# Have you ever?



## WarrantsWifey (Dec 18, 2010)

Bought a puppy off the side of the road? 

My husband and I were stationed at Fort Rucker, AL six years ago and I swear there is a season where just every turn you take puppies are for sale on the side of the road. We just moved into our own place together and settled in, so we avoided stopping and looking at ANY puppies. We were both UNINFORMED at the moment of BYB or really much of going about getting a dog. Well needless to say, one day my hubby caved, we stopped, there were pitt puppies "with papers" for sale for 300 dollars. *eyes roll* Anywho and there was this one Black Lab left out of it's litter. I gave my hubby the doe eyes and 35 dollars later, we had our first dog. Two days later she came down with parvo and we spent an astronomical amount of money to save her life, and sadly she was the only one out of her litter to survive. She has been the best dog EVER, minus the recent outburst on the Blue Heeler, and I couldn't imagine going a day without her. LUCKILY, she has really good health. We do however spoil her and protect her hips now so we reduce chances of hip problems as she ages. As she gets older, I get sad thinking of the day she won't be with us. 

I know nobody suggest buying a dog off the side of the road, but I was wondering. Am I the only one???

Have you gotten a pup off the side of the road? What was your experience?


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

Yep, when I was around 19 I got a male pup from the roadside. He was free and what's not to love about cute and free when you're a teenager? He lived a very long life and was amazingly healthy with a great temperament...and he was cute up until the day he died.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

Nope, never, though we rescued a tiny kitten once that was sitting on the side of the road.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

I don't think i've ever even seen puppies being sold on the side of the road before. 

If I ever do, I definitely wouldn't take one home.


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## FG167 (Sep 22, 2010)

This Fall my friend and I (and our two dogs) drove from MI to CO - somewhere along that route - I honestly do not remember where we were, there was someone selling Labs in a gas station parking lot. They had a whole litter around 8 weeks and then several other puppies that looked to be closer to 12-16 weeks. The let them out to run around the truck parked on the side of the parking lot - I found it extremely appalling.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Nope, I've never seen puppies for sale like that and wouldn't go near them. They could carry diseases like parvo which I don't want to track home to my own dogs and dog training clubs. Also I would never support that type of breeding by giving them my money.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

I would not buy a puppy on the side of a road.

If the puppy/puppies were free I would take as many as I could. I would rather have them and care for them until I can find them good homes then let some weirdo/bum/gangbanger/dog fighter/murder get them.

Everyone wants a free puppy and that is what's scary.


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## FG167 (Sep 22, 2010)

Liesje said:


> They could carry diseases like parvo which I don't want to track home to my own dogs and dog training clubs.


That was my main concern so we gave them a WIDE berth - and they were very interested in us too...


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Yeah my main commitment is to my current dogs and my friends, which means not bringing in animals that put my dogs or my friends' dogs at risk. The last thing I want is to be asked not to come back to my dog clubs/training because I had a parvo dog in my home. My current dogs are vaccinated but unless I bleached every square inch of everything and everyone there's no way I could guarantee no risk to any future dogs I would like to get or any young puppies/dogs belonging to friends I train with. As much as I'd like to help the puppies on the road my number one commitment is my current pets. I had a bad experience bringing in a short term foster/transport dog that ended up having a parasite that's very hard to get rid of so I've limited my "rescue" efforts to doing transports where the dogs only ever "touch" me or my kennel van. I can sanitize my clothing and van kennel easily enough. Likewise, I realize that being in so many dog clubs/training classes I need to be more careful so when I visit my breeder-friend I avoid the very young puppies, or I bring a complete change of clothing (including shoes) that is kept sterile and bagged. I personally am not a germ freak but I don't want my dogs getting sick or neonatal puppies getting sick because of something I could have prevented.


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## Larien (Sep 26, 2010)

I would absolutely never do this. I've never seen such a thing around here, but I'm not really in that type of area.


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## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

I live in Amish country. There is an Amish farm that also sells pug puppies.


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## WarrantsWifey (Dec 18, 2010)

I'm shocked so many of you haven't seen that sort of thing. I swear, all the time I see it. I wouldn't get a dog that way now. Now I know better, but she was our first, and our awesomeness, and I love her to death and back, still being spoiled to this day!


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

One Christmas years ago when my daughter was just a young girl, she really wanted a puppy for Christmas. We told her that Santa wasn't allowed to carry puppies in the sleigh. She still insisted that Santa would find a way. 

Christmas eve, I was at Walmart in the evening getting last minute things. When I walked out a lady came walking up to me and handed me a little brown sheltie mix puppy - aprox 8 weeks old. All she said was, "you've been looking for her" as she handed her to me. I stood there with my mouth hanging open and never said a word as the lady walked away. 

