Fin & Feathers… Now with Fur???

okay...on a separate but kind of related note since it seems like all the animal lovers are following this thread...I wanted to make a comment about cats and litter boxes. If anyone has been unsure about whether or not to purchase one of the automated electronic litter boxes, my advise is GO FOR IT! You'll never regret it! While the initial expenditure may seem steep...for example, I bought the "industrial" size for multi-cat families which cost me about $140, it has been a godsend! After a cat uses the box, the electronic sensor will sort, sift and scoop after ten minutes and dump the deposits into a removable covered container which comes equipped with a charcoal filter. As a result, no more sifting and scooping for me! With three cats, I find that I need to replace the disposable cannister (which also comes with its own lid as well) about every 6 days and no worry about any unsavory odors! The electronic litter box requires the clumping litter and very little of it at that. So after the initial investment, I am spending less on litter plus no longer have to worry about the scooping and cleaning. Quite frankly, I think my cats are happier too as they never enter into a dirty box. The one I have is manufactured by litter maid. I saw that Bed, Bath & Beyond and Target were now selling these boxes. I actually ordered mine via online. You can get the replacement cannisters at Target or Walmart. One word of warning, if you have multiple cats, don't try to get by with the smaller and cheaper box. My son catsat for my gaggle while I was overseas. He has the smaller box for his cats and found that when my cats used his box, they um, clogged it up, as it was too much for the machine to handle!

 

To be honest, I did not specifically ask that question. He did say that it did not matter whether they had a pet that needed adoption or was for sale that the bottom line was ensuring the pet was in good health and going to a good home.

I would encourage anyone with questions or concerns to go there and see for themselves as well as ask their questions before maybe drawing conclusions that may not be correct and impacting on someone's business.

 

Like Zanzu says, if you are looking for a new pet, priority should go to the ones in the shelters, not to pay rent on a strip-mall storefront

 

Crate training is neither cruel nor unfair. On the contrary, leaving your dog unsupervised to wander, investigate, destroy and perhaps injure himself is far more inhumane than confinement. Ensure that the crate is large enough, that your dog gets sufficient food, play, exercise and attention before he is confined, and that you return before your dog needs to urinate or defecate.


The two most important benefits are the safety it affords your dog and the damage that is prevented. The crate also provides a place of security - a comfortable retreat where your dog can relax, sleep, or chew on a favorite toy. By confining your dog to a crate or room when you are not available to supervise, behavior problems can be immediately prevented. When you are at home, supervision and rewards can be used to prevent undesirable behavior, and to teach your dog where to eliminate, what to chew, and what rooms and areas are "out of bounds."


Taken from the Humane society of Missouri



lyo

 

That is a personal decision up to each individual.

 

NEVER BUY A PET FROM A PET STORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not only do they come from puppy mills... they usually (not always) have health problems costing thousands of dollars.

petSmart does conduct awareness and adoption days with local rescue groups. This is totally different than purchasing a cute little puppy in the window of a pet store. The amount that rescue organizations charge is to cover the medical fees for each animal that is brought to their organization.

The owner at the store is stretching the truth. They do get the puppies from "breeders." Puppy Mill breeders. Chances are they are supporting the HUGE puppy mill problem and they are supporting, the mammoth of a company, Hunte Corporation. Check out these sites:

http://www.nopuppymill.com/

http://www.angasstar.com/puppymills.htm

http://www.idausa.org/campaigns/petland/overview.html (Petland Protests)

I can go on forever on this subject, but let me end here by telling you about one of our rescue dogs that came from a puppy mill... he doesn't have a lower jaw b/c it rotted out due to the horrible conditions (a.k.a. breeder).

 

I've spoken to the gentleman at Fins & Feathers many times about his birds, fish and puppies, and found him extremely knowledgeable and compassionate in every category. He is very particular about his breeders and gave several examples of how to tell a good breeder. He is also particular about which breeds he will carry - he noted that some breed mixes result in potential health problems for the dogs and he will not carry these mixes.

Belinda, I share your concern about puppy mills, but from my personal conversation with the owner, so does Fins & Feathers. I believe them to be honest, well informed, and very caring about their animals.

 

Being a dog person and having 2 rescues myself AND being friends of some legit breeders... buying a dog from a pet store does help keep puppy mill breeders in business. No responsible breeder would EVER sell their pups to a pet store for distrobution... ever. The puppy mill "breeders" are in it for the money and not for the love of the breed nor to help make the breed better. They don't screen for genetics/temperment and most times know nothing about the breed. The females are treated as puppy making machines without regard to their needs or health. Most responsible breeders will tell you that they make little to no money on the puppies. The cost of taking care of the mother and the whelping of the pups pretty much offsets any profit. They do it for the love of the dog and wanting to make the breed stronger, not to make a buck. I would like to know where the "fins" guy is really getting his dogs from. If he is really trying to place these dogs in a good home, thats great and I applaud him caring enough to do so, but by supporting a mill he is helping the mills stay in business.

