as they called it. Yeah...which dog died because you made THAT stupid decision.)
So, we started picking up strays, fixing them up and offering them on our website, ThePerkyPuppy.com.
Then, the dam broke open with 2 phone calls in the same week. Some innovative dog rescuers wanted to dialogue about using our store as a platform to save puppies. It was ok with them that we couldn't flip a switch and go "all rescue" in one day (see above comment about responsibilities).
We said we would love to try...They said they would love to try...We would try together...we would use creativity + innovation + a successful puppy store and website to show puppies to a world that wouldn't otherwise get to see them.
That's it. That's the whole story. That was 4 months ago (June 2008). Our connections are beginning to blossom and network. We have saved over 100 puppies in 4 months. Today (October 28th, 2008), the puppy count in our store is 42 Lucky Puppies (rescue puppies) up for adoption and 9 Perky Puppies (intentionally bred/health guaranteed).
It's working!! The Lucky Puppy (the rescue's new name) shares the puppy room and staff with The Perky Puppy for now. We are jumping through all of the hoops to establish/apply for our non-profit status. Our goal is 2 entities (one rescue, one dry goods, supplies, and a few intentionally bred puppies) under one roof.
Everyone says, "Adopt, don't shop!"
That's not always realistic.
We say, "Come in to shop and you might adopt!"
In September 2008 (3 months after starting the rescue portion of our business), we sold 16 Perky Puppies and adopted out 15 Lucky Puppies. I LIKE IT!!! This month, we will adopt way more than we sell. I'm interested to see what happens as time goes on...
We aren't opposed to The Lucky Puppy being the primary puppy business here. I'd say we are transitioning into that very, very quickly. We'll keep you posted!!!
Contents at a Glance
Wanna see the puppies?
Visit www.ThePerkyPuppy.com to see available puppies!
What about Parvo?
All of our puppies are evaluated on intake. Puppies who are unvaccinated are placed in quarantine (currently my kitchen) for 14 days. They are vaccinated, de-wormed, and given a holistic anti-Parvo serum, to help prevent the outbreak or spread of the deadly Parvo virus.
Many rescues turn their puppies as quickly as they can. They just don't have the space to sit on them. We want it to be different. We recognize that turnig out seemingly healthy puppies, who break with Parvo in 3-14 days, is a VERY BAD thing. It's bad for the puppies, bad for the environment (lives for up to 7 years in the dirt), bad for the family who is heart-broken, trying to save the life of their new family member.
We don't want to play in that game.
We know it's expensive to sit on those pups, knowing that IF they break with Parvo, it will be in our care, knowing that we'll work very hard to pull them through (hardest work you'll ever do). BUT IT'S WORTH IT. It's all worth it. No dead puppies after $600-$2000 in vet bills, no crying families, no contaminated homes and yards. It's worth it. We'll keep them where they are safe and protected, until they're little bodies can protect themselves. THEN, and only then, they go up for adoption.
Many rescues turn their puppies as quickly as they can. They just don't have the space to sit on them. We want it to be different. We recognize that turnig out seemingly healthy puppies, who break with Parvo in 3-14 days, is a VERY BAD thing. It's bad for the puppies, bad for the environment (lives for up to 7 years in the dirt), bad for the family who is heart-broken, trying to save the life of their new family member.
We don't want to play in that game.
We know it's expensive to sit on those pups, knowing that IF they break with Parvo, it will be in our care, knowing that we'll work very hard to pull them through (hardest work you'll ever do). BUT IT'S WORTH IT. It's all worth it. No dead puppies after $600-$2000 in vet bills, no crying families, no contaminated homes and yards. It's worth it. We'll keep them where they are safe and protected, until they're little bodies can protect themselves. THEN, and only then, they go up for adoption.
Here's an idea...
THE FUTURE: We're not quite there yet, but here's our next plan...
Microchip all rescues, registered to The Lucky Puppy, prior to adoption.
Our adoption contract includes a clause that insists that a Lucky Puppy/dog that can not be kept must be returned to us. No shelter, no neighbor, no giving it away to your kid's band director. It's coming back to us. We'll either keep it or adopt it out into another "hopefully forever" home.
So...if we microchip every dog that we adopt out, we can be reasonably sure that if our puppies/dogs end up at any shelter in America, rather than be euthanized, we will be contacted as the rightful owners, thereby ensuring that the dog comes back to us for re-evaluation and placement.
I know. It's brilliant!!
Microchip all rescues, registered to The Lucky Puppy, prior to adoption.
Our adoption contract includes a clause that insists that a Lucky Puppy/dog that can not be kept must be returned to us. No shelter, no neighbor, no giving it away to your kid's band director. It's coming back to us. We'll either keep it or adopt it out into another "hopefully forever" home.
So...if we microchip every dog that we adopt out, we can be reasonably sure that if our puppies/dogs end up at any shelter in America, rather than be euthanized, we will be contacted as the rightful owners, thereby ensuring that the dog comes back to us for re-evaluation and placement.
I know. It's brilliant!!
Amazon
by theluckypuppy
theluckypuppy
The Lucky PUppy: Dog & Puppy Rescues & Adoptions
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