Thursday, April 14, 2011

PuqQuest Officially Launched!!

It has been a LONG time coming but PupQuest is finally here! Please check out the site and let us know, here on the blog, what you think of it. We are looking forward to hearing your stories.

This blog will be a place for us to talk to you but most importantly, for you to communicate with us and other visitors.

We will update the news section regularly to keep you informed about events in the animal welfare world, especially issues pertaining to puppy purchases.
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12 comments:

  1. Cynthia EliasonMay 3, 2011 at 4:34 PM

    In "Who We Are" you wrote:

    "We are animal professionals with over 40 years of experience in veterinary medicine, education, dog training and shelter work. We created PupQuest with one goal in mind: To inform and empower consumers. We have nothing to sell, nothing to lose, and a lot to say."

    But are unwilling to put your names on your work? A page titled "Who We Are" ought to say who you are. I won't recommend an anonymous source any more than I'd recommend an anonymous breeder.
    If you're proud of what you do, put your name on it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. PupQuestMay 4, 2011 at 8:40 PM

    Hi Cynthia,

    You make a good point. Our thought is that since we are not selling anything or
    promoting anyone we prefer to remain private. That may change. We are simply
    consolidating already-available information that we verify by linking to reputable outside
    sources.

    We are glad you would never recommend someone buy a dog from a breeder you did not
    know, sounds like you may think the site has some merit!

    Thanks for taking the time to check out PupQuest.

    The PupQuest Team

    ReplyDelete
  3. lynneMay 11, 2011 at 2:23 PM

    Great site! I will be sending it off to anyone who mentions they were on-line for a new pet. Good luck!
    Lynne West

    ReplyDelete
  4. PupQuestMay 12, 2011 at 2:46 PM

    Lynne,
    Thanks so much! That is exactly what we are hoping people will do. The wider we spread this information the more dogs and consumers we can protect!
    Thanks,
    The PupQuest Team

    ReplyDelete
  5. BombadilMay 13, 2011 at 9:42 PM

    You say you strongly believe that adoption is the best option, yet on your home page you state a pup's first weeks and genetics have a lifelong impact on his health and personality (I agree). Since most adoptable dogs with shelters and rescues have unknown genetics and starts in life, aren't these two statements incompatible?

    I applaud your goals, but I think there are some areas that can be more accurate. I will be interested to see how the site develops.

    BTW, I agree with Cynthia. You may not be selling anything, but the source of information is also important. And I would love to see the research you mention that one of you did. Could you post a citation.

    In light of what I am posting, my name is Linda Hobbet

    ReplyDelete
  6. PupQuestMay 20, 2011 at 4:50 PM

    Hi Linda,

    Thanks for checking out PupQuest and contacting us. The research for the survey info has not been published. It was an Honors Independent Study project for one of the creators, you can read more about it here: http://www.pupquest.org/polls.html

    It is a good point that with adoptions, often the genetics and start in life are unknown however we do not believe that adoption is “incompatible” with finding a wonderful dog.

    1. In our eyes, adopting a homeless dog is very different from purchasing a puppy from a
    breeder. A reasonable adoption fee and the knowledge that you have saved a homeless dog is a different circumstance from paying a high price to someone who deliberately bred their dog to sell pups.

    Purchasing purebred or designer puppies for a high price (whether or not the breeder makes a profit) implies a quality that is often non-existent! No one knows this better than true, reputable breeders.

    On our About Breeders Page(link), the question we keep coming back to is “What are you paying
    for?”

    2. When adopting an adult from a reputable shelter/rescue (http://www.pupquest.org/about-rescues-and-shelters.html) you have a real-time view of the dog’s temperament and health.
    The dog has become who it is going to be! When adopting an adult from a reputable shelter who
    does proper temperament testing and health evaluations ….what you see is what you get!!

