What You Need to Know About PJ s Pets Puppies

Transcription

1 What You Need to Know About PJ s Pets Puppies So you re thinking about getting a puppy? Making a commitment to bring a new pet into your family is one of the biggest anyone can make. Take your time to carefully consider all the responsibility this entails and research all of your options before you make a final decision. In this document you ll find everything you need to know about our breeders, our puppies, our store kennels and our staff. It all starts with Our Breeders! What is PJ s Breeder Selection Criteria? Selecting a breeder to provide us PJ s puppies is one of the most important and comprehensive parts of our business. Our PuppiesFIRST promise to you is that we only source our puppies from breeders that meet the below standards and pass all routine on-site inspections by our staff, veterinarians and provincial officials. To ensure all pets are well bred, healthy & happy and find good homes all PJ s Breeders must adhere to the following standards: All breeders must comply with the guidelines set by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association under their Code of Practice for Canadian Kennel Operations All breeders must follow all local, provincial and federal guidelines pertaining to the breeding and treatment of animals All breeders are subject to routine inspections by PJ s Veterinarians and Puppy Purchasers All breeders must participate in our planned availability program which requires advanced notice of upcoming litters All dogs in the breeding program are selected based on health, conformation and have no known history of congenital or hereditary defects All puppies are bred for temperament, health and conformation All dogs and puppies follow recommended vaccination schedules and preventative health programs 1

2 All kennels must be equipped with indoor and outdoor runs for all adult dogs and puppies All puppies and adult dogs receive regular daily exercise All dogs and puppies have daily social interaction with the breeder and/ or other animals outside of their kennel All dogs and puppies are fed a high quality diet and have access to clean fresh water All retired breeding dogs either stay with the breeder or are placed in a suitable home All puppies are transported from the breeder to PJ s in a clean kennel and in an air conditioned vehicle with access to food and water PJ s has Breeder videos and profiles available on-line. Check them out at Why don t you share your list of breeders with the public? Many PJ s breeders have chosen to sell their animals privately to PJ s and don t want to be known to the public for a variety of sound reasons which include: the health and safety of their animals and the breeder s right to privacy and safety. Puppies at a young age can be susceptible to a variety of illnesses and PJ s Breeders strive to keep their kennels as sanitary and germ free as possible. That means limiting the amount of people that interact with the puppies and enter the kennel. Do PJ s puppies come with complete papers? Papers are traditionally created/provided to the owner for the purposes of showing or breeding. They are only available through CKC registered breeders of purebred puppies. PJ s Puppies don t come with certain papers because our breeders do not belong to the CKC and our puppies are not bred for the purposes of breeding or showing. They are bred to be family pets. However, we do provide our customers with all necessary information pertaining to their puppy including: An accurate health record detailing all vaccinations the puppy has received to date Their birth date and the date the puppy arrived at PJ s Information about their parents, such as breed information 2

3 As well, every PJ s puppy comes with a solid 2 year/$2000 health warranty Why are PJ s puppies more expensive than at a breeder? The measures we take to ensure the health and well being of our pets means our puppies sometimes cost more than at a breeder. However, when you bring home a puppy from PJ s you can be confident that: The puppy was provided by a responsible breeder who has been inspected by our Breed Program Manager as well as by provincial/state officials. The puppy was bred for temperament, health and conformation. The puppy was examined and boosted by a licensed veterinarian upon arriving at PJ s and before being sold. The puppy was treated with care by our PJ s Pet Care Specialists. The puppy s health will be protected by our health warranty program. Isn t it better to buy a puppy from a breeder or animal shelter? The decision to purchase a puppy from a breeder, an animal shelter or from a PJ s store is a personal decision. We encourage people to make the choice that s right for them. Many people do choose to purchase a pet from PJ s because: When you visit PJ s you have an opportunity to interact with a variety of different puppies. PJ s Pet Centres are conveniently located. PJ s Pet Care Specialists take the time to find the right breed that suits your lifestyle. PJ s has an outstanding health care warranty program. Does PJ s get puppies from the United States? 3

