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Why You’re NOT Doing a Good Deed When You “Rescue” that Poor, Pleading Pet Store Puppy

By: Casey Lomonaco

“If you think that puppy mills are so horrible, why aren’t you buying these dogs and rescuing them from the awful situations they’re in? Why aren’t you encouraging your clients to buy them so they don’t end up in shelters or rescues?” This is a summary of a comment left on one of my previous Dogster posts about the behavioral effects of puppy mills.

It’s rare for me to respond to comments on the Dogster blogs I’ve written (time is a precious thing when you’re an entrepreneur like me!), but I felt this particular comment needed addressing, since it taps into what I find to be a very pervasive myth — that you are doing a good deed when you purchase a dog from a pet store or “rescuing” this dog from the puppy milling cycle.

Buying a puppy from a pet store is NOT “rescuing” the puppy from the mill cycle; it is making a cash contribution to the perpetuation of a cycle of greed which sees puppies as commodities. Puppies are big business to all millers, and like all businesses, puppy milling operates on the supply and demand principle. No business stays open without client support. Each pet store puppy purchased positively reinforces the pet store and miller for inappropriate breeding practices.

Of course, I hate seeing a single dog suffer for any reason. I really hate seeing millions of dogs suffer for a single reason — lining the wallets of individuals who prey on the pain of sentient beings.

It’s hard to see a 6-month-old puppy, too big for its crate, with its large, sad, brown eyes begging you to “please take me home. Get me out of here.” But essentially, taking that dog only frees up that crate for the next 6-month-old dog who has missed the opportunity to spend its critical stages of development with a family who will treat him well. Eventually, another well-intentioned dog lover will feel pity for him and take him home. The cycle continues, ad infinitum.

I hate the puppy mill industry on two levels. I hate it for the dogs — I hate that mill-breeding dogs are made to live in squalor their entire lives, never seeing a moment of compassion, never knowing what it’s like to feel grass on their feet, the fun of learning a new trick, the pleasure of a deep sigh on a warm bed after a great hiking adventure.

I hate that these dogs are given inadequate medical care and inappropriate nutrition and have substandard living conditions. I hate that puppies are taken from their litters too early, transported during critical fear periods, and are placed in environments which are dangerous to their physical and behavioral development. I hate that my new client’s Chihuahua mix, recently purchased from a local pet shop at 5 months old, is terrified of children and most adults, and has already learned that biting hard is a very effective strategy for creating space, already drawing blood daily, nearly every time someone tries to touch him.

I hate the industry for what it does to pet owners, too. The mill industry is a scam, and its employees are con artists — selling dog owners and their dogs a lifetime of frustration for exorbitant prices. My new client wanted a cute and wonderful puppy. She loves dogs. Her heart melted when she saw a puppy cowering and trembling in his crate, and she took him home. Now she’s afraid of her puppy, and her puppy is terrified of life. She didn’t get a pet, she got a behavior modification project; likely the result of a combination of poor genetics and extremely poor experiences during critical socialization periods. She wanted to take her new doggy to new places, new experiences, to give him all the opportunities he’d been denied in early puppyhood. She won’t be able to do that for some time, and is likely looking at an extensive training investment (financially and in terms of her time), plus a lifetime of careful management.

People who buy puppies from pet stores are not bad people. I would venture to say that virtually every person who purchases a puppy from a pet store a) doesn’t know about the mill industry or b) does know, falls in love, and honestly wants to help this one dog have a fantastic life with a loving family. But how we as pet owners invest our money is bigger than us, bigger than this one dog on this one day in this one pet shop.

Will the investment you make the next time you bring a dog into your home break or perpetuate the cycle?

Related posts:

1. Spread the Word: Puppy Mills & Pet Stores
2. Airline’s Puppy Deaths Spark Debate About Commercial Breeders
3. Puppy Mills Bite

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Check out Modern Dog editor-in-chief Connie Wilson’s take on the massacre of 100 sled dogs in Whistler, BC. I can’t even begin to tell you how furious, sick, sad and appalled this makes me. I hope that everyone will ban Outdoor Adventures Whistler in Whistler, BC… they are the disgusting company who ordered these poor dogs to be murdered instead of adopted out.  Let’s not let this happen EVER again. -A.G.