Don't get me wrong, mixes and rescues have their problems and drawbacks too, but many of the dogs in rescue started out in a mill and many more are put to death. Breeders screen the potential "puppy parents" VERY carefully. It's not mearly a matter of whether or not you have the cash. There is an extensive screening process to make ABSOLUTLY SURE that the person really wants the dog and will take proper care of it. Pet stores do not put that much effort into it and too many times once the cute factor wears off and you are cleaning up your 46th mess that week, the dog finds its way into a shelter.

 

Belinda,

I know how much you love and support animals and have the best interests at heart. I do have to comment that I bought one of my cats from a pet store and never regretted it! Max (my old man) is now ten years old and has always been a happy and well-adjusted pet. I never imagined that I would purchase a pet from a pet store but when I saw him, what can I say...he touched my heart!

In general I would not advise someone who wants a pet to buy one from a pet store. I am sure that like yourself, I would advise someone to do their research on breeds; go to shelters; go to dog shows; and then ultimately either adopt a pet from a shelter or a specific breed from a reputable breeder. But again, if someone sees a pet in a pet store and they "click," I see no harm in knowing that pet is going to a loving home. It is certainly not the pet's fault that it ended up on display in a pet store!

I can't speak for all pet stores but at least in my discussions at Fin & Feathers they made it quite clear that the pets they have there are examined by a vet and are not allowed to go to a home unless they are in good health. The manager cited one example to me today advising that he had had a jack russel which someone wanted to buy. This dog had a cough and was on antibiotics. He told the prospective buyer that although it was in the store, it would not be available for sale until it had completed the antibiotics and received a clean bill of health.

Regarding where the store is getting their pets from, I think someone should ask them directly as well as invite them to participate here! They deserve a chance to have their say too.

 

Gammonbabe - obviously you've never owned a dog and you missed my point - I said Crate TRAINING - Key word is TRAINING. We crate trained our puppy and NO he was not in a cage all day, it was only to crate train him, and he was house broken in two weeks and never needed the crate again. As to lazy - I consider people who put up fences and think their dog is getting exercise being lazy. EVERY dog needs to be walked and a good walk - not around the block - if you don't have the time - then don't get a dog.

 

I also know folks who take the door off the crate after training is complete and the crate becomes the dog's personal space (this involves child training) and they still use it for "time out" but on command, not with a door. This assumes the crate is PLENTY large for standing, turning around (three times before lying down). My Brother in Law actually has the dog trained to pick up his toys and put them in the crate.

 

First off, considering that I am an animal enthusiast, lover, and savior just like all of you seem to be, I think the proper thing to do would be to thank all the members of this community that would rally against a pet shop that mistreated its animals. let it be known that since this is a family business and I, the son of the family, run every aspect of the business excluding its finances, would never support anything but a private and professional breeder that offers the highest quality puppies that come from the highest quality environment aside from living in someone's home. The dogs that are kept here are for sale, but make no mistake: THEY DO NOT COME FROM PUPPY MILLS, A BREEDER THAT SUPPLIES PUPPY MILLS, NOR DO THEY COME FROM AN "AGENCY", WHICH IS A NICE TERM FOR A PUPPY BROKER. For those who are thinking about adding a new member to the family, I would strongly urge you to consider adopting from a reputable agency. I am a firm supporter of animal adoption, my sister just adopted a black lab puppy 1-1/2 months ago, and if a customer were to present adoption documents, fins and feathers would gladly discount your purchases for that animal. As far as the care of our puppies goes, I live in the apartments at southern walk as to allow me to spend every waking hour in this shop. the puppies are allowed their excercise time several times daily(which we try to do when the foot traffic is minimal) and then allowed to rest. seeing as how i live only two blocks away i usually come here at 3am and 8 am just to make sure the puppies are ok and to clean up any messes they have made, I assure you that these puppies are treated with the utmost care and tenderness. In reference to one of the replies posted here that said, "..no reputable breeder would need to market their puppies to a strip mall pet shop..", we arent your average pet shop, i reserve the right to refuse sale to anyone that doesn't seem fit to provide a sound environment to any of our furry friends. Also professional breeders that i have talked with and visited(i have visited alot) are at the least reluctant to sell to just anyone. In fact the breeders that you should be weary of are the ones who have no problem selling a puppy to you without first visiting your property, house, etc. or establishing a relationship first as to be assured that they are releasing their babies to a good environment. We dont just sell puppies, instead we offer a service to ensure you that these puppies are healthy and do come from a good clean environment. All the puppies that we have as of now, and all the breeders we deal with have gone through a very meticulously prepared analysis program where either myself or my mother drives to their house where the male and female reside , to observe the facilities, to observe the health of the puppies as well as the parents. Even after that, we still dont take animals from them. we try to gather as many contacts as possible(pet shop owners, in some cases homeowners, and trainers) who have recently aqcuired new animals from said bredder as to re-affirm the quality and health of these puppies as well as the quality of the breeder. this is to assure you that your new puppy is a suitable member of your family. However our service is one of many that you should look at. there are several puppies, as well as adults that desperately need a home. If that works for you and your family, by all means save them from an unjust end, and care for them and love them for as long as they live. Because one of the family personally visits several breeders on the weekends I have seen these "puppy mill breeders" and I have seen puppy brokers and felt the need to "persuade" these miscreants to stop what they were doing any means neccesary for mistreating those animals. The more socially acceptable thing however, is to call the authorities. which Ive had to do several times only to learn that the person had to pay a fine. thats another topic entirely which would get me too heated if I were to go on about it.
I guess the point of this response was not to have a battle of words with anyone by any means. Rather to assure you that our family, as well as the employees i have hand selected, are dedicated to providing this community with the proper tools and knowledge to either finding a new pet for your family or to give the best care possible to any existing furry family members. If you have any doubts feel free to contact me at finsandfeathersmanager@msn.com or drop in and see us any time during our normal business hours.

