Unless otherwise stated, the following information was
obtained from various issues of the ASPCA's online
newsletter "Animal Watch".

The sale of dogs through pet shops is a national disgrace. Many of us wonder what
we as individuals can do to help stop this miserable practice. Uttering personal
complaints, writing hate mail, organizing protests, etc. are not effective measures in
the limitation of the commercial pet market. Any breeder who anonymously
auctions puppies or sells them to pet stores is not going to respond to anything less
than legal action. But now, through the inspiration of Meg Carter, the individual
citizen can be empowered. A caring person can help! The following are some steps
that may result in some positive consequences:
1. Feign interest in the pet store puppy and its litter in order to get the kennel name
and other details about the breeder. Be pleasant to the pet store owner or manager.
2. Verify the kennel name with the AKC. This can be accomplished via

4. Notify the petstore or auction place that it must register with the USDA in order
to legally sell live animals. Give them 24 hours.

5. Send an e-mail to the Breed Club with the details of the breeder and the
auction/pet store name. Most clubs have a breeder code of ethics which specifically
prohibits the intentional sale of dogs at auction and/or petstores. If the breeder IS a
member, the club would want this information. To find breed-specific clubs use one
of the Internet Search Engines and search on breed name+club and the website will
be provided if it exists. Usually these sites have an e-mail address listed for
feedback.

6) Notify the USDA by e-mail about the specifics of the breeder and the
auction/pet store. Provide all possible facts...particularly if the auction or pet store is
not registered as a dealer. The USDA has publicly stated that one of the biggest
enforcement problems is that puppy mills and dealers can avoid Federal oversight
by failing to register).
Basically, anyone breeding and selling a significant volume of animals must be
licensed as a Class A Dealer. Anyone brokering, transporting or handling a
significant volume of animals or using animals in a research setting must be licensed
as a Class B Dealer even if it is only a small part of the business.
So, airlines, for example, are registered as Class B Dealers. This is because the
passenger can bring a cat, dog, lizard, or bird on board the flight. Universities are
also registered as Class B Dealers if they use animals in scientific, medical or
psychological experiments.

Phone: 202-720-2791 (this is the USDA contact number, ask for APHIS)
US Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Attn: APHIS
Washington, D.C. 20250

If it is suspected that a puppy mill or pet store is breaking other laws then they
should be pursued on all fronts! Caring people need to know the enforcement
agency for the law that is being broken. For example, selling guns without a license
would be the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. So, it would make sense
to use Yahoo! (a popular search engine: www.Yahoo.com) to search on those
keywords and get to their site. All of the Federal Government Agencies and
Departments have web sites. So do many State ones.

Rest assured that there are simply not enough Class B licenses to account for all of
the pet stores selling animals.

So, when you see a pet shop selling dogs or cats, do some
research. Notify the pet stores and their breeder/suppliers of the
law. Give them a short amount of time to comply and then
report them! Let the appropriate breed club know so they can
add their voice to the chorus.

Puppy Mill Nightmare

Canine victims suffer deprivation and death in nightmare puppymill

This is a graphic description of conditions in a puppy mill. It is not a composite of several
different facilities, but an actual account of a "kennel" recently visited by members of a breed
rescue group. It is not an indictment of breeders or commercial kennels but is a depressing
reminder that such horrors exist and require redress. The accompanying sidebar and the
editorial both comment on possible solutions to this abomination.

By common definition*, a puppy mill is a business whose sole product is puppies, a harmless enough
definition, even if a little cold. However, there is no way to define, no words to describe, the horror of a
puppy mill to make it real for the reader.

So, a story about one particular puppy mill that could be one of many, in any of our 50 states.
The grounds of this puppy mill are a mess. The grass is not mown, and the weeds are more than eight
feet tall. Everywhere you look, you see trash -- rusted cars, dog crates, bags of feces, mounds of
feces, pieces of worn out furniture, an old bathtub -- and empty food and water bowls, and dogs, dogs
and puppies everywhere. In random places there is barren earth covering shallow graves.
There are multiple barns and outbuildings, all in disrepair. Attached to the barns and buildings are chain
link kennels. These kennels have plenty of dogs in them, but no food and water. They are filthy from
one end to another; the concrete is covered with excrement.

Inside, the barns are as cluttered and unkempt as the grounds. One of the barns is a place of death;
there are dead dogs here, some only skeletons, some so badly decayed that only hair and skeletal forms remain,
and some more recently passed on, rotting plastic bags of something that nobody ever loved.