By Connie Wilson for Modern Dog Magazine

It has just come to light that last spring, after the 2010 Winter Olympics held in Vancouver, BC ended, 100 Alaskan Huskies were ordered slaughtered by the Whistler, BC company who used them to take tourists on dog-sledding adventures. That these dogs were exterminated when no longer needed rather than be given the chance of adoption by families who would love them is unconscionable. Secondly, their “execution” was tragically inhumane. The employee tasked with killing the animals claimed that the deed pretty much destroyed his soul (he was compensated for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Those poor dogs were treated as a commodity, used to make a profit for their business owners, then disposed of like trash when business fell off following the Winter Games. It breaks my heart. The BC SPCA would have taken all of those dogs. Not one of them needed to have perished.

That this mass murder took place in Whistler, a community close to uber dog-friendly Vancouver, BC, where I live and where Modern Dog is published from, is scarcely believable. My province of BC has many, many hard-working and devoted individuals dedicated to working with organizations such as the BC SPCA as well as countless independent rescues in order to enlighten and educate people on the humane treatment of animals. Just recently, Richmond, a city located on the outskirts of Vancouver, ruled it illegal for pet stores to sell dogs, thereby helping increase the numbers of dogs adopted, but also, importantly, halting dog “impulse buys” and pet store acquisition of “stock” from puppy mills.

How, in an enlightened community of dog lovers, could this tragedy have happened? I have no answers. But I am hoping the lesson taken is that we all must be vigilante in continuing to promote kindness towards and protection of animals and by our examples hopefully influence others who have yet to understand. The RCMP has begun an inquiry and further details on this massacre will undoubtedly be in the news over the coming weeks. My hope is that those people who think animals can be used for profit with little or no thought to their needs or wants will realize that there are consequences to their actions.

To watch video coverage on this click here.

Related posts:

1. Adopt a Stuffed Pet to Help a Real One
2. No Sled? No Problem!
3. Top Five Reasons to Adopt a Dog

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From the Humane Society of the United States:

Can you imagine forcing your pet dog to live his or her entire life in a small wire cage with no human companionship, toys or comfort, and little hope of ever becoming part of a family? That is what life is like for a puppy mill breeding dog. Help us stop this cycle of cruelty that contributes to pet overpopulation and the suffering of countless dogs.

Puppy mills have been around for decades. They continue to thrive because they prey on unwitting consumers who are smitten by too-cute-for-words puppies in pet store windows and on legitimate-seeming websites. Puppy mills house dogs in shockingly poor conditions. After their fertility wanes, breeding animals are often killed, abandoned or sold cheaply to another mill to try and get “one more litter” out of the dog. The annual result of all this breeding is millions of puppies, many with behavior and/or health problems.

Learn how to shop smart if you’re thinking about getting a dog, and join Colbie Caillat in helping to spread the word about the cruelty behind the cuteness.

And be sure to sign the pledge to stop puppy mills! Choose not to buy your next pet from a pet store or Internet site, and refuse to buy supplies from any pet store or Internet site that sells puppies.

Related posts:

1. Tony La Russa Helps Fight Puppy Mills in Missouri
2. Top Five Reasons to Adopt a Dog
3. Puppy Mills Bite

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Fido’s File Now an Open Book

By STEPHANIE LULAY slulay@stmedianetwork.com Jan 1, 2011 8:34PM

Starting Saturday, pet buyers will potentially receive much more information about their puppy’s origins than those who bought a dog in 2010.

Animal advocates are hoping that a new state law will help diminish the number of puppy mills and unlicensed breeding facilities in Illinois, where animals can potentially live in substandard conditions that cause serious illness.