4 No. PJ s Pets hasn t obtained any puppies from the United States since November Are PJ s puppies only sourced from Canadian breeders? We currently work with a select group of Canadian breeders who are passionate about their dogs and are dedicated to them full-time. However, a very small percentage of specialized puppies are imported from Europe. The breeders follow strict federal by-laws and their puppies are seen by federal officers, Agriculture Canada, representatives from PJ s and our Breeder Program Managers. Our Store Kennels and Kennel Practises How often does PJ s inspect their stores? Our in store staff inspect and care for every pet daily. To ensure these efforts are being done diligently and correctly PJ s has a team of Specialty Managers who oversee all operations and are in our stores every day, all day. The Speciality Managers first priority is the health and well being of PJ s Pets followed by ensuring that each staff member is doing their job properly, including providing correct information to customers. If a Specialty Manager is made aware or becomes aware of any sort of problem they will not leave the store until a plan to resolve the issue is in place. The SM s report directly to the PJ s Executive Team. Our kennels are designed with the puppies health, safety and security in mind. Following the same principle of crate training, PJ s pet environments and individual kennels are designed specifically to make our pets and puppies feel safe and comfortable. Puppies are pack animals by nature and prefer to be together. Placing them together reduces anxiety levels and helps with socialization. Kennels are always equipped with two sources of water: a bowl and a bottle dispenser in the event the water bowl has been knocked over. 4

5 When a PJ s puppy is not in their kennel they are either being walked, socialized in our designated play areas or examined by a vet. Socialization, Socialization, Socialization-The Road to Happy, Well Adjusted Puppies PJ s puppies are well socialized and have many opportunities to socialize with other puppies and people on a daily basis. Since puppies are pack animals by nature and prefer to be together we place them with a suitable companion/s in their kennel. This helps reduce anxiety levels and of course helps with socialization. A small breed dog can have a few more kennel mates in an appropriate sized kennel. When a PJ s puppy is not in their kennel they are either being walked, socialized in our designated play areas or examined by a vet. Cleanliness is Key! Each PJ s Pet Centre has dedicated kennel technicians that are responsible for ensuring each kennel is cleaned and then cleaned again, and again, and again. Kennel technicians follow a thorough maintenance schedule to ensure all waste is removed, their water sources are full and the kennel is a sanitary environment. If they are alerted of waste in a kennel, whether it is by staff or a customer, they will take care of it immediately. Dispelling the Myths I have heard that pet store puppies are not as healthy as ones gotten elsewhere. Is this true? Absolutely not. The health of all our pets is our top priority and we take the following measures to ensure our pets are healthy: Our breeders and store kennels follow a cutting edge veterinary program, with scheduled vaccinations and regular examinations performed by a licensed veterinarian. 5

6 Our kennel technicians follow a thorough maintenance schedule to ensure the kennel is a sanitary environment. We stand by the health of our pets by offering the most competitive health warranty program. Is a puppy more likely to contract an illness at a pet store? No. There are many places and conditions where puppies and dogs are at risk of being exposed to germs, bacteria, viruses, parasites and disease. These include: outdoor parks and trails, pet resorts, breeder and store kennels and veterinary clinics. Puppies and dogs can contract illnesses like giardia from drinking water from outdoor sources such as creeks and rivers or being in the company of other dogs or other dog's feces. There is no factual evidence or statistical data to suggest that animals from pet stores are more susceptible to disease than those from other traditional sources (local Humane Society, rescue groups, classifieds, Internet). However, a December 2008 study published in the United States* found that overall 51.9 % of cats and dogs from shelters had health problems 1 week after adoption. * Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA), Dec Vol. 233 No. 11 People ask us everyday: What happens to the puppies that don t sell. We happily tell them that every PJ s Puppy finds a home. Balancing the public demand with our Planned Availability supply has been something we ve successfully being doing for over 40 years. At PJ s our chief concern is the welfare of our animals. Our commitment to the well being of our pets determines the length of time in which a puppy can safely and happily call PJ s home. Sometimes, as puppies grow larger or older consumers show less interest. When this occurs we act quickly taking every measure to find the puppy a suitable home. In the rare instance that we do not successfully find a suitable match for a puppy, we search for a home among our 600 PJ s employees and network of breeders. The adoptee must still meet the criteria to be a suitable pet owner, such as lifestyle, energy level etc. 6

