Dent County Animal Welfare Society (DCAWS) in Salem, MO got 2 sets of moms and pups into the shelter yesterday. The puppies are very young, probably about 2 weeks as they have just started opening their eyes. We REALLY need to get them out of the shelter ASAP as a shelter is no place for young puppies!! There is a black lab mama with 10 pups and a small (30 lbs.) shepherd mix mama with 9 pups. They all came from the same home where there was an unneutered German Shepherd, so we are thinking that dad of both litters could be a GSD. Both mamas as very good moms and are also sweet girls. We are looking for a foster home that could take mom and pups until the pups are old enough to go to new foster homes OR a no-kill rescue that we could transfer mom and pups to. Please contact Ali at afoley5@slu.edu if you can help! Thank you!

PetShopPuppies is an excellant blog to learn more facts about Puppy Mills

According to the data we have collected in over 6000 puppy reports, there are approximately 1500 pet stores in the U.S. that sell puppies.
This chart from Petshoppuppies shows state by state how many pet stores each state has. Very informative blog.
Pet stores vary from small "mom and pop" stores to large franchise stores, but all claim they don't get their puppies from puppy mills. Are they lying, and if so, how can they get by with lying? The truth is that most pet stores get their puppies from brokers (middle men licensed by USDA to buy and sell puppies on the wholesale level). The brokers buy their puppies from mostly USDA licensed breeders. To better understand how USDA licenses breeder and brokers, visit our page on puppy mills. While you and I may have no doubt in our minds as to whether a USDA licensed kennel can be a puppy mill, it is simply our own interpretations -- pet stores have a right to their own opinion, so technically, they have not lied to you.

Pet stores often claim they visit all of their breeder's personally. This, from our experience at PetShopPuppies, is an outright lie. If a pet store tells you this, you need to be informed and ask the right questions. How many dogs did the breeder of this puppy have? Can I have a copy of their USDA inspection? Did the puppy's parents live in the house or in kennels? Are the kennels raised wire hutches? How large are the kennels? Can you give me the breeder's phone number so that I can call them? Chances are, the pet store owner will refuse to answer any of your questions to your satisfaction.

Pet stores often have a health guarantee; there are many things you must watch for before you buy a puppy from a pet store. Will the guarantee cover ALL medical expenses, regardless of the cost? If you spend $800 on a puppy, and the puppy requires a $10,000 hip surgery, will the pet store pay for it? Will the pet store only let you use their vet? What if you don't feel your puppy is being properly cared for -- will they cover the cost of a vet of your choice? If not, why? If your puppy dies from a disease such as parvo, will the pet store refund your purchase price, or require you to get another puppy that might also be sick? If your puppy suffers from hip displaysia two years after your purchase, will they cover the cost of the surgery -- will they refund you the price of the puppy -- or will they require you to bring the 2 year old dog back to them for a new puppy? Read your guarantee carefully -- you will likely find that your choices should your puppy become ill, are not an option for you and your family. Your puppy is not a defective toaster, it is a part of your family.

Dog adopts rescued piglet and helps nurse her back to health » DogHeirs | Where Dogs Are Family « Keywords: Golden Retriever, piglet, Kansas

Dog adopts rescued piglet and helps nurse her back to health » DogHeirs | Where Dogs Are Family « Keywords: Golden Retriever, piglet, Kansas

Tommy Lee Speaks Up for Animal Adoption
'I would highly encourage people not to buy animals from a pet store'
By Steve Baltin
April 9, 2012
Tommy Lee and Bowie.Mia AnelliBefore heading out on the road for Mötley Crüe and Kiss' joint tour, Crüe drummer Tommy Lee is enjoying some quiet time at home with his new puppy, Bowie. "He’s got these crazy gray-green eyes. I love David Bowie and it was either Bowie or Bam," Lee tells Rolling Stone. "We ended up going with Bowie just 'cause of his eyes. He looks like Bowie, dude."

When Lee and his girlfriend Sofia decided the time was right to bring a four-legged friend into the household, they decided to adopt. "We went to a couple of different shelters and we ended up over at East Valley in Van Nuys and there he was, just sitting there with three other dogs. And we were like, 'Oh my God, we gotta get this guy a home. Who could abandon this fucking thing? This is the cutest thing on the planet. I want to kill whoever let him go,'" Lee says.

Anyone who's ever rescued a dog can empathize with Lee's anger, which is why the drummer is speaking out on behalf of adoption. "The [shelter] is scary. It is loaded with beautiful dogs and I would highly encourage people not to buy animals from a pet store," he explains. "They’re bred for all the wrong reasons, for mostly money and it’s just kind of a bad scene. We ended up going [to the shelter] and I’m so glad we did."

Cori Menkin, Senior Director of the ASPCA's No Pet Store Puppies campaign, hopes that Lee's fame will encourage others to consider adoption, too. "Having someone like Tommy Lee and other celebrities send this message out to their fans really raises the awareness on this issue. It’s such a huge boon," Menkin tells Rolling Stone. She also hopes that Lee's words will alert others to the prevalence of puppy mill dogs. "We did a survey and about 80 percent of people said they wouldn’t buy puppies from a puppy mill, but about 80 percent said they didn’t know pet stores' puppies come from puppy mills."