Beginning Jan. 1, pet stores and animal shelters are required to post the history of a dog or cat, disclose the name and address of the animal’s breeders, keep a record of medical conditions, vet treatments and vaccinations and any known congenital or hereditary defect of the animal. The animal’s parents, date of brith and breed also must be disclosed.

The animal’s history must be signed by the customer and a pet shop representative before the sale or adoption can be finalized and the pet is taken home.

Previously, stores were required to disclose this information only when requested by the buyer. In some cases, the information wasn’t provided until the sale was final.

The legislation, signed by Gov. Pat Quinn in August, is designed to protect consumers from unknowingly buying or adopting pets that come from substandard facilities as well as to hold breeders accountable for the health and quality of their animals.

In a letter to Illinois pet shelters, state veterinarian Mark Ernst of the Illinois Bureau of Animal Health and Welfare, wrote that the new records will be reviewed during routine inspections.

While the law strengthens disclosure requirements, Linda Nass, manager of the Aurora Animal Control shelter, said she isn’t sure the new regulations will protect pet buyers.

“(The store) has got to show where it’s coming from, but that doesn’t ensure anything,” she said.

Nass said she adopted a dog from the Aurora shelter and knew of the pet shop and breeder it came from, but when she researched the breeder, “I couldn’t find anything,” she said.

Mary Lawrie, administrator at the Kane County Animal Control shelter in Geneva, said she thinks the information that the state is now mandating will help people, but she’s not sure how much.

“The requested information will help people, and if they understand what they need to look for, that will be a good (change),” Lawrie said.

But Greg Gordon, owner of Naperville’s Dog Patch Pet & Feed, said he doesn’t think the new rules will work.

“I don’t think there’s enough teeth in this to get anybody unscrupulous to stop doing what they are doing,” Gordon said. “… There are always going to be people who find their way around this.”

That includes the “Basement Pirates,” people who have made a business of selling dogs out of their basements or at highway stops. Falsely representing themselves as reputable breeders, they have no qualms about lying about the origin of an animal, Gordon said.

“If you pick up the classifieds, you will find 10 of these,” he said. “Those guys aren’t going to be affected by (the law.)”

Gordon closely followed the passage of this bill in Springfield this year. In anticipation of it becoming law, he said his store has been posting the histories of its dogs for the past six months. Previously, that information was given only to the person buying the dog.

The new rules won’t change business practices at the Aurora and Kane County shelters, which already were in compliance.

Nass said the Aurora shelter started using kennel cards with all of the same information when they changed software systems a few years ago.

“When they go to adopt, they get everything,” she said.

Lawrie said the Kane County shelter already has been 99 percent compliant with the new law.

“We’re an open-book facility,” Lawrie said. “We already provide that information in one place.”

With any pet purchase or adoption, Nass said it is the best decision to get the animal checked out by a family vet. If the vet certifies the animal has a health problem, the Aurora shelter will allow an exchange of the animal.

With any purchase, it’s all about doing your research, Nass said.

“If someone goes to a breeder or a pet store, they really need to do research on that animal,” Nass said.

Sun Times Media contributed to this report.

Related posts:

1. Airline’s Puppy Deaths Spark Debate About Commercial Breeders
2. Spread the Word: Puppy Mills & Pet Stores
3. USDA Fails to Crack Down on Puppy mills

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Puppy Love & Bunny Hops: 10 Reasons Why You Should Adopt A Rescue Animal

by Gala Darling

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Sometimes I’m overwhelmed by the amount of happiness that our dogs, Hank Williams & Dolly Darling, bring to our lives. You can read about how they made their way to us here: Happy Birthday Hank Williams! & Introducing Dolly Darling!

If you’ve been idly considering adopting a new member of the family, I’m here to try to push you over the edge & make it happen! But more than that, I’d like to encourage you to choose a rescue animal. Below are 10 reasons why I think you should adopt a little rascal from an animal shelter!