7 Is it true that animal shelters are filled with pet store puppies? No. This is a gross misconception. In fact, a recent PIJAC USA research study found that only 3.9% of all shelter dogs originate from pet stores. Regardless of where the puppy originated, it is our position that poor ownership is the reason for overcrowded shelters. Making a lifelong commitment to properly care for and train a dog is the responsibility of the owner and should not fall back to the provider. We also support the mandatory spaying/neutering of non-breeding pets in an attempt to reduce the amount of animals in shelters. We do our part to promote responsible pet ownership in our stores across Canada in the following ways: We are committed to finding good homes for all our pets and screen potential pet parents based on a set criteria that includes: lifestyle, energy level and home environment. We provide potential pet parents with a realistic view of the care their pet will require and associated costs to discourage impulse decisions. We encourage pet parents to spay and neuter their pets and reward them with a $25 thank you gift card if they have spayed or neutered their pet in the first year. We discuss the importance of licensing your pet with potential pet parents. We discourage customers from buying a pet as a gift and recommend a gift card to anyone considering purchasing a pet for a friend or family member. 7

8 OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON PJ S BREEDERS AND BREEDING STANDARDS We would like to assure our customers, pet lovers and all Canadians that PJ s only sources their puppies from reputable breeders. These breeders are routinely inspected by our staff, veterinarians and provincial/state officials. PJ s Pets does not disclose the full names of its breeders to protect their privacy and confidentiality to which they are entitled. However, to ensure all pets are well bred, healthy & happy and find good homes all PJ s Breeders must adhere to the following: All breeders must comply with the standards set by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association under their code of practice for Canadian Kennel operations All breeders must follow all local, provincial and federal guidelines pertaining to the breeding and treatment of animals All breeders are subject to routine inspections by PJ s Veterinarians and Puppy Purchasers All breeders must participate in our planned availability program which requires advanced notice of upcoming litters All puppies are bred as companion pets and are not meant to be used for showing, guarding, hunting or other speciality functions All dogs in the breeding program are selected based on health, conformation and have no known history of congenital or hereditary defects All puppies are bred for temperament, health and conformation All dogs and puppies follow recommended vaccination schedules and preventative health programs All kennels must be equipped with indoor and outdoor runs for all dogs and puppies All puppies and adult dogs receive regular daily exercise All dogs and puppies have daily social interaction with the breeder and/ or other animals outside of their kennel 8

9 All dogs and puppies are fed a high quality diet and have access to clean fresh water All retired breeding dogs are placed in a suitable home All puppies are transported from the breeder to PJ s in a clean kennel and in an air conditioned vehicle with access to food and water PIJAC Canada Recommended Practices As members of PIJAC Canada we strive to conduct our activities in a responsible manner by: 1. Ensuring all animals under our care are treated humanely and provided a suitable environment, according to recognized industry standards and Federal, Provincial and Municipal regulations. 2. Taking necessary actions to prevent cruelty or mistreatment of animals and protecting them from undue stress or discomfort. 3. Not selling any animal known to be suffering from disease or injury and seeking veterinary attention for any animal in our care when necessary. 4. Ensuring animals in our care receive proper diet and exercise, according to the needs of the species. 5. Maintaining proper livestock records to ensure prompt follow-up with the purchaser in the event of an emergency situation. 6. Ensuring employees handling livestock are trained in the care and needs of such species. 7. Providing accurate information on the needs, care and wellbeing of any animal sold. 8. Not knowingly offering for sale any item or product that does not conform to Federal, Provincial and Municipal regulations or that may endanger the safety of the user. 9. Maintaining clean and safe business premises as required for the comfort of livestock, employees and customers alike. 10. Conducting business in accordance with Federal, Provincial and Municipal regulations. 9

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