The house where the people live is totally unbelievable. Unless you see it with your own eyes, it is hard
to believe that any human could reside in such a place. The house is more cluttered than either the
grounds or the barns. Everything imaginable is thrown over, on, and around boxes stacked from floor to
waist. There are some pathways between the boxes, but in some places you must crawl over the mess
to reach your goal. Careful -- there's dog feces everywhere. In the kitchen, there's a puppy pen. In the
pen, feces overflows onto the floor, six inches deep. There are empty crates, half full of feces in some
rooms.

The dogs are emaciated. It's evident that they spend a good part of their time hungry. They live in filth.
There is no clean water, no dry, clean place to lie down. The dogs are filthy, their coats full of urine
and feces. Because of the filth, there are flies; most of the dogs have missing pieces of ears, eaten
away by flies. Where there is water, it is mostly green.

The kennel walls are damaged and unrepaired, giving the dogs free access to each other's kennels.
Multiple dogs in one kennel results in continual fighting, injury, and death. Most females are pregnant
by whatever male breached the walls. Puppies are in kennels with several adult dogs. These uncles
and aunts, brothers and sisters attack, maim, and sometimes kill. Sometimes the babies are only injured
and must endure their pain until death comes. A mother dog with babies gets no special pre- or
post-natal care -- no extra food, no extra space.

At this mill, a mother dog is found in a shed with a litter of pups. The windows and doors are shut,
there is no water, and it is 98 degrees. Two of the pups are dead. Elsewhere, other mothers are dead,
leaving their pups to their own devices for survival. One mother is stuffed into a crate with her litter.
The crate is in a van, all windows and doors shut, no food or water. Under the empty water pail lies a
dead, stiff puppy. Across the yard, two pups are found alone in a crate, no food or water. Remnants of
several litters are together in one kennel.

Most of these dogs should never have been bred because they carry genetic diseases that cause pups
to be born weak and deformed. There is no veterinary care here; there is very little human care or
contact. There is certainly no love, except perhaps between the animals.
In addition to the overwhelming picture of clutter and filth and crowding, there are the sounds and
smells of despair and decay. The odors of urine, feces, and death are strong, so strong they physically
hurt your nose. They make you feel you must constantly clear your nose, your mouth, even your
stomach. The sound of crying dogs assaults your ears. And the eyes of the dogs reach, probe into you,
begging for food, for water, for peace, for safety, for love.

This particular puppy mill was raided. The dogs were taken from this life of despair. They were given
veterinary care, plenty of food and water, and placed with people who understand the breed, who
know how to give love and care. All the dogs will be spayed or neutered. No more puppies from these
dogs will be born into the world of neglect they came from. Some of the dogs were emotionally
traumatized and are being helped with loving care and behavior modification. Eventually, they will be
placed in homes where they can live the remainder of their lives as part of loving families.
In spite of the pain and revulsion, you cannot hear too often what a horror these places are. In spite of
increased publicity in the past few years, many people do not know or understand how loathsome the
conditions at puppy mills can be. Pet shops that sell dogs bred in these hell holes thrive and so do the
puppy mills. Too often, people think the puppy mills are "out west somewhere," and that there is
nothing we can do to stop them. But puppy mills have been found in Ohio, raided in Ohio, and still exist
in Ohio. If we are aware that this is our problem, in our communities, and then if we care enough to do
something, then and only then will puppy mills cease to exist.

* There is a distinction between a legitimate commercial kennel, which also exists to produce
and sell puppies, and a puppy mill. The former is generally clean, provides veterinary care for
the pups and adults, and socializes the pups somewhat before shipping them to retail outlets.
The latter is a squalid death trap for dogs, cluttered, overcrowded, disease-ridden, and
foul-smelling. Commercial kennels are registered with the USDA under the federal Animal
Welfare Act; puppy mills fall through the regulatory cracks.

-- By Linda Smith --

This article first appeared in Dog Owner's Guide, the Cincinnati, Ohio, USA bimonthly canine
newspaper for pet and show dog owners. To subscribe by mail send your mailing address and a check
for $10.00 for 6 issues to:

Dog Owner's Guide, 8461 Denallen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45255
(US only, please)

Every year, approximately half a million mill puppies die before they even make it
to a pet store. Millions of stray animals and shelter animals awaiting proper homes
die each year as well. Combining the facts of these two tragedies can provide a
compelling opportunity for your students to learn that their family's decisions about
where they obtain their companion animals is a very important one. A family can
have a measure of control over the physical health and behavior of their dog by
being careful to choose one who was bred in a healthy environment. They can
also help stamp out a cruel and greedy industry that is trading the lives of puppies for profit,
and at the same time give a home to one of the desperate animals crowding America's shelters.
Puppy mills, which are mainly located in America's Midwest and in the state of Pennsylvania, breed
millions of puppies each year in cramped, unclean, cruel conditions. The dogs who are forced to
produce these puppies are overbred. The puppies are removed from their mothers far too early, and
never have a chance to be properly socialized. The result of this "factory" method is puppies who are
sickly and have congenital defects and bevahioral problems. These dogs are then transported to pet
shops across America. The ones who survive the trip make up approximately 90 percent of the dogs
found in pet shops. That means those who buy a dog from a pet shop have only a one-in-ten chance of
getting a healthy dog with a good temperament.