10. Pet stores often source their dogs from puppy mills.

If you don’t know anything about puppy mills, have a read. They are essentially breeders who will endanger dogs in the pursuit of making a buck. Some of them are almost ethical, while some are horrendous — & it’s almost impossible to know where the dogs in your local pet store came from. Pet stores will often tell you their dogs came from a breeder in the area, & the one way of being sure is asking to look at the paperwork. (Most people don’t know to do this.)

The dogs in puppy mills are treated atrociously. The mothers are forced to breed through every heat cycle until their body physically cannot support it any more, & then they’re either killed or sold to a laboratory. They are “de-barked” by using absolutely disgusting, brutal methods. These dogs often have extremely serious illnesses or psychological problems (as you would, if you were stuck in a filthy cage all the time), & they often die young or create major problems for the families they’re adopted into. The whole thing is revolting from start to finish.

The most effective way to shut down the puppy mill industry is to stop buying their dogs! It’s an excellent reason to pick up a pup from another source.

9. An adult cat or dog can often be a much more sane option than getting a puppy or kitten!

As adorable as a kitten or a puppy can be, they are a LOT of work! If you have no experience housebreaking a dog or socialising animals, you might find yourself in for a world of pain!

My parents & I got a puppy when I was about 7 years old, & we had no idea how to train her. She peed in the house about once a week until the end of her life — she was 13 when she passed. We loved her regardless of our lack of education on training a dog, but that’s a LOT of pee!

While most shelters have young animals available if you want them, if you want a more seamless integration of your new pet with your family & lifestyle, think about adopting an adult! They have often already been trained, socialised & this can save you a lot of trauma, heartache & carpet replacement!

8. Having a pet is good for you.

Pet therapy exists for a reason! When patients with dementia spend time with animals, they become less agitated & more interested in social interaction. Patients with AIDS find that animal therapy helps combat feelings of loneliness & depression, & increases happiness. Pets control blood pressure better than drugs (!!!), they encourage you to go out & get exercise, & they reduce stress. Just spending a few minutes petting an animal will reduce your blood pressure. Additionally, having a dog will require you to have a routine, which in turn makes you feel needed & gives you a stronger sense of self-esteem!

Dogs can actually help alert people to the fact that they’re about to have a seizure (& get them to lie down), help prevent those with Parkinson’s Disease from falling & assist in getting them vertical again, or notify their owner to the fact that they’re about to have a hypoglycemic episode! Amazing!

For anyone who doubts these facts, you only need to take a quick look at this article on the physical & medical health benefits of owning pets!

7. The idea that rescue animals are somehow “damaged” is simply not true.

Yes, some animals that have been in shelters have been abused or were given away because they had behavioural problems that their owner simply couldn’t handle. But not all! With the economy the way it is, many animals are put up for adoption because their owners can’t afford to keep them any more. Having an animal can be expensive, & if you’re in a position where you have to choose between feeding your child or looking after an animal, most people will choose their children.

The fact of the matter is that the most responsible shelters won’t adopt out animals which have severe behavioural problems, or who are aggressive, but you do have to do your due diligence. Spend some time with your prospective pet, & get to know it a little bit before deciding to take it home. (The best shelters won’t let you take an animal on the first visit, anyway.) Take it for a walk, play with it, & see whether you’re compatible.

There are a few questions you can ask, though, which will help work out if this pet is right for you:

• What are the origins of the animal? Was it turned in by its owner, was it a stray or did it come from another shelter? How long has it been in the shelter? The more information you can get about your pet, the better.

• How old is the animal? This will help you determine whether it will get much bigger, whether it is still in its “naughty” young stage or if it’s old & grumpy!

• Does the animal have any medical or behavioural problems? Has it been trained? Has it been spayed or neutered? Is it up to date with its vaccines?

• Are you able to bring the pet back if it’s not a match with you & your life?

• Consider whether the animal will fit in with your family. How much exercise does it need? Will it get along with your children or existing pets?

