Small Paws isn't going to dog auctions
right
now, and we are also hoping that other
rescuers
don't go to these auctions and bid
on the
Bichons. This is why.
In the beginning for the first 7 1/2
years,
we raised every cent we could, and
bought
every Bichon at auction that we could
afford
and some that we couldn't. It caused
the
millers breed even more Bichons to
bring
to auction for rescue and we knew this.
The good news was that with so many
Bichons
being for sale at these auctions, prices
did begin to fall. It's the rule of
supply
and demand. Too much supply and consumer
prices fall. Too little supply, and
consumer
prices raise.
Broker price, the amount being paid
to the
millers per Bichon puppy, was around
$400.00
just 18 months ago.
Then we decided to see if the Bichon
wholesale
market, would react like any other
commodity.
If one of the major players pulled
out, would
the market fall?
We made a concentrated and calculated
effort
to try to control the Bichon wholesale
market.
We pulled out quickly, suddenly, and
totally,
and we did see a crash in the wholesale
market!
Broker prices for Bichon puppies fell
from
$400.00 to only $40.00. Bichons began
selling
for nearly nothing at the dog auctions,
in
many cases down to $5.00 or LESS, and
in
some cases no one would bid on them
at all.
This caused those Bichons to be sent
to Small
Paws for free.
The millers began giving their Bichon
stock
to us in droves, about a year ago.
We are
getting more Bichons out of the mills
for
free, now, than we ever did by going
in and
buying them at dog auctions. "Bichons
are not worth raising," we are
seeing
the millers post on their message boards.
Our goal is to continue to make these
Bichons
WORTHLESS to the millers so they will
stop
breeding them and selling them to the
pet
shops.
The numbers of Bichons that we see
in pet
shops are way down from what we saw
when
we first came onto the rescue scene
back
in 1998.
Presently, we are taking in between
40-60
puppy mill Bichons, each and every
month,
12 months a year, strictly from the
commercial
kennels.
This is on top of the 40-50 other Bichons
that we take in from kill shelters,
owners
passing away or going into nursing
homes,
and of course from owners who can no
longer
care for them.
Small Paws continues to be the leader
in
the country in breed rescue. We presently
have several other breed rescue groups
interning
with Small Paws, so that they can learn
to
do for their breed, what we have done
for
the Bichons.
We hope to continue our work in the
commercial
kennels across our country. Though
it is
a difficult thing to do, we ask that
other
rescue groups please not bid on Bichons
at
this time, as it would only serve to
undo
all of the work we have already done.
Sincerely,
Robin Pressnall