While parents should be the ones to make key decisions on what kind of dog a family brings into its
home, your students should have some input as well. Let them know that they can help steer their
parents in the right direction by steering them away from pet shops. There are a number of alternatives
to pet shops that will help ensure that their family obtains a healthy, happy companion animal:

Local Humane Society/SPCA/Animal Shelter: Perhaps the best choice, shelters provide a number
of animals to choose from, ensure that animals and adoptees are compatible, and are an affordable
choice. Adoption fees are usually quite low, and adoption packages usually quite generous.

Reputable Breeder: If the family wants a particular breed, a reputable breeder can provide a healthy
animal, and also ensure compatibility, though the costs are higher. Families can contact a national breed club
or a local dog club for a referral to a reputable breeder.

Purebred Rescue Group: There are many breed clubs that run rescue groups for animals of
particular breeds. This is a good way to obtain a purebred dog and make sure he or she is a dog who
really needs a home. Rescue groups can be found by contacting a national breed club or a
local animal shelter.

While it may be difficult to resist buying a pet who is looking at them longingly from a pet store window, they can in fact help animals throughout the country by boycotting pet shops. Let them know that each person who refuses to give business to a pet shop is helping to stamp out a cruel "business" and reduce the number of healthy animals who must go without a home.

Fighting for Their Lives

ASPCA and Local Police Bust Pit Bull Fighting Ring
by Dana Lynne Singfield

Dog fighting for money and "sport" is on the rise nationwide. Thomas Sommerville, ASPCA senior
director of Humane Law Enforcement, attributes the increase to a proliferation of gang and drug
culture, in which pit bulls are macho dogs of choice, forced to fight other canines to prove their owners'
toughness. They also make formidable guard dogs if trained to protect property and people.
Though generally an underground sport, dog fighting becomes more visible as the weather warms and
dog owners stage impromptu contests. "Now that the summer is here, you're going to see a lot more of
these dog fights," adds Sommerville. "They fight them in the park, in abandoned houses."
The ASPCA is targeting organized dog fighting rings in New York State, launching its effort this spring
with a bust in Nassau County, NY, that resulted in 20 arrests and the seizure of 8 pit bulls.
"This year we really want to do an offensive into dog fighting because it's becoming such a popular
thing in the streets in the New York City area," Sommerville explains. "We've been working with police
departments and district attorneys throughout the region."

Following a six-month investigation, ASPCA agents, along with local and county police, executed a
search warrant at a home in Hempstead, Long Island, where dogs were fighting in contests to the
death in a bloody basement. Authorities charged four people with animal fighting, a felony punishable
by up to four years in jail, a $25,000 fine or both. At press time, those four were awaiting grand jury
action. Police also charged 16 attendees with cruelty to animals, a misdemeanor. All 20 were released
on bail.

The dogs seized are in the care of The ASPCA, being treated for various wounds. One required
amputation of his tail.

For some, dog fighting is a serious sport. Avid dog fighters work hard to get a dog in fighting form.
They may use steroids to increase the dog's bulk, as well as vitamins and antibiotics to protect the
animal from infection during a fight. Some owners exercise their dogs on treadmills to increase stamina
and muscle tone.

Many owners place a small animal, such as a kitten, in a cage in front of the dog on the treadmill.
When the dog grows tired, usually after an hour or two, the owner will release the kitten to the dog so
that the dog grows used to the taste of blood and the instinct to kill.

Dog fighting rose in popularity in England after that country outlawed bull baiting in 1835. It was
especially common in the Staffordshire coal mines, where workers would stage fights in hastily dug
pits. Hence the name pit bull, which is commonly used to describe several similar breeds of dog.
Though dog fighting has given pit bulls a reputation for ferocity, they can make excellent pets if an
owner knows what to look for and can invest lots of time into the animals' training and care, says
Jacque Schultz, ASPCA director of Companion Animal Services.

"They can be fabulous dogs, but they require a little more, not unlike rottweilers or some of the other
more tenacious or stubborn breeds," Schultz explains.