6. Adopting a rescue animal is a beautiful lesson in compassion.

Gandhi said, “The greatness of a nation & its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

When you welcome an abandoned cat or dog into your family, you are leading by example & teaching everyone around you a valuable lesson.

The only way to teach compassion is by showing & demonstrating it. If you have children, one of the best things you can teach them is how to take care of something which needs their love & assistance.

Through doing this they’re able to learn empathy — that invaluable skill of being able to understand another’s feelings, sensing when they are uncomfortable & being able to adjust your own behaviour to make things more pleasant for them. The idea, of course, is that they take these lessons they’ve learned from having a pet & extend them out to all their future relationships & interactions!

You know the amazing thing? This theory actually works.

5. It’s not just compassionate — it’s actually good for your children.

“Researchers at the University of Leicester found that children between birth and age six years in pet-owning families will have better social skills, better speech, better co-ordination, more confidence and will be less likely to suffer from allergies.” (Source)

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4. If you want a purebred dog, don’t despair!

You don’t have to go to a breeder & fork over mega-bucks if you have your heart set on a purebred dog, because between 20-30% of dogs in shelters are purebreeds!

While the majority of dogs are mixed breed, purebred dogs are just as prone to being put up for adoption as any other. If you run out of money, or you no longer have the ability to care for your dog (for whatever reason), it doesn’t matter whether it’s a poodle or a mutt. Circumstances are circumstances!

It’s extremely sad that people feel the need to give up their animals, but it happens, & their loss can be your gain! If you’re looking for a particular breed of dog, visit a few shelters & see what they have available… But don’t let your quest for an immaculate LowChen blind you from seeing the adorable, lovable mix in the corner!

3. It’s estimated that almost 4 million cats & dogs were euthanised in shelters in the U.S.A. in 2008.

This fact really speaks for itself.

56% of dogs & 71% of cats which enter animal shelters are euthanised. (That’s a fancy way of saying “killed”.) More cats suffer this fate because they’re less likely to have any identification, while dogs more often have a collar with tags. (Source.)

That’s one of the best reasons to adopt from a shelter that I can think of. You are literally saving lives.

2. Knowing that you rescued an animal will amplify the joy of having it in your life even more.

It breaks my heart & brings tears to my eyes when I think about the fact that no one wanted crazy little Dolly. Sure, she’s nutty. Yes, she is 80% tongue & she likes to taste EVERYTHING! But that’s who she is, & she’s such a good dog. She is so loving & she just wants to cuddle with everyone.

She is such a sweetheart & she makes people smile when she walks past. How could no one want her?! It’s so insane to me, I don’t understand.

Maybe I’m delusional, but I feel like one of the reasons Hank & Dolly are so loving is because they’ve been abandoned before & they really appreciate having a good home. They sleep in our bed, under the covers, every night. They eat better than most people (all organic, with glucosamine for their joints & coconut oil in every meal). We love on them constantly. It’s so horrible that anyone would want to throw them from a moving van (in Hank’s case) or just abandon a tiny, pregnant puppy (in Dolly’s case).

I really hope that the love we give them outweighs the pain of the neglect they’ve suffered in the past. I don’t think it works like that, but we still try.

1. Animals are amazing.

Animals love you unconditionally. No matter what happens, they’ll still adore you, still be happy to see you every time you walk through the door, still want to cuddle you every night.

Dogs will protect you from intruders & keep you safe when you’re walking them. (Someone would have to be insane to try & pull anything when I have Hank next to me, & no one’s ever going to try to break in once our crazy two start barking!) Cats will curl up on you & purr so loudly you think they’re powering up for supersonic flight. Fish will gape their big mouths at you & birds will flutter their wings.

Whatever your animal preference is, there is one out there just waiting to love on you. Give it the opportunity & you’ll be rewarded beyond anything you could possibly imagine.

P.S. If a pet isn’t quite right for your lifestyle right now, you could make a donation to your local animal shelter! They always need more funding & would really appreciate your help. Another option is to become a foster owner (thanks Elana!). Ask your nearest shelter for more information!

