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04-22-2005, 01:08 PM | #1 |
YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Effingham, Illinois
Posts: 2,535
| Dog Auction article continued... Many of the dogs were unable to stand normally. They had been in cramped wire kennels for so long that they had lost the ability to straighten their legs. One woman posed the dogs as if they were manikins, jerking their legs into show position as the dogs screeched in pain at the sudden manipulation of their joints. Her face was numbingly blank. I had to look down to conceal my anger and revulsion. My escort looked at me knowingly. I excused myself for a moment and went out for a breath of the cool September air. As I stood there, I reflected on humanity’s claim to the moniker “Homo Sapiens.” We did not seem very wise to me at that moment. “Homo Barbaricus,” maybe. I turned and walked over to the other side of the building, where the dogs were kept before they were auctioned. “Hey,” I said to the man at the door. “I got in late and didn’t get to see the dogs I want to bid on. Can I go back and see them?” Leaning against the wall by a large, open garage door, he looked at me over his cigarette and nodded. I was not prepared for what I saw next. I walked into the large, dimly lit room. Cages were stacked four and five deep. Some dogs I could hardly see, as the stacks of wire cages were too high. I am a tall man, and I had trouble seeing into the top cages. As my eyes adjusted to the dim fluorescent lights, I could see cards on the kennels identifying the dogs, the breeders, and the buyers. As I looked closer, I saw that the cages were all made of bare steel wire, including the bottoms. There were no trays or bottoms other than the rusty wire mesh of the cages. The dogs were forced to urinate and defecate on each other. No wonder it stank like it did. The dogs stank, too. I shuddered inwardly to think that my personal number would soon be back here. Then, I remembered my mission and felt somewhat comforted. At least the dog I bought would be spared an even worse fate. The walls of the room were lined with kennel pens for the larger dogs, floored with more rusty wire mesh. There was just enough room to walk between the piles of kennels and the kennels built into the walls. The sidewalks were built in a shallow V-shape to allow the dog’s urine, feces, and diarrhea to flow into a trench at the bottom of the ‘V.’ There was a slow, constant flow and the stench of dog waste made me feel sick. The only fresh air available came in through the open garage door where I had entered. I started to breathe through my mouth, which was hardly better. I could taste the smell, like an oily covering on my palate. My stomach churned, but I kept going. I looked into a few cages and made notes as if I were examining the dogs. Then, unexpectedly, I came around the corner to my personally worst shock. The three Shetland Sheepdogs were in a bottom cage, huddled together like little, furry rag dolls. The lively light in their eyes was gone, unlike my Shelties at home. One stared past me like a shell-shocked soldier, not even seeing me. So this was what “kennel syndrome” looked like first hand. I held out my hand and talked to the little Blue Merle. She might as well have been on Mars. I waved my hand in front of her face. No reaction at all. The other two shivered in the bottom of the wire cage in apprehension. They were conditioned by their inhumane treatment to fear humans, not love them. There was no lively curiosity in their manner, no life, or hope in their eyes. Tails curled around their pathetic little paws, their fur was matted with filth from the cages above them. Urine dripped on to the Merle’s head. She was oblivious to it, as she was to all the commotion around her. Tears filled my eyes. Suddenly, I felt rage instead, How dare we, the ones ordered by God in the book of Genesis to be “stewards over all of creation and all that it contains”, treat these poor creatures in this manner? Who did we humans think we were? Didn’t these people know the meaning of the word “steward?” I recalled the posters about the “Professional Pet Industry” hanging in the auction hall with anger. What is “professional” about treating animals this way? This was their “breeding stock.” If nothing else, wouldn’t it be logical to treat their “stock” well, and keep them healthy and happy? One doesn’t see farmers treating their dairy cattle this poorly, for example. They realize the value of their stock. This, I decided, was industrial exploitation, not professional industry. All the posters and the posing by their public relations people were revealed to me in that moment as a cynical sham. I was angered and ashamed to be a member of the human race in that instant. I shook