Amanda had to euthanize a weeks-old puppy that was recently "adopted" by one of her long-time clients.  The client, and elderly woman, had recently lost her 14 year old Labrador retriever to normal complications of being a 14 year old lab.  The house was too quiet, and the client wanted to "do the right thing" which was find a pup that needed a home (as opposed to supporting puppy-mills and back-yard breeders).  She found an animal "shelter" with puppies in the back of a van at the local Wal-mart, and paid a $350 "adoption fee" to take one home.

The pup within days of coming home became very ill.  The pneumonia in its lungs was so bad that necropsy revealed no normal lung tissue at all.

Closer examination of the SCANT paperwork that came with the dog revealed that it was whelped in Georgia and transported to Maine.

This is not how animal shelters and rescue work.  OK, with the exception of New England, which operates as a region, GSP rescue dogs do not under normal circumstances cross state lines.  The theory being that rescue dogs should be rescued where they were abandoned.

The exceptions made are never for puppies.  There's a waiting list longer than your arm for a puppy.  Puppies are never featured on the web-site because they get placed before anyone has time to type up an article and post a picture.

Adoptions take place after paperwork, home visits, inspections, etc.

Nothing makes sense about the story of how this puppy came to be "adopted" out of the back of a van in a parking lot.

My Theory:  This puppy broker has found the "animal shelter" works as a very nice scam.  OK, scour the papers for "free to good home" litters of puppies.  (Thanks to the Internet, you can do this nationally now.)  Tell the folks you are a shelter and want to help them out.  If they question why a shelter in Maine wants the pups, tell them that demand is very high in Maine.  Once the pups are weaned, they are a huge pain in the ass, and I'm certain anybody who wants to "help" is probably going to get some attention.

Take puppies to public places and put up an "animal shelter" sign.  Everyone who touches a puppy is a sucker.  If you can't sell them a pup, hit them up for a "donation."  I'm certain this method of pan-handling is more effective than "will work for food" signs.  Because of the "shelter" these pups have a built-in "back story."  There's no questions about AKC registration, the quality of the parents, or any of that.  It's all swept under the rug because they are "rescue dogs."

If the pup is sick, so much the better.  It's "proof" that these dogs are in desperate need of good homes and please adopt another for another $350.

The "shelter" (puppy broker/death merchant) operates a web site and has a nice message on the answering machine.  They even claim to do home visits and have extensive questionnaires.  These are designed to make you feel good; they don't care about the answers.  I'm sure you'll be told you are the exact person they are looking for.

Maine has a "puppy lemon law" that entitles buyers to a refund of their money AND vet bills for a sickly pup.  Shelters are (rightly) shielded from this law.  Operating as a "shelter" might buy this person protection.

I'm still not sure about the whole heven and hell thing, but if there is a hell, I'm sure there's a special room for these folks.

If you want a dog, don't get one from a van in a parking lot.  If it's a legitimate rescue group, you can expect to wait if you want a puppy.  If you want a dog right away, look for one who is older.