If you suspect someone is involved in dog fighting, watch for these signs: a scarred, hurt or
bleeding dog; lots of people coming and going at a residence, sometimes accompanied by dogs;
lots of noise at the residence, such as excessive barking. Anyone with information about dog
fighting in New York State can contact ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement at (212) 876-7700,
ext. 4452. Residents of other areas should contact their local humane society or shelter for
information on filing a complaint.

Puppy Wholesalers

Some powerful canine advocates in the House and Senate --
more than 120, in fact, including Bill Bradley, Barbara Boxer, Alfonse D'Amato,
John Glenn, John Kerry, Edward Kennedy and Arlen Specter -- made a renewed effort to clean up this
shameful problem last summer when they wrote to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Secretary Dan Glickman, a former Congressman. The concerned legislators expressed their support
for revisions being considered that would upgrade standards and enforcement of the thousands of
"puppy mills" in the United States. While a USDA workshop on the matter was delayed several times,
it finally was held on April 10. Agriculture Undersecretary Michael Dunn admitted that it is taking too
long to solve this problem and labeled it a priority. The ASPCA applauds real efforts to combat the
inhumane breeding of countless purebred puppies (more than 2 million are registered through the AKC
alone annually). Class A dealers, the breeders and mill operators overseen by USDA APHIS
inspectors, are not only moving puppies at an abnormally young age, but are producing genetically
flawed dogs unable to thrive because they are malnourished and lead unenriched lives in filthy,
overcrowded facilities. They are simply a farm crop to wholesalers who can earn anywhere from
$85,000 to $225,000 a year by non-stop overbreeding of bitches. Please write to your members of
Congress and ask them to keep pressure on the USDA to strengthen regulations and enforcement of
puppy wholesale operations. Also, write to USDA Secretary Glickman and urge him to take immediate
action.

Panning Puppy Mills

Dog lovers who practice humane
consumerism can make a difference!
by Anthony E. Shaw

Since "Prisoners of Profit" appeared in ASPCA Animal Watch, Winter 1996 (p. 20), readers have
made it clear they mean business when it comes to shutting down puppy mills. Thanks to all of you
who wrote to Secretary of Agriculture Glickman urging more stringent regulation of the industry.
Thanks, too, to readers who shared their wrenching stories, such as the couple who purchased a
rottweiler from a Long Island, NY, breeder only to lose the beloved dog to lymphoma six years later
and then learn it ran in her family line. Another letter and news clipping covered a puppy mill owner
who was run out of Idaho only to set up shop in Washington state due to lack of regulations there. And
to those of you who pointed out the AKC's lack of discrimination in issuing registrations, thereby
supporting the inhumane mills, you are right.

Many of you wrote to ask for specifics on how to find a responsible breeder in order to avoid buying
from a puppy mill directly, an irresponsible "backyard" breeder or a pet shop, the puppy mill pipeline to
dog owners. If your local shelter is not to be the source of your next canine companion, here are some
tips on humane sources you can tap for a healthy, temperamentally sound purebred.

ASPCA Companion Animal Services advises contacting National Breed Clubs, whose secretaries can
provide listings of reputable local breeders and information packets containing questions you should ask
of the breeder. You also can request a copy of "Selecting the Dog of Your Dreams" from:

ASPCA Companion Animal Services, 424 East 92nd St., New York, NY 10128-6804.

Robin L. Adams, President of Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue in Sinking Spring, PA, right
in the heart of puppy mill country, publishes a brochure listing 25 questions to ask breeders. First, she
offers, look for a responsible breeder who will only breed when he or she has a waiting list for pups.

Among other things, the breeder should:
     provide certificates of health clearance for genetic defects in the parents, the age of the parents
     and references from other clients; have a limited AKC registration, meaning your pups' pups can't be registered,
and ask you to sign a spay/neuter contract; be willing to take the dog back for any reason. Knowing the breeder
wants to insure the well-being of his or her litters for life indicates a "sincere desire to sustain and improve
the breed rather than make a profit," explains Adams.

Chris Jackson, National Coordinator for Dalmatian Rescue, adds that the breeder should be willing to
show you the mother and litter in their home. And, he explains how crucial it is that prospective
purebred purchasers carefully research the breed in which they are interested. Dalmatians, for
example, are high-energy dogs who require extra doses of exercise, attention and training, and are
prone to certain genetic health problems. Careful breed research means less impulse shopping and
need for rescue intervention.
In short, doing your homework with reliable sources should guarantee a humane route to bringing home
a companion canine.

Anthony E. Shaw is ASPCA Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer.
 

  CARE FOR THEM.
THEIR LOVE FOR US IS,
UNDESERVEDLY,
WITHOUT CONDITION.

Permission to use the information obtained from the ASPCA's online newsletter "Animal Watch"
was requested via e-mail on 3 June 1999.  To date no response to this request has been received.

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