None of this information is surprising. Dana West, owner of Pet Paradise is the sister of the woman who owned Shake A Paw in Toms River. Although it closed a couple years back, I don't believe anyone was ever compensated for medical expenses from all the sick dogs that were sold there. I think the owner filed bankruptcy and closed her store in order to avoid paying out. I heard she sent all the puppies she had at the time to Dana's store. At this time, I do not believe she's operating a pet retail business, although she may be helping her sister out with her store. Anyway, NEVER buy a dog from a pet store and try to stay away from backyard breeders as well. If a pet store has more than 10 puppies, they definitely get them from so-called "commercial breeders, " which is a nicer way of saying puppy mill. You have about a 50/50 chance of getting a good dog and I'd say a 75 percent chance of getting a sick dog. The chance of getting a well-behaved dog from a backyard breeder is also about 50 percent. Sickness is a little less common from backyard breeders, but beware. If your dog becomes ill, you will have a hard time tracking this person to be reimbursed.
A good breeder is registered with one or more organizations (besides the AKC) and is committed to preserving the integrity of a specific breed. If there is something wrong with your dog, the breeder wants to know so that they can avoid breeding in that genetic defect in the future.
Dog breeding is more of a hobby, and is seldom profitable to those who care enough to spend the money necessary to ensure that the dogs they sell are healthy. A store exists solely for profit, so everything else is compromised. A backyard breeder either threw two dogs together to make a profit, or is trying to get rid of an unexpected litter.
Be aware that they sometimes do things like falsifying shot records or changing their numbers when they know there may be a problem. Either research a reputable breeder or better yet, adopt from your local shelter. Then, your pet comes neutered and vet checked all for the cost of a donation. Petfinder is also great for finding specific breeds.
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