I stopped at my neighbor's house on the way home and left the puppy there. I got home, put my daughter to bed....spent the next hour convincing my husband that we needed to keep the puppy. Then I went to my neighbor's house to pick up the puppy - she had given her a bath, found a large box to put her in and put a bow on her head. 

We went home, woke up my daughter telling her santa had already come....when she saw the box she screamed, "I knew Santa would bring me a puppy!". The rest of the gifts were forgotten. That puppy was her best friend for many years. Turned out to be a great little dog. She died an old dog, the day after Christmas years later...in my daughter's room, sleeping in her bed as she always did.


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## WarrantsWifey (Dec 18, 2010)

Oh Lilie, that is the sweetest story!!!


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## vat (Jul 23, 2010)

I voted no but I did buy my first GSD from a pet store. Would not recommend that either its about the same thing.


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## GSDBESTK9 (Mar 26, 2002)

What an awesome story Lilie!


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## Runswithdogs (May 8, 2010)

It is so common in New Mexico, especially right off highway exits and in grocery store parking lots.
I've never bought one and never would.


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## krystyne73 (Oct 13, 2010)

oh man, that is seriously common here. I hate it! We get a lot of rural people coming here that sell them to us "city folk" . It is mostly blue healer, beagle and pit bulls cross or PB
It's actually upsetting and now against our city ordinance ! Hopefully with the new law this spring won't be so bad now.


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## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

I've brought home many strays from the side of the road,lol Cats, dogs, and even an injured squirrel and bird from time to time. The only one we kept though was a mutt named Buffy who was the sweetest girl ever, lived to be 15, and was smart as a whip


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## missmychance (Jan 20, 2011)

The grocery store parking lot across highway from our neighborhood always has a van selling puppies. I hate driving by it. I never see adult dogs with them and the puppies always look so young. It breaks my heart to see that.


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## lafalce (Jan 16, 2001)

Well, that is something that I would never do, but I guess I'm not that surprised either.

I've heard of selling puppies/litters at flea markets and Swap o ramas, so I guess the side of the road is just the next thing. Good grief!!!!!!


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

never bought a dog off the side of the road but i did buy a kitten
from some kids.


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## Chowgal (Dec 21, 2009)

When I was in the 5th grade and didn't know any better I convinced my mom to let me get a mini schnauzer from someone like that. She was free and an actually really healthy dog.


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## ChristenHolden (Jan 16, 2010)

yes and no i never bought or took a dog from people but i did bring home a stray mutt that had been his and had serious head trauma and nursed him back to health. hes still a lil off but is mostly normal. and we took hom a Pom mix from a pawn shop that had been droped offs, the highway was so close you could underhand a rock and have it land in the middle of the road, no place for a puppy. this is Oliver the one that had head truma







and this is Chewie all grown updont even look like the same pup


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## patti (Apr 7, 2010)

I bought a mini pin from a van in the grocery store parking lot 18 years ago when my daughter had just left for college. Guess I needed another baby! Great dog, she lived for 14 years! All the stray dogs and puppies stand by the side of the road and wait for me to drive by! I found a starving mama dog and 10 puppies one summer...


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## ChristenHolden (Jan 16, 2010)

Dang i cant spell to save my life :blush:


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## Klamari (Aug 6, 2010)

Nope never bought, but did rescue a stray off the side of the road. She was sitting on the corner, waiting for me. Been with me for 12 years now


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Runswithdogs said:


> It is so common in New Mexico, especially right off highway exits and in grocery store parking lots.
> I've never bought one and never would.


Yes! Saw it lots in New Mexico, especially at the flea market. 

I've also seen pups for sale at farm stands up near my cottage in Northern Ontario. 

And I've also seen them at highway exits in different parts of the country. 

And nope, I've never bought one. I did take a free kitten once at a farmer's market though. She was a great cat.


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## RogueRed26 (Jul 15, 2010)

I used to see a lot of them on the side of the road, primarily since Mexico isn't too far from our city, so puppies are transported and sold often. A lot of them are unfortunately sick and diseased. Here in Texas it is illegal to sell a dog or puppies on the side of the road. They can be fined up to $500 per puppy. Some of these individuals are even getting trickery and placing newspaper ads claiming they have the parents and health records only to send you to an empty lot to meet. If you ever see someone doing this, I advise calling the police, thus reducing and hopefully ending this cruelty.


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## King&Skylar (Jun 3, 2010)

Nope! I've never even seen any being sold on the side of the road around here before.


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## ZebsMommy (Dec 4, 2010)

Both my babies were rescued from the side of the road.  One from a BYB (I didn't know any better at the time) and my cat was a stray.


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