Peace, love & pink orchids,

Related posts:

1. Top Five Reasons to Adopt a Dog
2. Adopt-A-Pet: Helping People Rescue Dogs
3. Why You’re NOT Doing a Good Deed When You “Rescue” that Poor, Pleading Pet Store Puppy

On November 2, animal lovers everywhere will be watching election returns from the State of Missouri as its citizens decide the fate of the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act, which will appear on the ballot as “Proposition B.” If passed, the Act will vastly improve the lives of dogs in Missouri’s commercial breeding operations by limiting the number of breeding dogs to 50 per facility and requiring basic elements of humane care including clean water, regular exercise and adequate rest for female dogs between litters.

With just over three weeks to go until Election Day, Missourians for the Protection of Dogs/YES! on Prop B—a coalition of animal welfare groups that includes the ASPCA—has intensified its efforts to get state voters to the polls by producing and airing four short television commercials. The first 30-second ad, which you can watch below, began running on October 4 in St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, Columbia/Jefferson City, Joplin and Cape Girardeau.

Although the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act would be a state law, its passage would have far-reaching implications around the country. Known as the Puppy Mill Capital of America, Missouri supplies more than 40 percent of all dogs sold in pet stores nationwide and is home to more than 3,000 commercial dog breeding facilities—as many as the next three largest dog-breeding states (Arkansas, Oklahoma and Iowa) combined. It is estimated that nearly 70 percent of puppies sold in New York City pet stores come from Missouri.

Please help Missouri’s puppy mill dogs—our nation’s puppy mill dogs—by supporting Prop B in whatever way you can. Post the video on your Facebook page or blog, tweet this article, and visit www.yesonpropb.com to see how you can support the cause, even if you live outside of Missouri.

Paid for by Missourians for the Protection of Dogs / YES! on Prop B, Judy Peil, Treasurer

Related posts:

1. Tony La Russa Helps Fight Puppy Mills in Missouri
2. Please Vote for Jene & National Mill Dog Rescue: Oprah’s Your Own Show
3. April is Prevent Animal Cruelty Month

On Saturday, Pink attended the Puppy Mill Awareness Day event at La Brea Tar Pits in El Lay, which helped raised awareness of the horrors of puppy mills and encouraged potential pet owners to “Adopt, Don’t Shop.” She later tweeted out:

“Its “puppymill awareness day”and I just got back from the incredible event at La Brea Tar Pits. Chris DeRose is amazing. No more puppy mills!!”

“Puppy mills are awful, filthy, cruel places where dogs never see daylight, sleep in their own feces, and r bred over n over for pet stores.”

“Boycott pet stores people!!!!”

I’m glad that another celebrity is spreading the word about puppy mills and the importance of adopting. Educate the people around you and let’s stop the cruelty of puppy mills!

Related posts:

1. Animal Planet Investigates Petland
2. Top Five Reasons to Adopt a Dog
3. YAY for Hermosa Beach!

Thinking of adding a pet to your family? Here are five reasons to adopt your new best friend.

1. You’ll save a life
Sadly, between 3 and 4 million dogs and cats are euthanized each year in the United States simply because too many people give up their pets and too few people adopt from shelters. Because there is limited space at shelters, staff members sometimes need to make very hard decisions to euthanize animals who haven’t been adopted.

The number of euthanized animals could be reduced dramatically if more people adopted pets instead of buying them. By adopting from a private humane society or animal shelter, breed rescue group, or the local animal control agency, you’ll help save the lives of two animals—the pet you adopt and a homeless animal somewhere who can be rescued because of space you helped free up.

2. You’ll get a healthy pet
Animal shelters are brimming with happy, healthy animals just waiting for someone to take them home. Most shelters examine and give vaccinations to animals when they arrive, and many spay or neuter them before being adopted. In addition to medical care, more and more shelters also screen animals for specific temperaments and behaviors to make sure each family finds the right pet for its lifestyle.

