Healthy Pups is a trusted, experienced breeder located in Roaring River, North Carolina, and we welcome families from across the region, including Pasquotank County and the surrounding coastal plain communities including Elizabeth City.

We have been raising healthy, well-loved puppies in our professional quarantine nursery since 1982. Our puppies are bred with your family's long-term happiness in mind, and we back that up with transparent genetics, honest health warranties, and ownership education that goes far beyond the sale.

Why Families in the Region Choose Healthy Pups

The coastal communities of northeastern North Carolina are full of families who want small, affectionate, intelligent dogs that fit into active home lives. Whether you live near the waterfront, on a quiet residential street, or out in the countryside of Pasquotank County, the right puppy can make every day richer.

What makes Healthy Pups worth the drive from the Elizabeth City area:

• We are the actual breeders, not brokers or pet store middlemen reselling puppies from unknown origins.
• Our nursery is USDA standard and government inspected.
• Every puppy is raised in strict quarantine to protect against viruses, worms, and protozoa before going home with your family.
• We provide a written health warranty with every puppy.
• Our 24-hour help line means support does not end at the point of sale.
• We share the true genetics and history of every puppy because we raised them ourselves.

We have sold puppies to thousands of families over more than 40 years, and our mission has remained the same throughout: give every puppy the healthiest start possible and give every family the knowledge to continue that standard at home.

Our Puppy Selection: Designer Breeds and Thoughtful Mixes

Families searching for Elizabeth City designer dogs often find that hybrid breeds offer the best of both worlds. Healthy Pups specializes in designer mixes and select purebreds, with a strong philosophy that diverse genetics produce healthier, more intelligent, and more consistently affectionate dogs.

Why We Favor Hybrid Breeds

Many popular purebred dogs carry well-documented health risks tied to decades of line breeding. Our hybrid mixes are bred to sidestep those issues. A puggle, for example, tends to be healthier and more polite than a purebred pug. A French bulldog mix is almost always more heat-tolerant, cleaner, and longer-lived than a purebred Frenchie. Tiny hybrid mixes are also far less prone to the fragility issues that can come with undersized purebred toy dogs.

Some of the breed types commonly available at Healthy Pups include:

• Doodle mixes (including toy and miniature sizes)
• Maltipoo and related Maltese mixes
• Puggle and Frenchie mixes
• Rat terrier mixes and small hybrid combinations
• Dachshund mixes
• Yorkie-based mixes

Puppy availability changes regularly as litters are born and reserved. We recommend visiting our website to see current available puppies with videos and pricing, or calling us directly so we can describe what is coming up for your preferred size and temperament.

Coat Types and Shedding

One of the most common questions from families considering a new dog is about shedding. Healthy Pups offers three general coat categories:

• Short-haired dogs that shed, particularly seasonally, and can be managed well with brushing and tools like the Furminator comb
• Silky long-coated dogs that are low to non-shedding but require regular grooming and trimming
• Hypoallergenic mixes that combine low-shedding genetics with hybrid health benefits

If allergies are a concern in your household, our allergies information page offers guidance on how to manage sensitivities and choose the right breed for your situation.

How the Process Works

Finding a puppy through Healthy Pups is designed to be straightforward and transparent at every step.

Step 1: Browse Available Puppies

All puppies currently available are listed on our website with video and pricing. If a puppy shows a price, it is available. We update the site promptly after each sale because we never want a family to fall in love with a puppy that is no longer available.

Step 2: Watch Videos and Choose Your Favorites

Before you make the drive or schedule a video chat, we encourage you to watch the videos on our site and identify which puppies interest you most. If you call ahead and let us know which puppies you would like to meet, we can have them bathed and ready when you arrive, rather than asking you to wait.

Step 3: Visit in Person or via Video Chat

Healthy Pups is open six days a week from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for puppy playtime. No appointment is necessary for a walk-in visit. Video chat visits are equally welcome for families who want to meet puppies from home before committing to the drive from the northeastern part of the state.

