Since the age of 7 years old, I have been buying animals. First, I started with the classic hamster that turned into about 20 hamsters, then I moved on to owning a few different types of fish, and by High School I had started my first business raising exotic birds/parrots. In college, I started Steel City Puppies after purchasing my first couple dogs, Sadie and Teddy. Now at the age of 33, I have bought hundreds and hundreds of animals for my businesses. I have done business with hundreds of different animal sellers, and the #1 most important trait I look for today is…
Integrity
I have been stolen from, lied to, and scammed more times than I can count. I wrote this Blog to help prevent some of the heartbreak I have had to experience myself.
By integrity, I am talking about finding Sellers that will do right by you. This does NOT mean the buyer is always right. If I sell you an animal, and it suddenly passes away 12 hours later, I am going to do right by you. If I sell you an animal, and it passes away a month later, then we are going to do a necropsy and find out the issue. If it died from a heart defect, I am going to make it right. If it died from being starved to death, there is nothing I am going to do for you.
The Dirty Secrets
In the animal breeding world, there are a ton of dirty little secrets. A dog breeder could go to a puppy mill, buy them all for discounted prices, and then resell them to you at a premium the next day. They could lie about the parents used. They could lie about the conditions they are raised in. There are breeders today pretending they are the ones raising the puppies, when they are not. Simply put, there are a hundred different ways animal sellers are lying to buyers today. This is why INTEGRITY is so important.
Are Word of Mouth referrals good enough?
The short answer is they can be. Roughly, 95% of our sales today are from word of mouth referrals, and I really appreciate that. However, I have been referred to Sellers before that ended up screwing me over. I’ve also seen people refer their friends over to Sellers that I know are doing shady business. So I do prefer a Word of Mouth referral over not having one, but just know it is not the end all be all.
How do I Find the Sellers with Integrity?
Follow them Online. Watch them. Is this a person full of passion or greed? Does this Seller care about their animals? If money is the ultimate motivation, then it can be found throughout their business. They will cut corners to boost profit. If corners are being cut, then the Animals suffer, and this is not a person of integrity. If you get a puppy from me and a week later it has a virus, I am asking you for a receipt from the Vet because I care about the puppy and the buyer. I want happy animals and happy buyers! Secondly and selfishly, I also do this because I also want to keep up my reputation. My businesses are built for the long-term. Not all businesses are. Many Animal Sellers are of the mentality that they just want to sell you the animal and never hear from you again. However, nothing makes me happier than having repeat buyers and even selling to the kids that grew up with a puppy from me, and now they are starting their new family and want a Steel City Puppy.
*If you are on the fence about a Breeder/Seller, ask for a phone conversation! What does your gut tell you about them? Do they sound trustworthy, honest, knowledgeable? Do they sound annoyed or in a hurry? ARE THEY HELPFUL?
Conclusion
After having worked with hundreds of different sellers, the most important trait I look for is Integrity! You, more than likely, have not seen the world I have seen, but it is full of a lot of dishonesty. When money is involved, watch out. Find people that will treat you right, refer them, and stick to them. I have never regretted supporting the business of a good person.