If you’ve got a complaint against a veterinarian you can appeal to your state’s veterinary licensing body. But what do you do when your complaint is against a breeder or a pet shop?
Since pets are considered property under the law and their purchase is toaster oven-ish in nature, your best bet is the Better Business Bureau (BBB). This consumer protection not-for-profit works in the US to help reign in consumer abuse, pet buyers included. (In Canada, the CCBBB plays the same role.)
Since I never recommend that a client purchase a pet from a pet store, it’s hard for me to ask that they consult the BBB before embarking on this endeavor. But it is possible for me to ask they check out the breeder using BBB resources before buying.
Puppy mill-style Internet breeders and others need to be stopped using every tool available to us. They change their company names and dodge consumer awareness of their practices by any means necessary—shouldn’t we get wise and do everything we can within our legal reach?
Our friends, family, acquaintances and co-workers may know what to do when they’re exposed to shoddy business practices, but when it comes to pet purchases somehow they forget that they can appeal to standard consumer protection agencies. Here’s where pets being like toaster ovens in the eyes of the law has its perks.
Because so few of us recognize that pet shops and Internet breeders are rated by the BBB, we don’t go out of our way to file complaints or seek out BBB reviews of these companies (and it’s sooo easy to do online).
Here’s an example: Puppy Kingdom in Miami. I know of at least one unhappy customer in the past 12 months. And yet their rating is a B- (a decent rating) with no complaints filed in the past year. My client had an excellent reason to file a complaint but did not follow through. That means that anyone checking out Puppy Kingdom might assume it’s a fairly reputable place to get a pup.
In fact, when I searched the BBB for pet shops in Florida, most of them had a higher than B rating. What’s up with that? No complaints by consumers, that’s what.
How is a state or municipality to know that pet shops have a poor reputation among veterinarians and animal welfare advocates? If consumers don’t complain when they’re duped, not issued a refund or otherwise stuck with an unhealthy pet, then no one should fault our governing bodies for taking our professional complaints with a grain of salt.
There. I hope I’ve convinced you. So now it’s YOUR job to make sure your friends, family, acquaintances and coworkers do their part—because you’ll tell them….right?
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Stefani and I will add our 2 cents regarding the state's veterinary boards. Those are for the most part--- useless. And unfortunately, appealing as a consumer complaint is simply "referred" to the individual licensing boards. Another catch-22, where the licensed business has it "made" with a dual standard (pet is toaster and medical care is 'governed' by license board).
A consumer complaint against a car repair business would not be "handed" off and contents "sealed" for protection of the "business or service".
Why the heck not use every means to warn others of your experience?? As long as it is based on FACT, truthful in every regard, a person still has First amendment rights and protection. BBB and a host of resources, including public documentation on a personal web site is fair.
Sure, one is going to add their "personal" emotion and opinions of how it has affected them. It is my belief, that as long as one is not engaging in personal "financial gain", raising public awareness is entirely "fair". Never in my life, did I expect to be a single "representative" in my home state of New Hampshire to attempt putting an end to a long-standing cruel, immoral, unethical, and ILLEGAL practice involving companion animals and their humans.
(web site : http://walnut-hill.bravehost.com or Pocket's Story from New Hampshire)
Barbara A. Albright/New Hampshire May 12th, 2008 12:07:00 PM
Why don't vets also report problems to the BBB?
2CatMom May 12th, 2008 01:45:00 PM
You have to be the "consumer" to complain. The process doesn't work well, but it is worth a try I think. repeated compaints sometimes make some kind of impression if you are persistent and can get coded as 'unresolved'.
emily May 12th, 2008 03:51:00 PM
Of course, Barbara, I have the same opinion of the vet boards you have. I don't think much of the consumer ability to "appeal" there -- just spent the weekend reading state sunset commission reviews of the Alabama vet board. Even some of the vets are complaining that the board does nothing, so that speaks volumes (similar comments in Oregon as well, on a survey). I'm sure lots of vets assume that dismissed complaints are "invalid" ones but you and I know that is not true.
As for pet stores, I called animal care and control to report horrible conditions at a local pet store, I am sure they did nothing, because I went back and things were just as bad. Kittens sick and in filth. BBB only mediates disputes as I understand it -- but if you want nothing from the business (i.e., refund, etc) then it's not up BBB's alley. So in the scenario discussed here, if you had actually purchased from the store, and wanted to take the animal back or get a refund for vet bills incurred due to illness, then BBB might help -- but if you are just horrified at conditions and want to report, like I did, BBB is not the place.
They have another store here, a different one, another horrible store called "Just Puppies" where the dogs are all in cages that have the wire/mesh bottom and nothing soft in there. Its because all the dogs have diarrhea, so these poor babies diarrhea can drop through the grates. They all look terribly sad, the employees are totally disinterested, and the puppies -- which cost over $1,000 typically - who start aging out go on "discount." Depressed, mentally damaged puppies (with diarrhea, no less) on sale for $600-$800 deep discount because they are now over 6 months old. You can imagine the look in the eyes of these dogs.
The store allows no cameras -- big surprise. There are puppy mill protesters locally who spend all their time at another store, but no one bothers with this one. I don't know how they keep operating. But I can't write the BBB about them because I've bought nothing from them and therefore, there is nothing the BBB can try to mediate over. Although my county is wealthy, the Animal Services Division (Animal Control) which oversees violations of that sort (and also runs our shelter which is famously lousy) is known for its lack of commitment to mission and doing nothing. Nowhere to turn -- except the press, which does happen sometimes.
Stefani May 12th, 2008 04:11:00 PM
Dr Khuly, have your clients check out the following websites for complaints about breeders and stores and signs of trouble
http://www.thesqueakywheel.com/
http://www.bmdcnv.org/puppy/BadBreederRedFlags.pdf...
and specifically for the ever increasing in popularity bulldogs and frencies
http://www.thewrongpuppy.org/
JenniferJ May 12th, 2008 04:43:00 PM
Consumers can also file complaints about businesses with the state's attorney general's office.
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