ARTICLES INDEX Puppy Mills TO MOURN FOR THOSE WE LOVE IS SELF INDULGENT BUT TO HONOUR THEIR MEMORY WITH A PROMISE....... GIVES PURPOSE TO THEIR LIFE AND MEANING TO THEIR DEATH.
What the consumer can't see is the puppy's
mother, imprisoned miles away, pregnant again, her body being
used to produce more money-making puppies. Starting at six
months, she is bred every heat cycle. She is often weak,
malnourished, and dehydrated. Rarely, if ever, is she provided
with veterinary care. She cannot maintain her productivity past
her fourth or fifth year. After that, she is nothing more than a
drain on the mill's operation and must be disposed of. If she's
lucky, she'll be humanely euthanized. More often than not, she
will be shot or bludgeoned to death. Discarded, her wasted body
will lie forgotten in a local landfill or garbage dump. Puppy mills and the pet store industry have
begun to feel this scrutiny. They insist that it doesn't make
good business sense to sell sick puppies or house breeding
females in less than humane conditions. But evidence gained after
years of documentation and investigation directly conflicts with
these assertions. In addition, those small scale breeders who do
treat their animals humanely, who raise them in their homes or in
small, cleanly kept kennels, do not usually make a profit off
their dogs. It is virtually impossible to breed in a humane
fashion and make money at the same time. Although a pet store may
sell a puppy for $500 or more dollars, most commercial breeders
can only get around $35 per dog from a broker who in turns sells
to the pet store for around $75. In order to make a profit and
cover costs, corners must be cut, and puppies must be churned out
at a furious rate. The cut corners are the animals themselves:
their housing, their health, their cleanliness. Inherent in the
profit-making mills is the sacrifice of humane standards in order
to make a profit. What protection, if any, do these dogs and
their puppies have? On the state level, puppy "lemon
laws," existing in a handful of states , seek to offer consumers protection against buying
sick puppies. Although these laws do chip away at the production
of sick puppies, they do not address the inherent problem of the
whole system: the selling of dogs for profit. No one has more power to fight puppy mills than
the consumer. In each individual's hands is the ability to stop
the cycle of abuse that ends with the purchase of a puppy mill
puppy at a pet store. It's that simple. Most puppies sold in pet
stores come from puppy mills. Because it is virtually impossible
to determine the quality of the breeding facility listed on the
puppy's papers, the more humane option is simply not to buy the
dog at all. Although the consumer may be assured that your State Canine Control papers guarantee a quality dog, in reality,
nothing is further from the truth. When you're ready to bring a dog into your
life, visit your local animal shelter. Millions of homeless dogs
are waiting at animal shelters for life-long, responsible homes.
You won't be supporting the puppy mill industry, and at the same
time, you'll be fighting the tragic pet overpopulation problem.
If you are interested in a particular breed, your animal shelter
can help you locate a breed specific adoption group that will
match you with the type of dog you want. In addition, some humane societies and animal
shelters are working in cooperation with pet supply stores in
adopting out shelter animals. Check with your local shelter to
find out who they may be working with in your area. Unlike buying, adoption usually focuses on
matching the adopter's lifestyle and habits with the animal's
needs and characteristics. When an animal is sold, profit
comes first. Most pet stores will sell an animal to almost
anyone. A young puppy may be sold to someone who may not have
the time to take care of her. The profit motive only puts the
animal's interests in jeopardy. Outrage at the conditions found in many puppy
mills has brought increased awareness to the issue. Legislators
listen to calls and letters from constituents, and plan their
priorities accordingly. Contacting your state and federal
representatives does makes a difference. On the personal level,
resolve to inform friends, neighbors, and family about the puppy
mill issue. Many people who care deeply about animals are not
always aware of the connection between the pet store puppy and
the breeding female trapped for life in a mill. There is light at the end of the tunnel for
dogs housed and bred in puppy mills. Collectively, we can fight
an industry that views dogs as mere profit machines. Dogs, our
best friends and companions, deserve our best effort. After all
the licks, wags, and love they have given us, we owe them this
fight. Their lives depend on it. FastCounter by LinkExchange Visitors since 1998 |
Until
recently, the ugly truth of puppy mills has been hidden. But when
problems with many of the puppies bought at pet stores across the
country began to surface, consumers and animal lovers alike began
asking hard questions. Puppies with seizures, parasites,
infections, bacteria, and behavioral problems were being seen far
too often to be merely coincidental. 