my head and went back to the auction hall to bid. We were ultimately successful and a puppy was saved. But, it was just one. I already was full of rescues and had nowhere for three more. My heart ached all the way home. I had nightmares for a week afterwards. It took me a couple of months before I could face this story and try to tell it in a semi-detached manner. In this, I may have failed. I am not a journalist, and on this subject, I cannot be detached. The puppy-mill and pet auction system is nothing more than cruel and cynical exploitation of animals that we humans bred to love and serve us. This, in the final analysis, is what makes this system so abhorrent. As we drove out of the area, the rescue group pulled over and pointed out the auctioneer’s house for me. It was obviously much more valuable than the rest in the area, with a huge, cathedral ceiling living room. Two expensive cars sat in the driveway, and a swimming pool squatted on the back lawn. A sunroom on a huge deck overlooked the pool. Obviously, the wages of sin were very high in this neck of the woods. The author wishes to remain anonymous so that he can continue to rescue puppy mill dogs. HOME |
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04-22-2005, 01:24 PM | #2 |
Got Mojo? Donating Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Miami
Posts: 1,117
| no words can justify this.. It is a shame that we, humans, the "thinking" race can do such a thing
__________________ Thati & Mojo |
04-22-2005, 01:25 PM | #3 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Westminster
Posts: 168
| How can we put an end to this? (besides not buying)
__________________ >>> Kelly & Rylee <<< |
04-22-2005, 01:39 PM | #4 |
YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Effingham, Illinois
Posts: 2,535
| I don't know. I wish I did. We can't even stop human child abuse in this country. Missouri is BY FAR the worst state in the US to have puppy mills. Around 56% of all pet store puppies come from mills in Missouri. Perhaps we can get on a letterwriting campaign to the legislatures in MO and KS (second worst) and call attention to the problem. There should be federal penalties for this kind of inhumane treatment, otherwise these mills will just move from state to state. If you really want to get educated on this, go to StopPuppyMills.com. There are lots of statistics and USDA "regulations" on this site. |
04-22-2005, 02:09 PM | #5 |
Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Florida
Posts: 197
| Oh God another tearful day. it just breaks my heart. God if I was wealthy enough I would definitely find away. Maybe if just made a website or something and put it in the search engines. I don't know but I want to do something.
__________________ ~~Sydnee's Mommie-Viki~~ |
04-22-2005, 02:34 PM | #6 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 38
| This is so ridiculous!! I feel like as I was reading this everything in my body was sick. I dont know what can be done..but I do know that with all of the knowledge and support from so many people who love and respect animals.. something can be done. I want to be apart of any organization that is fighting to stop this treatment. This is so upsetting to me. I 'm going after my goal to become a lawyer and I pray that maybe I can use that degree to help animals however I can. I feel so hepless..I want to be able to do something now. I plan on doing some research and finding a place to write letters or do something. I just cant get over reading about that!! Thank you for posting this.. it has really opened up my eyes . |
04-22-2005, 06:02 PM | #7 |
YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Effingham, Illinois
Posts: 2,535
| Whatever you do I'll help you!!!! |
04-22-2005, 08:11 PM | #8 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: south suburbs of illinois
Posts: 734
| I cant even begin to explain how i feel after reading that. I mean It's like total sadness then disgust then anger but yet all the while there is just this feeling of absolute horror. That is so well written it was like i was actually there. how does someone involved in those auctions not feel those types of emotions. better yet how do they live with themselves. Imean eeensor said it best by saying we cant even stop child abuse how do we even begin to try and stop this. Please let us know if there is anything we can do I would surly help anyway I can. sue P.S please send my thanks and my blessings to those who do go undercover and try and save if at least one of those porr dogs/puppies. |
04-22-2005, 08:52 PM | #9 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: YT!
Posts: 548
| This is bad This is bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad how bad
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