Has anyone had a good experience with Shake a Paw?

i made the mistake of going into this place with NO intention of buying anything...I had passed it while shopping and just went in to look at the cute puppies to cheer me up.

I looked at a couple and even played with some and had no connections with them. Then I spotted a slightly older dog...salesman said he was around 5 months (who really knows how old he really is)and we instantly connected. He was so sweet and loving. I didn't want to put him back Of course he is "on sale" because of his age (as 5 months is so old )

Anyway, i can't stop thinking about him i just want to save him from that place but i don't think i can support them. I am so torn about what to do - i never in a million years thought i would even consider going back but i can't help but to feel so bad for that little thing

i have read so many horror stories about shake a paw...i just don't what to do
has anyone had a good experience with them?

Re: Has anyone had a good experience with Shake a Paw?

Posted by missymoo

i made the mistake of going into this place with NO intention of buying anything...I had passed it while shopping and just went in to look at the cute puppies to cheer me up.

I looked at a couple and even played with some and had no connections with them. Then I spotted a slightly older dog...salesman said he was around 5 months (who really knows how old he really is)and we instantly connected. He was so sweet and loving. I didn't want to put him back Of course he is "on sale" because of his age (as 5 months is so old )

Anyway, i can't stop thinking about him i just want to save him from that place but i don't think i can support them. I am so torn about what to do - i never in a million years thought i would even consider going back but i can't help but to feel so bad for that little thing

i have read so many horror stories about shake a paw...i just don't what to do
has anyone had a good experience with them?

Re: Has anyone had a good experience with Shake a Paw?

I haven't had an experience with them personally but I know exactly how you feel about wanting to "save" them from that situation. My first dog was adopted, second from a breeder and then the third was a completely spontaneous irresponsible decision.

DH and I went into a pet store to just look and there was the sweetest, puppy with the saddest eyes. We connected with that one and DH was the one begging me to get him when he didn't even want to go in there to begin with.

We debated it in the store and held that puppy. THen we LEFT the store and debated it some more. HOnestly, I just couldn't leave him in there and we went back and got him.

It was NOT a great experience buying from a petstore. The puppy had bloody diarhhea that same night and I was worried SICK. It was so thin and his gums were pale. We got him to a vet and he had giardia. Not the worst thing to have but a HUUUGE PITA to get rid of. The first month was constant medicine, disinfecting, baths almost everyday since he had diahrea, etc. My other dog caught it and of course that was $$$ to treat. Thankfully and surprisingly, the pet store covered the vet bills for the puppy i bought from them but obviously not for my dog.

DH and I kicked ourselves for being so irresponsible. However, we both agree now that he might've died if we didn't buy him. I really don't think they would've treated him or even noticed how bad he was feeling Anyway, he is such a good dog and the sweetest people lover ever and I DO think he is greatful to us for giving him a good home.

Wow long post but as you can see, I'm VERY conflicted. Do I regret it now? No. But would I buy from a petstore again? NO.

Re: Has anyone had a good experience with Shake a Paw?

as a teenager we had gotten a puppy from there and had no problems at all with him medically...unfortunitly we had to give him away to a friend because other dog didnt like him but ours friends said he turned out to be a great dog...this was about 15 years ago

Re: Has anyone had a good experience with Shake a Paw?

My aunts bought a dog from them and unfortunately the dog had cancer. She paid for the dog to have surgery and he lived 15 more years but it was costly.

Good luck!

Re: Has anyone had a good experience with Shake a Paw?

I've heard nothing but bad things.

Re: Has anyone had a good experience with Shake a Paw?

Keep an eye on the closest shelter. When they can't sell the older dogs or don't want to pay for veterinary care, they dump them at the shelter.

Sticky at the top of the forum

Please don't support pet stores and puppy mills. Every dog purchased enables them to continue what they're doing. They have to be stopped by consumers because lawmakers can only do so much when the demand is still there.

Re: Has anyone had a good experience with Shake a Paw?

someone I work with just bought a mastiff puppy from there and paid $2000 for it and was taking it to the vet today because its has a huge bump on his head a a large mass on his back that they think may be his micro chip, its so sad I hope he is ok as he is just so sweet and gorgeous, I wanted to slap my co worker in the head for getting him there but now I just hope the dog is ok.

Re: Has anyone had a good experience with Shake a Paw?

Re: Has anyone had a good experience with Shake a Paw?

We got Chloe from Shake A Paw. She was an impulse decision - we had gone into the store just to cheer ourselves up - and ended up with a puppy! Our experience was just fine but I wouldn't buy from a store again. The dogs I've always had came from breeders.

Fortunately for us, Chloe is perfectly healthy. I don't know if that's just luck or if it's the fact that we bought her the same day she arrived at the store. Either way, she's a little sweetheart. We've had her for six months now and she's absolutely fine.

Re: Has anyone had a good experience with Shake a Paw?

DH and I got our Basset at Shake-A-Paw, and while I wouldn't do it again because I now realize that I shouldn't be supporting these pet stores, our Ruby is perfectly healthy. She was also "on sale" because she was 6 months old. We felt so bad for her because she was waaay too big to be in the cage she was in. She looked up at us with those sad Basset eyes and thats all it took. We couldn't leave her there.

This is her on the day we got her.

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Message edited 10/25/2011 7:03:08 PM.