    3. If you adopt a pup from a responsible shelter/rescue, proper temperament and health
    testing will be provided.
    Having a shelter professional available when picking out a puppy can be a great advantage. They can evaluate temperament and guide you toward the right match. PupQuest provides potential adopters with tips about how to recognize a reputable shelter/rescue and which ones to walk away
    from. (http://www.pupquest.org/about-rescues-and-shelters.html)

    Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments.

    The PupQuest Team

    ReplyDelete
  7. ShadowBunnyJune 8, 2011 at 9:27 PM

    you have some good information, but I do object to some of your statements about pet shops.

    I work in a pet shop, our policy is that we only sell rescue cats and kittens and about half the puppies/adult dogs we sell are also rescues. all the rescues are sold either desexed, or with a voucher to pay for the surgery when the animal is old enough.

    if we do get a litter of puppies from a "breeder", my boss will visit their house/kennel and ask to meet the parents before she buys the puppies. in the past 12 months she's only bought 2 litters of puppies, the rest of the puppies have been rescues. she has gotten about half of the breeders she knows to desex their animals.

    if someone brings puppies/kittens to us that are from accidental breeding, we ask for proof that the mother has been speyed before we will take the puppies/kittens.

    we also will refuse to sell puppies to people if they don't have a fence or if we don't think they are going to provide a suitable home. if someone is in rented accomodation we ask to see proof that their landlord has given them permission to have a pet. we also make the new owner wait a day between buying the animal and taking them home. they are free to change their mind at any time and we will refund them.

    I'm writing all this to point out that not all pet shops are promoting irresponsible pet ownership. a lot of pet shops will work in partnership with the RSPCA and other organisations by housing and adopting out rescue animals on their behalf. you're doing a disservice to the good shops by telling people not to buy from them.

    and if you're wondering, we require that all people surrendering an animal to us (and it's not just dogs and cats- we take guinea pigs, mice, rabbits and birds) fill out a surrender form with name, address, contact info and date and then sign it. if people ask for proof that the animal is a rescue we are happy to show them the surrender form.

    ReplyDelete
  8. PupQuestJune 10, 2011 at 7:15 PM

    Hi ShadowBunny,
    Glad you think we have some good info on our site!
    You work in an unusual pet shop. Sounds like a lot of what you do is more like an animal shelter.
    Your state must allow pet shops to sell "random source" animals. Some do not.
    We still maintain that reputable breeders will not sell to pet shops. They want to screen their beloved pups potential new family very carefully. Reputable breeders don't have enough pups to be wholesalers.
    Thanks for checking out PupQuest.
    The PQ Team

    ReplyDelete
  9. BeckyJuly 13, 2011 at 11:52 AM

    I must say there are some things on your site that I completely disagree with. I've sold dogs to people that I've never met with great success. They are thrilled with their dog, and I'm thrilled with their home. We do a great deal of work educating dog owners and placing puppies in the right home. We ask tons of questions, and answer any questions.

    I suspect a strong PETA influence here. I also have to question a site that refuses to put any contact information. There is no email, no address, no phone number and no names. Just ask anyone, when contact information is not available you should NEVER rely on the content.

    Becky
    myshelties.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. PupQuestJuly 13, 2011 at 12:32 PM

    Hi Becky,
    No PETA influence whatsoever! Just 40 years of experience........

    The reason we are private is because the info on PQ is all verifiable independently and we are not trying to sell anything. We are very up front when we say we have a point of view.
    Our number one piece of advice is and always will be to NEVER buy a dog site unseen and always visit where it was raised. How you run your business and who you sell your dogs to is up to you.
    We are not surprised you do not like our site, we hope you will find something on it that you agree with.
    Best of luck and thank you so much for taking the time to comment on our blog.

    The PupQuest Team

    ReplyDelete
  11. K9PartnershipJuly 30, 2011 at 11:03 AM

    I would also like to know who the team behind PupQuest - credibility. Many other trainers are also interested in learning who the team is.

    ReplyDelete
  12. purefinderMarch 20, 2014 at 4:33 PM

    We need a version of PupQuest tailored to the UK - PupQuest.co.uk?

    ReplyDelete

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