It is a common misconception that animals end up in shelters because they’ve been abused or done something “wrong”. In fact, most animals are given to shelters because of “people reasons,” not because of anything they’ve done. Things like a divorce, a move, lack of time or financial constraints are among the most common reasons why pets lose their homes.

3. You’ll save money
Adopting a pet from an animal shelter is much less expensive than buying a pet at a pet store or through other sources. In addition, animals from many shelters are already spayed or neutered and vaccinated, which makes the shelter’s fee a real bargain.

4. You’ll feel better
Pets have a way of putting a smile on your face and a spring in your step. Not only do animals give you unconditional love, but they have been shown to be psychologically, emotionally, and physically beneficial. Caring for a companion animal can provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment and lessen feelings of loneliness and isolation in all age groups.

Pets can help your physical health as well—just spending time with an animal can help lower a person’s blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and dog walking, pet grooming, and even petting provide increased physical activity that can help strengthen the heart, improve blood circulation, and slow the loss of bone tissue. Put simply, pets aren’t just good friends, they’re also good medicine and can improve a person’s well-being in many ways.

5. You won’t be supporting puppy mills and pet stores
Puppy mills are “factory style” dog-breeding facilities that put profit above the welfare of dogs. Most dogs raised in puppy mills are housed in shockingly poor conditions with improper medical care, and the parents of the puppies are kept in cages to be bred over and over for years, without human companionship and with little hope of ever joining a family. And after they’re no longer profitable, breeding dogs are simply discarded—either killed, abandoned or sold at auction.
Puppy mill puppies are sold to unsuspecting consumers in pet stores, over the Internet and through newspaper classified advertisements to whoever is willing to pay for them.

Marketed as coming from great breeders, well-rehearsed sales tactics keep money flowing to the puppy mill by ensuring that buyers never get to see where the pups actually come from (a vital step in puppy buying). Many of the puppies have serious behavioral and health problems that might not be apparent for months, including medical problems that can cost thousands of dollars to treat, if they are treatable at all. Unfortunately, a lot of people are not even aware that puppy mills exist, so when they buy a pet from a pet store, online or other retail outlet, they are unwittingly supporting this cruel industry.

By adopting instead of buying a pet, you can be certain you aren’t supporting cruel puppy mills with your money. Puppy mills will continue to operate until people stop purchasing their dogs. Instead of buying a dog, visit your local shelter where you will likely to find dozens of healthy, well-socialized puppies and adult dogs—including purebreds—just waiting for that special home—yours.

Related posts:

1. Puppy Love & Bunny Hops: 10 Reasons Why You Should Adopt A Rescue Animal
2. Adopt-A-Pet: Helping People Rescue Dogs
3. Pink Says “Don’t Shop…Adopt!”

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The pilot initiative Unleashed harnesses kids’ enthusiasm for animal welfare to tackle the problem of homeless animals in New York City head-on.

A new initiative launching in New York City is inspiring adolescent girls to unleash their inner strength and ambition to help find sustainable solutions for curbing rates of homeless animals entering city shelters.

Called “Unleashed,” this pilot program will officially launch in middle schools in New York City this fall, but will already have a track record of having rescued more than 40 dogs.

The program’s mission, however, is not simply to take in and adopt out strays, says Stacey Radin, the founder of Unleashed. She aims to encourage young girls to work together and develop innovative action plans to help prevent issues like cruelty and overpopulation that lead to an increase in strays.

“I don’t want girls to think that simply rescuing is a solution to this problem,” Radin said. “Yes, we need to keep rescuing, but I want them to be thinking about this as a problem, and to be considering strategic types of solutions. These girls will become the social change agents that we need to make this happen.”

Radin, who has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, initially began developing Unleashed over the past few years with the sheer aim of sparking confidence and leadership in adolescent girls.

“Early influences shape a women’s perception of her power, and if you trace back powerful women to their beginnings, there is something in their early experiences that impacted their abilities to be powerful and to stand out, to be a non-conformist,” she explained.

