You should never buy a puppy (or a kitten or any other sentient animal) from a pet store. You know that, right?

Responsible breeders do not sell their puppies at pet stores. Puppy mills do.

If you’re still on the fence, though, here are two more reasons to avoid pet stores that sell pets, as opposed to selling pet supplies or maybe hosting adoption days for local rescues and shelters.

Disease Traced to Pet-Store Puppies

More than 100 people in 18 states were sickened earlier this year through contact with pets at multiple pet stores, according to Bark Magazine and the CDC. Many of them were pet-store employees. The disease, Campylobacter, was traced to 25 different breeders, through six pet store companies and eight distributors. It’s long past time to put all of those people out of business. Find a responsible breeder, rescue, or shelter … don’t support pet stores that sell puppies.

Scam Preys on Puppy Buyers

The Animal Legal Defense Fund and the Humane Society are targeting a “pet-leasing” scam. What happens is, people wanting to buy a puppy at a pet store are persuaded to “finance” the expensive puppy mill product. Many fail to read the fine print, no doubt having eyes only for the adorable puppy. They end up signing a lease agreement that 1) ends up costing far more than the already outrageous sticker price of the puppy and 2) could result in the leasing company repossessing the puppy of they miss a payment. The buyers are not actually the owners of the puppy; a company called “Wags Lending” is.

California, Nevada, and New York have made “leasing” puppies illegal. Other states should follow suit. Meanwhile, ALDF and the Humane Society are asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Wags, its backers, Monterey Financial Services, and this deceitful practice.

Ugh. Don’t buy a puppy at a pet store.