THANK YOU for the support
Here are just some of the letters sent to the city in response to the proposed city ban on the sale of rabbits, cats dogs in Calgary stores.
To add your voice, scroll to the bottom for instructions.
Thank you in advance.
I truly hope that the case is made and accepted at the meeting of the incredible effort for dogs, breeders and dog parents that your organization puts into the experience.
Your company is the glue that holds it all together and ensures no one is abused in this community.
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Warm regards,
Paula O
We are truly sorry that there are talks about closing The Top Dog Store as any future dogs we want to add to our family would certainly be from the store.
We have 3 dogs currently from the store and they are by far the best dogs we have had. They have had no health issues and the care the puppies had while waiting for their forever home shows.
The store should remain open, people will still breed dogs for money but will not receive the vet care and home visits before they are sold and the parents will not be monitored.
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KEEP THE TOP DOG STORE OPEN !!
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Lindsay B
My little schnoodle, Peanut Butter, came from your store. During the pandemic, being a senior living alone and isolated, I knew a dog would help with my depression.
It needed to be a small one as I was restricted by condo bylaws regarding size. Also, I have a lot of allergies and specifically sought a low allergy dog breed. Adopting a rescue was not an option as their breed line is usually unknown, as is well their trauma history.
Top Dog was a godsend!
I thank God everyday for my little fur baby. Without this store, I would not have Peanut. Please don’t take this valuable resource away from us.
- Lindsay H
Hi,
I have now purchased 2 puppies in the last 7 years from Top Dog.
This isn’t a “cash and carry” type of store. With both of our four-legged family members we had a chance to get to know our new pet, with the assurance they were veterinarian certified as healthy and had a store return policy if we found that not to be true.
The experience of shopping for our puppies was one where we got to select from breeds that suited our wants and needs as pet owners and the staff was knowledgeable and helpful.
We were also able to purchase our pets at a cost much lower than if we had gone breeder direct.
I can see no correlation between the existence of store like Top Dog and similar stores and the surrender of pets and challenge the City of Calgary to prove otherwise.
This is blatant interference with free enterprise in a sad attempt to make pet store owners suffer the consequences of a problem not of their making and the city needs to look at different solutions.
People should have the right to purchase a pet from wherever they choose based on their needs. I urge the City of Calgary to think this through.
Brad O
Hello,
I am writing this email supporting Top Dog and any other business that provides a safe, ethical and easy option to find a family pet.
We got Capi, our beloved dog, from Top Dog in January of 2021. It has been four years since then and we couldn't be more grateful to Top Dog for their guidance in choosing a dog that has been great to our family.
We look forward to more years to come with Capi, but when the time comes for him to leave us, I want to have the freedom to choose where I get my next family companion from. Top Dog cares about pets and families, and they, or other ethical pet stores should not be penalized for families that, not dependent on where they got their pets from, were not truly committed or were not guided properly to choose a dog fitting for their family and lifestyle.​
If you want to reduce pet surrenders, focus on the root causes - impulse buying, lack of commitment, uninformed decisions, wrong breed for the lifestyle. I don't see how banning Top Dog and other stores from selling pets will address those issues.
Thanks, Luis
To the Calgary City Council:
It has come to my attention that the city is considering a ban on the sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits in stores, believing it will reduce pet surrenders. While I understand that taking away stores will not, in my opinion, solve the problem, as many people in our world act unethically, it is certainly not this store.
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I feel that new pet owners should have the freedom to select a pet that complements the needs and way of life of my family. The Top Dog Store offers a morally and safely responsible method of finding a pet, and that choice ought to be maintained.
I am in the market for a new puppy that is healthy, content, and well-adjusted, and my experience with The Top Dog Store staff has thus far been outstanding. This will not be an impulsive purchase as I have been researching since February and will choose a puppy in June, due to retirement, when I will have the time to train a dog.
Dogs are a full-time, 15 years sometimes commitment, and I want to have choices when it comes to bringing a new pet into my house. Policies that support animal welfare while preserving families' right to choose where to purchase their pets are needed.
Please consider the pet owners who are responsible, as opposed to the unethical backyard breeders and puppy mills. Do not ban the sale of dogs out of this store.
Sincerely,
Kathy L
Good day,
This is our story and why I believe the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits should not be banned in Calgary.
It was November 2021. We had say a very hard good bye to our dog of 16 years. It devastated us, like it would most pet owners. Our little Bailey was one of the family and the void she left in our hearts was huge.
The next two weeks we were miserable. My wife and I both fell into a pretty deep depression. Our days were we waves of emotions. Not seeing our sweet girl where we'd normally find her was gut wrenching
During that time, we looked at all the options. I would scour the rescues daily. My wife even contacted a few breeders for more information.
Rescue wise, no one had a dog we were looking for... small and hypoallergenic. And if they did, they were gone so quickly.
Breeder wise, we would have to wait months and we couldn't meet the puppies to see if they were a fit for us. You were basically assigned one based on your preference of color and sex.
At this point, we investigated Top Dog further. Their fuzzy puppy photos brought a ray of sunshine into what had been dark winter days for us. Yes, we'd read or heard the rumors about Top Dog, but the information on their website reassured us that is was an ethical place to get a new puppy.
My wife looked at all the photo and fell in love with a little red mini poodle. On Dec 10th, we booked a visit.
It as a cold winter day. We grabbed a breakfast sandwich before we headed out, still with many tears in our eyes. We knew we could never replace our Bailey, only try fill the hole in our hearts once again.
We immediately fell in love with the mini poodle. He was a nervous nibbler and loved my wife's coat. A little stinker too! But he was wonderful.
To be sure he was the one, we met a couple other puppies. While they were sweet, we didn't seem to have the same connection with them. A big benefit of the Top Dog store... CHOICE.
Mini Poodle Boy 38 came home with us that day... now know as Ted. He is the light of our lives. While he hated the car at first, he'd now always excited to go with us on all adventures, big and small.
Thanks if you've made it this far. The bottom line, at least for us is, The Top Dog Store provided us a very valued, ethical service. Had they not existed or puppies were not sold in Calgary, I don't know how long we might have suffered mentally before we could have found a new fuzzy buddy. We loved have the freedom and option to get Ted that day.
Thank you for your time,
Scott B
here's how you can help
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Send a letter of support directly to City Council at Council@calgary.ca
Please cc us at topdogtoyou@gmail.com so we can keep track of all the incredible community voices speaking up
You can write your own message or include some of the points below:
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I believe in the right to choose a pet that fits my family’s needs and lifestyle.
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The Top Dog Store provides a safe, ethical way to find a pet—and that option should remain available.
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My experience with The Top Dog Store was exceptional. My puppy was not an impulse buy and is healthy, happy, and well-adjusted.
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Families in Calgary deserve options when choosing to welcome a new pet into their home.