Article about puppy mill!!
 

It seems that all of the sudden a lot of things about puppy mills are showing up in the paper! :) This was in the opinion section, but hey, it's out there!

"Only buy puppies from known breeders
Marilyn Hondorp. Animal friends for education and welfare. East Windsor-
If you feel bad for the puppy in the window-you should see his parents.

Looking for a puppy at a pet shop? Ask where these dogs came from. Most likely they were bred in Iowa, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, or Oklahoma. If so, then you will no doubt be the "proud" owner of a puppy-mill dog.

Most often the pet shop owner will deny they get dogs from a puppy mill. Be consumer-wise - ask to see the paperwork. Lancaster, Pa., is one of the largest puppy-mill producers and it's "just around the corner."

Did you know these puppies were bred from a mother who was probably bred every heat cycle from when she was 5 to 6 months old, living her entire life in a pen most likely no bigger than a two-drawer file cabinet? Breeding with her brothers, sons and other relatives, she will be bred until she wears out and cannot be bred anymore. Then she will be destroyed.

Her puppies may suffer from both physical and psychological problems stemming from poor breeding or inbreeding-possibly not showing up for one to two years. Many of the pet-shop purebred dogs that rescuers are seeing nowadays have either health or behavior issuses and are between the ages of 1 and 3.

Did you know puppy-mill puppies are often housed in unsanitary conditions with cages stacked one on top of the other with their waste falling from top to bottom? That they live in crowded wire cages and are denied human companionship? And that between unsanitary conditions and poor treatment in transport, only half survive to make it to the "market?" Did you know purebred papers do not gaurantee the health, temperment, or even the gender of the animal? They only serve as a registry.

As hard as it is to walk away from the pet store and that little puppy or kitten, remember your purchase encourages the continuation of puppy mills and only buys a lifetime of misery for many others. Many pet stores across the country do not sell puppies and kittens, but instead offer space to rescue organizations and shelters and encourage responsible placement of animals in loving homes. Cat breeding occurs on a smaller scale but under similar conditions.

If you are looking for that speical breed, then look to a reputable breeder through a veterinarian or, better yet, a breed rescue group or shelter. Twenty-five percent of dogs and cats in shelters are purebreds. Remember, for every animal that you adopt, you save two- the one you adopted and the room you make for the next homeless pet to be rescued.

I think the media does this during the holiday season typically because there are a lot of people considering pets for presents. It is really good for public awareness. :thumbup:

It's great that the word is getting out there.. opinion section or not! Thanks for sharing!

Thank you for sharing .

this is really good!!!
 

this article gets a BIG thumbs up from me :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: ! I'm actually trying to shut down a puppy broker from nebraska as we speak. The pup died 4 days after I got him, and was obviously a puppy mill baby. I wish I had been better educated about puppy mills, and puppy brokers.The world needs more articles like this to make people aware. Thanks for sharing this with us!!!!! :)

I would like to know your progress with this and the steps you are taking. I just bought my puppy last Saturday and he has been to the vet twice in the last week for kennel cough and pneumonia....hoping he gets better. I would love to fight the puppy mill I go thim from.

I'm so sorry to hear about your baby being sick, tucker, teddy and I send hugs :p !!! What I did first was post all the info about the broker, who posed as a breeder, and what happened to me and the pup that died, on a online public forum, where I posted the brokers name,where I found her listings and my contact info. Soon complaints and similar stories started pouring into my email inbox. Some of us filed with the BBB, and have the state general investigating her as we speak. We also had her listings removed from puppyfind.com by leaving our horror stories on there review section(puppyfind.com was her main means of selling her puppies). These poor babies suffer SO much because of careless greedy brokers and puppymills. The first thing i would do would be to file with the BBB (www.BBB.com), they weren't much help, but it's always good to have your complaint on public record, and then contact the animal control in the puppy mill's, or pets store area, and report them as possibly having an outbreak of kennel cough. Also contact the mill's or petstore's local attorney general's office, and file a report. Also, try googleing the place where you got your baby, and see what comes up, there may be other people who have suffered the same as you, and find a way to contact them. A support system is always great, plus others might have additional info that can help you. Also, educate others about this puppymill mill or petstore. I actually stopped a yorkietalk member from buying a puppy from this puppy broker who posed as a breeder Doing this will not only save others heartcache, but it will also hurt there business and slowly force them to stop what they are doing to these innocent pups :( . I hope it works out for you and your baby. If I can help in any other way , please ask!!! hope this helps!!!

Thanks so much for all the information. Right now I really don't have the strength to fight. I am spending every moment trying to make my ne wbaby better. But as soono as he is, I will get right on that. There have been tons of threads in this forum about who I bought my puppy from(wish I would have came across them before I acted)....so I know there are others like me out there.....Once again, thanks so much. it gives me hope that maybe I can make a difference.

No problem,glad to help!!!! I know you much be going through a lot right now, i really hope things look up for you and your puppy. If you ever need any thing else, i'm here.

aww Reesesmom and Ehunney, I love seeing the members on this forum helping each other out! :)