Pet Mills and Pet Stores, Your Thoughts?

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A lot of people never stop to think about where the pets in the pet store come from. Because if they did, I bet a lot less people would ever buy a pet at a pet store. Many people nowadays know that puppies in pet stores come from these awful places called puppy mills. But where do you think other pets come from? Large chain stores also get their rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, reptiles, etc. from pet mills. And these aren't pretty places. Even the best pet store is not going to have healthy animals when they come from these pet mills. Animals exposed to these conditions frequently come to you with an upper respiratory infection, parasites, and other problems. I'll admit I'm guilty of buying pet store animals. When I was younger, I didn't know there were other places to get pets. Even after I knew dogs and cats were in shelters, I knew gave much thought to the other animals. I found out quickly that animals from pet stores would quickly die or become sick and require hundreds of dollars of treatment at the vet. But it wasn't until quite awhile later that I figured out why "rescuing" pet store animals was a bad idea. I was still giving the store my money and contributing to the cycle. I think pet stores only stay in business because so many people remain ignorant to how they operate (this applies especially to large chain pet stores, but also to your mom and pop shops). I don't shop at any pet store that sells animals. I go to feed stores for the majority of my pet supply needs, and I also go to pet supply warehouses. If these pet supply stores want to have animals in their store, I try my best to hook them up with some rescues that can bring in pets. So let's hear some other thoughts on pet stores! Do you shop at them? If you had the option, would you rather go to a supply store that did not sell animals? If you bought a sick pet at a pet store before, did you complain and get money for vet bills or just return the animal for another? If people aren't ignorant to the issues, perhaps pet stores will have to change or become a thing of the past.