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Dog Breeders M1111® r _ upkeep, including veterinary care and food. "This is my way to make some ex- tra income for.our family," Brandie says. Indeed, Craigslist and the classified sections of newspapers are full of ads by people who've turned dog breeding into a cottage industry. On a recent weekday, the Tampa Bay Times' classified section included more than 40 ads from breed- ers with names like FurMySunshine. Pet Count 38: Number of USDA -licensed commercial dog breeders statewide 50: Number of stores that sell dogs in Florida $133.8 million: Annual pet sales statewide, induding dogs, cats, birds, etc. 28,459: Number of dogs newly registered with the AKC in Florida in 2017 1 million: Estimated number of dogs euthanized each year in the U.S. 2 million: Estimated number of dogs adopted at rescue shehers each year in the U.S. Sources: Bornane Society, Pet Industry Joint Advisory Caunal and American Kennel Club com and phone numbers, selling ev- erything from basset hounds for $1,100 to Cavalier King Charles spaniels for $2,500. A search for "puppies in Flori- da" on AKC's online marketplace turns up about 770 results. 'Abysmal' regulations No government agency regulates small breeding operations in Florida, Doggy Do's and Don'ts ► The U.S. Department of Agriculture regulates commercial breeders who have at least five breeding female dogs and sell indirectly to buyers via pet stores or websites. ► Breeders can choose to register their litters with the American Kennel Club (AKC), a New York -based non-profit that maintains a national registry of purebred dogs. Although the AKC does not have regulatory authority, it inspects breeders periodically and can yank AKC privileges, induding the ability to market dogs as purebred or compete in dog shows, if it finds major problems with a kennel. ► The Humane Society urges people to adopt from a res- cue shelter, but for those who decide to buy from a breeder, it has two main tips: 1. Talk to a veterinarian or trusted friend, contact a local kennel club or attend a professional dog show to learn where to find responsible breeders. 2. Wit a breeder's facility before buying a puppy. See 76 MARCH 2019 FLORIDATREND.COM making it impossible to know exactly. how many mom-and-pop breeders there are statewide. In 201Z more than 28,000 dogs were registered with the AKC in Florida, but that does not in- clude popular cross -breeds such as the labradoodle or cockapoo. It also doesn't disginguish between commercially bred dogs and those bred in homes. The AKC says it has no way to estimate the num- where the puppy was born and raised and meet the pup's mother. "It's a red flag if they refuse to show you the mother dog or if they refuse to let you come to their home and insist on meeting at a gas station parking lot instead," says John' Goodwin, senior director of the Stop Puppy Mills Campaign for the Humane Society of the United States. 129