CAPS Comes Through Once Again.....

CAPS and Others Convince VFW to Cancel Puppy Expo Event in Chicago Area Would have Featured Puppy Mill Dogs Date: 2010-02-12Publication name: CAPS Summary: The Chicago Tribune and The Daily Herald newspapers, which cover suburban Chicago, had ads for a "puppy expo" at the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) lodge in Villa Park. Puppy mill owners -- A USDA licensed “B” dealer from Oklahoma and a state licensed Missouri breeder -- were planning to transport their puppies to sell them at the expo on Saturday, February 13. This lodge held two puppy expos last year featuring the same breeders. The Companion Animal Protection Society, The Puppy Mill Project, shelters and rescues across Illinois, Missouri and Iowa, and many more concerned citizens bombarded the VFW with phone calls and emails about how they were appalled that our Veterans would allow puppy mill dogs to be sold. CAPS Chicago Campaign Coordinator Ida McCarthy educated VFW Commander in Charge Dennis Geiseman about puppy mills and inquired about interstate health certificates. Geiseman discovered the breeders did not have an Illinois license, which is necessary to sell more than five breeds of dogs. So, he refunded their money and cancelled the event. He stated "The VFW wants no part of puppy mills, ever...." The Villa Park lodge will no longer hold puppy expos.