p.s.- as far as the fish tanks go i have installed new filtration in our holding systems to allow us to better serve you.

 

Sean,

A warm welcome to you! It is a pleasure to see you posting here and I think Fin & Feathers is a much needed addition to the Broadlands neighborhood. Perhaps you would continue to participate on the forum sharing your knowledge and expertise about pets given how many Broadland residents are animal lovers and wanting the best for their pets?

 

Sean,

First I want to say I am a strong supporter of small, family businesses and hope your store will be successful. However, it is my opinion that no one should buy a dog through a pet shop, regardless of where the dogs come from. The point is that breeders, regardless of how "reputable", and pet shops regardless of how caring, are adding supply to an already over-populated pet problem.

What I would love to see your store do is to use your public presence to support the local shelters and foster groups find good homes for the currently unwanted dogs through your own "adoption days", and to promote the importance of spaying/neutering to help reduce the over-population.

I do not doubt your care and concern for the puppies in your charge, but please look at the bigger issue. Breeders and pet shops can claim to have the best interest of animals in mind, but they also perpetuate the sad cycle of: (for example) kid sees 101 dalmations, kid wants dalmation, parents buy dalmation, parent can't train, parent takes to shelter, shelter kills dalmation.

Sean, I wish you and your family business well and hope you sell tons of pet food, toys, and such, but please lets find homes for the needy dogs now and not continue to bring more and more unwanted dogs into the world.

For those interested in the puppy mill issue, please visit the Doris Day Animal League at www.ddal.org

 

To pets-shop owners and poeple in Broadland: I visit pets-shop with grand childs and the pets (kttys and doggys) all healthy and happy. Some time it nice to visit pets-shop with grand childs. I not let them have pets until older but it helpful they see pets now and know more for when older.

 

dogguy - currently fins and feathers does support a couple of local vets in finding suitable homes for needy pets. I understand your concern about the sad cycle, however i am not the type of person to sell an animal to anyone I implore the buyer, after they have had several days to consider it, read a dedicated book to the breed and even after they have taken the animal home we urge them to constantly bring them back for a visit, call us with any questions, etc. If the soon to be pet owner doesn't seem fit to handle situation then I WILL refuse them sale. So, in summary I would say that i do not perpetuate the cycle by selling animals to irresponsible families. I would however in the near future be interested in providing a couple of days a month to help with shelter relocation as soon as time would permit....any info?

 

Sean,

I have not worked directly with them, but the loudoun County Humane Society is a no-kill fostering group that occasionally does adoption days at local businesses in Ashburn. They may be a good group to work with because I know they are at full capacity with dogs/cats awaiting adoption.

http://www.humanesocietyofloudouncounty.org/index.php

 

Hi folks-
It appears the owners of Fins and Feathers has contacted the HOA objecting to this forum thread and apparantly inferred that legal action against the HOA is possible.
I am going to ask the Forum Admins to lock out this thread until we can get an opinion from our attorney about this.
Cliff Keirce

P.S. if any Fins and Feathers people would like to talk to me directly about this, please call me at 703-729-7320. I am a member of the Broadlands HOA Board of Directors.

 

Wow...