Step 4: Reserve Your Puppy

A $208.00 deposit secures your chosen puppy while you arrange pickup. All puppies must be paid in full before going home, and we accept all major credit cards.

Step 5: Bring Your Puppy Home

Pickup happens at our nursery in Roaring River. If you prefer delivery, local and nationwide courier services are available. We can refer you to ground-to-door carriers and flight nanny services for families who cannot make the trip themselves. All courier fees are paid directly to the courier.

Our Facility and Care Standard

The Healthy Pups nursery is a privately owned, $1,000,000 facility built to USDA hospital-clean quarantine standards. No outside animals, broker vans, or public visitors with unknown exposure histories come into contact with our puppies during the critical weeks before they are fully vaccinated. This is why our puppies arrive home healthy.

Our quarantine commitment means:

• No contact with outside dogs or animals until puppies are ready to leave
• Proper vaccination timing based on weight and age, not convenience
• Regular fecal analysis and parasite monitoring
• Puppies are old enough and strong enough before going home

You can learn more about our facility and the standards behind it on our facility page.

Ownership Education: What Sets Us Apart

Many breeders hand over a puppy with a folder of paperwork and wish you luck. Healthy Pups operates differently. With more than four decades of hands-on experience, we have seen firsthand how ownership decisions made in the first weeks and months can affect a dog's health for years to come.

We provide practical guidance on:

• Crate training and house training methods that actually work long-term
• Feeding schedules and appropriate food choices
• What to avoid in pet products that can contribute to premature disease
• How to manage the transition home without stressing a small puppy
• When and how to continue vaccination after bringing your puppy home

This knowledge has real financial value. Families who follow our ownership guidance are far less likely to face unexpected veterinary expenses in the first months of puppy ownership.

Puppy Training Program

For families who want extra support, Healthy Pups offers a structured puppy training program at $500 per week. Our trainer works on foundational skills including sit, come, lay down, recognizing the puppy's name, leash and harness walking, crate training, and car comfort. This is especially well-suited for toy and miniature doodle breeds, and for slightly older puppies whose diverse genetics and maturity make them excellent training candidates.

FAQ

How far is Healthy Pups from Elizabeth City?

Roaring River, NC, where Healthy Pups is located, is approximately a two and a half to three hour drive from Elizabeth City via US-17 and US-64. Many families from the coastal plain and Outer Banks region make the trip regularly. We also offer video chat visits and delivery options through licensed couriers for those who cannot travel.

Do you have puppies available right now?

All currently available puppies are listed with videos and prices on our website. Availability changes frequently, so we recommend checking the site directly or calling us to ask about upcoming litters in your preferred breed or size range.

Can I reserve a puppy before visiting?

Yes. A $208.00 deposit reserves your chosen puppy until you are ready to pick it up. Deposits can be made via PayPal, and all major credit cards are accepted for the full purchase.

Do you deliver to the northeastern NC area?

Yes. We can connect you with courier services that offer ground-to-door delivery or airport handoff options. Courier fees are paid directly to the courier, not to Healthy Pups. Contact us for current referrals.

What health guarantee comes with my puppy?

Every puppy from Healthy Pups comes with a written health warranty. Unlike many brokers and pet stores, our warranty does not require monthly insurance payments or mandatory purchases to remain valid. We guarantee no pre-purchase viral exposures or health issues upon receipt.

Are your puppies good for families with children?

All of the puppies raised at Healthy Pups are bred for wonderful personalities and consistent temperament. We are happy to advise which breeds and sizes are the best match for your household, including families with young children or existing pets.

Ready to Find Your Perfect Puppy?

Families throughout the coastal plain and northeastern North Carolina have access to one of the most experienced and transparent breeders in the region. Healthy Pups has been doing this since 1982, and we bring every year of that experience to every puppy we raise.

Browse our available puppies online, call us to discuss what is coming up, or schedule a video chat to meet our puppies from home. When you are ready to visit in person, we are open six days a week and would love to welcome you to the nursery.

Contact us today to take the first step toward bringing home a healthy, well-loved puppy from Healthy Pups.