You really, really want a dog. You've wanted one since, well, forever. You've begged and pleaded with your folks to no avail. Then comes that fateful day when you stroll by the pet shop, and there in the window is a litter of the most adorable puppies. They are sooooo cute. You can tell Mom's resistance is weakening. What could it hurt just to step inside and pick one up ...?

STOP.

Hold it right there ... don't even think about buying a puppy from a pet store. Here's why:

From the Puppy Mill to the Shopping Mall

Most pet shop puppies come from "puppy mills," which are breeding kennels consisting of rusted, filthy cages packed with dogs who are forced to churn out puppies year after year. When mother dogs can no longer produce puppies (meaning, make money), they are abandoned or killed. As for the puppies, they are torn from their moms when they are too young, crammed into trucks or airplanes, and shipped all over the country. No wonder so many are sick—or dead—by the time they reach their destinations.

Not sure if your local pet shop sells puppy-mill puppies? Ask the owner where the dogs come from. If the pet shop owner has never laid eyes on the kennel where the puppies were born, explain that it's high time that he or she did, and then run—don't walk—to the nearest animal shelter to rescue your new best friend.

Tempting as it may be to "save" the puppies at the pet store, your dollars are what keep puppy mills in business. The money you spend to buy a puppy today will just be used by the store to buy another puppy-mill puppy tomorrow. Instead, urge pet stores to sell only supplies, not puppies and kittens. Ask them to be a part of the solution by teaming up with the local animal shelter to display homeless animals who are up for adoption.