According to the Insurance Information Institute figures from 2017, more American households own a dog than any other pet:

• Dogs – 60.2 million households
• Cats – 47.1 million households
• Freshwater fish – 12.5 million households
• Birds – 7.9 million households
• Small animals – 6.7 million households
• Reptiles – 4.7 million households
• Horses – 2.6 million households
• Saltwater fish – 2.5 million households

Over the years, I’ve had dogs, cats, freshwater fish, birds, small animals, reptiles and horses (kept elsewhere). I love animals of all kinds, but like many American households, my favorite pet is a dog. At the moment, my wife and I have two Maltese, a male and a female and we often babysit our daughter’s male Maltese, who is the pup of our two.

For dog lovers, where does one go to get a dog?

Many people today go to the dog pound or local ASPCA with the idea of rescuing an abandoned dog that might otherwise be destroyed. Some people go to pet stores, large and small, to pick out their pooch. Others turn to breeders to get a papered purebred pup, which may not be that much different than going to the local pet store as they get their dogs from breeders and herein lies the problem.

Be warned that not all breeders provide clean healthy dogs. We purchased our current Maltese from a breeder in the southern part of the state where live. We go to get the pups at barely 8 weeks of age and found that they were infested fleas which infected them with parasitic worms.

We treated the fleas with Dawn dish soap as it kills fleas on contact. The worms were another matter. Unfortunately, we had to wait a few weeks to make sure the pups were old enough to be treated for the worms.

Fleas can infect humans and also pass diseases and possibly parasites to humans, but that’s not what this article is about.

Iowa officials are reporting that a bacterial disease found in dogs can be spread to humans, according to Fox News:

“‘Multiple cases’ of a bacterial disease that can be spread from dogs to humans have been confirmed in Iowa, according to health officials.”

“The disease, Canine Brucellosis, stemmed from ‘a small dog commercial breeding facility’ in Marion County, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship said in a news release on Friday.”

“The state veterinarian, Dr. Jeff Kaisand, confirmed the cases. Officials said they’re contacting those who own the exposed dogs, and noted that ‘both the animals and facilities are quarantined while the dogs undergo clinical testing’.”

“Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease humans can contract ‘when they are in contact with infected animals or animal products contaminated with the bacteria,’ according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”

“While the risk of pet owners becoming infected by the disease is low, the health agency says that those who work closely with dogs — like breeders and veterinary staff  — ‘face an increased risk since they may be exposed to blood, tissues, and fluids associated with the birthing process’.”

Yes, the risk to humans is small, but nevertheless, the risk exists. And if the bacteria has been found at one small breeder in Kansas, that means that it’s possible for it to be found at other breeders in other states.

In other words, be careful when you purchase a pup from a breeder or pet store. Take time to check them out with local health experts first and then take your new pup to a good reputable veterinarian and have it checked out. It not only will help keep your pet healthy, but you and your family.