Today is Christmas Day and some families will be welcoming a new warm cute and fuzzy puppy into their household. Better than a stuffed or plush animal toy, there’s nothing cuter than a young puppy. Their playful and loving features are irresistible. They jump and run around and then lick your face and cuddle up in your arms. Who can resist such a bundle of love?

Where do people get their puppies from? Often, those puppies are purchased at a pet store who often get their puppies from puppy mills and breeders. The stores generally claim that the puppies have been checked out, have their puppy shots and are healthy and safe, but are they?

According to a new report, those pet store puppies may not be as safe and healthy as you are led to believe:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned Tuesday that pet store puppies have been linked to an infection outbreak among human beings in 13 states.

Thirty people have been infected with a strain of Campylobacter jejuni, according to a Tuesday release. Four hospitalizations have been reported, but no fatalities.

If you have obtained a pet store puppy recently or for Christmas, you need to be aware of the symptoms of this bacterial infection. The illness is characterized by a fever, stomach cramps and diarrhea. The symptoms usually show about 2 – 5 days after being exposed. Once the symptoms appear, the illness usually lasts about a week, but can last longer and become more severe for those with weaker immune systems.

Remember the cute face with the licking tongue? That little tongue may be the instrument of infection. Infections can also be from handling the puppy, its food or cleaning up the puppy’s messes.

Those who have been infected range in age from 8 months to 70 years of age.

What makes this bacterial infection so bad is the fact that it is proving to be resistant to many of the first-line antibiotics often prescribed to fight the infection.

How do they known this illness is linked to pet store puppies?

The CDC interviewed 24 people infected with the strain, 21 of whom reported contact with a puppy. Fifteen of those 21 people reported contact with a puppy from a pet store, and 12 of those 15 people were linked to Petland, a pet store chain.

Petland issued a statement in response to the CDC report, stating:

…more than one third of the cases have been found in people in 13 states where there are no Petland stores.

Petland takes the health and welfare of our employees, our customers and our pets very seriously,

Chances are, the puppies purchased by Petland come from the same puppy mills or breeders as other pet stores and therefore are not the sole source of the infections.

It is highly recommended that everyone purchasing a puppy, especially from a pet store, has the puppy thoroughly checked out by a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Don’t forget, those puppies do need a good and loving home, so don’t be afraid of getting one. Just be careful and safe when you do. If treated properly, that puppy will produce a friend who loves unconditionally and can help reduce stress (by petting for a minimum for 10 minutes a day), and this can improve health and prolong life.