Drug-Resistant Infection Outbreak in People Connected to Pet Store Pup

There is a myriad of reasons why getting a puppy at a pet store is a bad idea. Now, you can add getting a drug-resistant bacterial infection to the ever-growing list.

For most people who are interested in the topics of dog breeding practices and pet rescues, it’s no secret that pet stores usually get their puppies from dubious sources. And not only that puppy mills and backyard breeders are often the ones supplying the stores, but the puppies are also kept in less than ideal conditions until they are sold. Furthermore, they’re sold to anyone who doles out the money, without any consideration for the puppy’s wellbeing. In fact, there are so many downsides to this practice that pet stores are banned from selling pets in the United Kingdom, and some of the US states are following suit.

According to a CDC report, it’s not only about the welfare of the puppies anymore, but yours, as well. In 18 states, there have been 118 cases of Campylobacter infections, all of which were linked back to puppies sold in various pet stores across the country. In case you don’t know, Campylobacteriosis is one of the most common causes of diarrheal illness in the United States, and the strain of the bacteria that causes it can’t be treated with antibiotics.

The multidrug-resistant Campylobacter jejuni outbreak revealed something more sinister, though: the fact that the puppies were pumped full of antibiotics to make up for the poor conditions at the breeder’s and in the pet stores. The lax use of antibiotic medications is not only dangerous for the pooches who are being treated without a real cause for it, but for all of us, really.

Hopefully, this worrying situation will garner attention from the right people, prompting officials to look more closely into pet store practices and consider banning pet stores from selling puppies on a national level.