Radin spent 15 months conducting focus groups with teenage girls of all ethnicities, in different socio-economic backgrounds, and found a common passion running throughout the groups: animals and animal welfare.

“One of the things they can wrap their heads around is animal cruelty and homelessness,” Radin said. “They can say, ‘I can help a vulnerable animal. Even I could impact an animal’s life in some way.’”

Forty-five girls, coming from three middle schools in Manhattan and Brooklyn, will now have the chance to do that starting this September, when they will meet once a week for the 12-week Unleashed program.

Guided by Unleashed facilitators, called “leads,” the participants will learn about animal welfare and then design events, campaigns or plans that offer some kind of solution to the problems they have addressed.

Enthusiasm in the focus groups was running high for the pilot program.

“Every girl in the focus groups was like ‘I want to do this, I want this to come to my school,’” Radin recalled. “There aren’t a lot of options for girls these age, who often become the forgotten population. They are too young to volunteer at a shelter or at a rescue organization.”

The girls also seemed to appreciate that the program made them the primary decision makers, Radin says, noting how community service projects their schools arrange might not appeal to their particular interests and leave them disengaged.

Animal welfare, however, seems to strike a chord with these pre-teen and teenage girls.

“This is something they feel strongly about and girls them a window into the larger injustices of the world,” Radin said. “The curriculum of Unleashed is really a social changing program, that is providing these girls the skills they need to take action about this important issue.”

Though Unleashed is only in its pilot stage right now, its warm public reception offers hope for expansion in the near future. Already, Radin has been asked to serve on the United Nations’ Task Force Working Group for Girls; she was also asked to participate in the New York Women Foundation’s World Leadership Day.

Radin’s own fifth-grade daughter, though unfortunately not eligible to be an Unleashed girl, offers a prime example of how other young girls stand to be impacted by animal welfare education.

“She does research on puppy mills and makes banners and puts them up all over her school,” Radin said. “She hates circuses and zoos and is just so aware of the injustice of how some animals are treated. It’s amazing to see how when you talk with girls at a young age like this and expose them to these issues how they internalize it and take action on their own.”

Story by Amy Lieberman, originally published August 2010 on Zootoo.

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Airline’s Puppy Deaths Spark Debate about Commercial Breeders

ASPCA Website

As animal lovers become more aware that purchasing a dog from a pet store supports the inhumane practices of puppy mills, commercial breeders are using online sources to get their dogs directly into homes across the country.

On August 3, seven puppies died of suspected heat-related complications in the cargo hold of a plane en route from Tulsa, OK, to Chicago, IL. The victims were seven of 14 pups transported by the airline, and reportedly came from a commercial breeder in Oklahoma—many of the puppies were booked on connecting flights, making it likely that they were purchased online by buyers in different cities.

“Puppy mill operators are creating professional looking websites that convincingly dupe consumers into thinking they are reputable breeders,” says Cori Menkin, ASPCA Senior Director of Legislative Initiatives. “A sure way to spot a scam is that they often offer to ship the dogs to the buyer without ever meeting in person. No reputable breeder would ever ship a puppy to a buyer sight unseen.”

Buying a puppy over the Internet is just as risky as buying from a pet store—you can’t see the puppy’s breeding premises or meet his parents. Furthermore, those who sell animals online are not held to regulations established by the Animal Welfare Act.

“The Animal Welfare Act requires breeders to be licensed and meet specific minimum standards of care for animals bred for resale, but a loophole allows puppy breeders who sell directly to the public—which includes over the Internet—to go unregulated,” says Menkin. “They are able to keep inspectors away and operate without being accountable to anyone.”

“The bottom line is the only way to be sure your new puppy isn’t a product of cruel and inhumane conditions is to see for yourself where he lives—visit the breeder’s facilities and meet the puppy’s parents,” Menkin states. “Or better yet, adopt from your local shelter.”

For more information on the risks associated with buying a puppy in a pet store or online, please visit our online Puppy Mill campaign.

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