We (Three Rivers BMDC in Western PA) placed several ads in December in response to the Christmas sale of a Berner in a local pet store (Petland), the first such sale in our area. The payoff for running the ads was a very slight increase in requests for puppy/breeder information. [The ads in 2 newspapers cost us over $100 to run which represents around 5% of total assets for our club, including our rescue fund.] To our dismay, the pet store was able to sell the puppy for $3000+ and as a result it has since carried and sold two more Berners (all of them selling for ridiculous above-market prices). Because our 35-member club does not have a lot of money in its treasury to place ads and, in our case, the ads did not seem particularly effect, we decided to do something that is for us more cost effective. We applied a strategy that we used previously for people who bought Berners from irresponsible breeders (we have some in our area), BYB or worse (remember, Lancaster County, PA is just down the turnpike).
Basically, we work on the demand side of the equation, educating the consumer (in that sense, the goal is similar to that of ads). A club member makes a personal visit to the pet store that is selling the Berner and asks (politely, as he/she grits her/his teeth) to speak with the manager, who generally doesn't even know that they have a Berner. We don't lecture or harass the store manager (it's hopeless, since most of them don't make inventory decisions anyway and selling dogs per se is not illegal). Instead, we provide the manager with a "Berner Puppy Kit" to give the new owner (Puppy brochure, INFO series on Puppy's First Year, Health, Berner FAQs, Training, Rescue contacts, our club contacts/a current Club newsletter, a Berner-Garde brochure and whatever else we might have on hand and think is appropriate). [Of course, while we are there, we look around to see if there are any blatant violations of the law, too]. Believe it or not, when asked, the pet store gives us the name of their attending vet. We take packets to the vets, too! While we would like to influence the pet store to stop selling dogs, unless there is a violation of the law, we must be more realistic. Typically, our effort is to get information to the new owner and to get them to: (1) join our club so that their next purchase will be a better one and (2) do the best by the pet store/mill puppy that they did purchase--however poorly. Even if we don't succeed in getting the new owner to a meeting, we have generally succeeded in giving the person information and contacts for use later on down the line (should the dog become ill or should they wish to rehome it). If the store has already sold the dog by the time we get there, we ask if they will provide us with the name of the new owner/address or if they will send them the packet. In most cases, the stores have complied with our requests send the material to the new owner. This strategy worked very well on the previous puppy buying groups to which we have applied it. Several who bought dogs from irresponsible breeders now realize that there are better ways of buying a dog than the way they did it and at least one is now making plans to look for a dog "the right way". In several cases, these folk have had the chance to observe how good breeders interact with puppy buyers and have commented that they do not have that relationship with their "breeder". In other cases, after encouragement to take the puppy to obedience classes, we have one owners who is about to enter their Berner in its first obedience trial -- they are also working on drafting. In all cases, the owners have done well by the dogs that they bought largely as a result of the influence of: (1) caring club members who served as their (uncritical) mentors and (2) various educational programs that the club offers to its members during the year. Unfortunately, to really deal with the supply-side of this problem, one must catch the pet store, broker, commercial kennel, puppy miller, importer breaking some law -- importing underage dogs, maintaining unsanitary conditions, abusing (as defined by the law) or denying care to sick animals. Individuals and clubs doing no more than keeping a watchful eye on these supply outlets perform a great service and may well be a key in developing the type of documentation that aids USDA and others in targeting their meager resources on focused inspection and prosecution of cases. BARC is in the process of forwarding such a case to the BMDCA. Without the help of A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL who monitored the puppy in a NY pet store, negotiated a reduced purchase price for the puppy when its health had significantly and seriously deteriorated and sought the support of her vet in treatment and documentation of the medical condition of the puppy, the preparation of this case would not have been possible. My point here is to stress that informed individuals and the actions they take can have powerful and significant impacts in improving the lives of these animals and preventing future abuse of others. Nancy Melone, Ph.D. Mars. PA
