I will start off by saying that I typically do not agree with pet stores selling puppies based on the mills that typically support them. I have seen the reviews here that say Pet Ranch supports puppy mills, but the gentleman I spoke to at great length today told me that all of their puppies come from reputable, trackable USDA certified breeders and are registered (although I did not ask what agency they're registered through). That being said, I have not purchased a dog from a pet store, but found myself at Pet Ranch because I was in the area running errands...I decided to take a peek, just to check it out.
I had an absolutely wonderful experience at Pet Ranch today that completely contradicts the previous reviews. I can only speak for my interaction today, but my interaction was completely opposite of what I read.
I spent about 30 minutes there talking to one of their employees about the dogs, temperament, different breeds, recommendations, etc. He was so knowledgable and so great with the puppies; I could really tell he loves his job. I am sorry that I did not get his name to name him in this compliment, but I could tell the great care he takes in his work and the love he feels for the dogs. He was so loving towards the pups, picked them up and loved on them as he was telling me specifics about breed/temperaments, talked to them like they were his own pet, even kissed one of them! To me it seemed like he genuinely cares for the little babies, and it shows in his pride of work, knowledge, and time he took with me to help me out in learning about the breeds and their temperaments and other info about them. I really quizzed him on purpose, and I asked him a lot of questions about different dogs, how they do on their own, what breeds need a second dog to do better, what kind of health guarantee they provide, how many shots I would have to get the pup if I bought one, etc.
Everyone in the store seemed to care for the babies and seemed to really care about the pups. He also told me that the pups do not leave the store until they have a home; which is great because it means that they don't just get dumped at the shelter (unless someone purchases one and takes it there which I know happens too). He mentioned also they have health guarantees, give a free vet visit, and all of the pups are all health tested before they are even allowed in the store. The whole store is very impressive for a pet store, and I was also informed that they have few select, reputable breeders that supply their pets. He also mentioned that they know where the breeders are, can provide information on the breeders, and only purchase their pups from a few of them (and purchase from the same breeders each time).
Overall this was a great experience and although I don't usually support pet stores because of the puppy mills that typically supply them, I was very pleased with the experience. The gentleman I spoke to was very knowledgeable and really seemed to care about the job he did. The other two employees were equally helpful and polite. The place seemed very clean, the puppies were immediately cleaned up after and had food and water in each kennel. The puppies were all very well fed and looked very healthy. I did not see any questionable behavior, and I was there browsing for about 45 minutes. I am sensitive to smells, and I did not notice the typical overpowering smell that I expect from a pet store.
I did not see or speak to one single rude person, which makes me wonder if the alleged rudeness in previous reviews is a matter of perception---or maybe if it has been rectified. I can only speak for my experience, but none of the three people that I talked to today at this place were rude at all. They all really seemed to care about the pups, and were doing whatever they could to take care of them. One employee was going around from kennel to kennel taking turns holding the pups and giving them attention and letting them out of their cage for a little bit. The store was clean, the puppies had fresh water, food, and the one puppy that I saw use the bathroom was cleaned up after immediately. I was incredibly impressed for a pet store.
Again, I typically do not support pet stores because of the concept of profiting off of animals, but as far as pet stores go, this is by far above any others that I have seen. If the previous reviews are true, it definitely seems to me that they stepped up their expectations and have come a long way in their development and values. If I do purchase a puppy from a store, it will be from this one :) read more