Lee isn't an official spokesman for either the cause or the ASPCA, but he is happy to speak up purely as a dog lover. "If you have any compassion at all, it doesn’t take a building to fall on me to go, 'Hey, man, look at all these amazing pets that have been abandoned or abused.' And they have literally seven or eight days in a lot of these shelters before they get euthanized and it’s like, 'Oh, man, you’re kidding me? No one’s come to get this dog? It’s got two days left and you’re sitting there going, ‘If I could, I would steal all of you guys.’” But I can’t," he says.

Lee and Bowie will get a lot of bonding time in future, as Lee will be taking the dog on tour. "The road gets pretty lonely, man, sometimes," he says. "It kind of gets repetitive sometimes, so having your little buddy with you is gonna be ripping, man. I can’t wait."

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tommy-lee-speaks-up-for-animal-adoption-20120409#ixzz1re8aE43z

Another City Cracks Down On Puppy Mill by not allowing Pet Stores !

South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
Hallandale cracks down on puppy mill sales at pet shops
By Carli Teproff, The Miami Herald
April 8, 2012
In the same week Broward County leaders adopted a no-kill animal control policy for the county's shelters, Hallandale Beach took its first step toward banning pet stores from selling animals that come from a mass breeder.

While these laws are different — one aims to reduce the number of animals euthanized and the other is meant to prevent sick animals from being sold in a pet shop — they both send the same message: Adopt from a shelter or rescue group.

"This has been a big week for animals," said Lisa Mendheim, public education coordinator for the Broward County Animal Care and Adoption Center.

These ordinances will join another law already on the books in Parkland where pet stores are prohibited from selling dogs from a puppy mill.

Hallandale Beach Commission made it clear last week they support people getting pets from shelters and rescue groups rather than pet shops.

On Wednesday — in front of more than 100 animal lovers who came in support — the Hallandale Beach Commission adopted an ordinance banning pet shops from selling animals that did not come from a shelter, were not surrendered by an owner or did not come from an on-site breeder. The new ordinance still has to pass on second reading.

The city joins 16 other cities across the United States including Lake Worth; Austin, Texas; and West Hollywood, Calif. in banning pet shops from selling mass-produced animals.

"The animals can't speak for themselves," said Hallandale Beach Commissioner Keith London. "We need to have compassion in our lives and make sure those that can't speak for themselves have a voice."

Michele Lazarow, of Hallandale Beach, said she has been asking the city to consider the law for years after she bought a Maltese in a pet store that came from a breeder.

Puppy mills, Lazarow said, breed sick dogs.

The dog, named Alfie, was four months at the time. Now 7, Alfie suffers from a disorder that prevents him from digesting protein.

"He has no quality of life," Lazarow said. "This is about humanity."

The ordinance is more symbolic than anything else. There are no pet shops within the 4-mile city other than PetCo, which only works with shelter animals. But the proposed law would make it difficult for future pet stores to actually sell the animals.

A few years ago there were two pet stores in the city, but both have shut down. Best Price Puppies, formerly at 645 W. Hallandale Beach Blvd., was shut down after constant protests and complaints that the shop sold sick animals.

Other pet stores outside of the city have also faced problems, including Wizard of Claws in Pembroke Pines. The store's owners faced lawsuits from clients who said they'd been sold a sick puppy and eventually filed for bankruptcy.

14 Common Dog Behavior Myths Decoded
By Mikkel Becker, vetstreet.com

Although dog training has become more of a science than a craft in recent years, some persistent myths still mislead us when reading canine behavior. Don't let a myth harm your relationship with your pooch. Here, we dispel 14 common myths and look at the facts.

Although dog training has become more of a science than a craft in recent years, some persistent myths still mislead us when reading canine behavior. Don't let a myth harm your relationship with your pooch. Here, we dispel 14 common myths and look at the facts.

1. An old dog can't learn new tricks.

False. Old dogs not only learn new tricks but they thrive when trained. My late Pomeranian, Mr. Teddy, who was adopted at an estimated 10 to 13 years of age, was a training superstar in Vetstreet videos, which were filmed two weeks before he passed away. By the same token, older dogs without housetraining experience as puppies can successfully be housetrained. As long as a dog is mentally and physically capable of learning to perform a behavior and is properly motivated, it's entirely possible to train her. While intense agility training for Teddy was not realistic, teaching basic commands was.
2. A dog shouldn't sleep with you or be allowed on furniture, or she'll think she's the boss and will misbehave.

False. Just like humans, dogs simply want a comfortable place to lie down. If comfort can be combined with being next to their beloved human, whether it's right next to you on the couch, or even on top of your lap, then they're all for it. In rare cases, dogs will guard their sleeping and resting areas, and will show aggression when humans approach these sacred areas. This type of behavior will require remedial training. But for the average Rover, sleeping in bed or resting on the couch has no adverse behavioral effects.
3. When your dog has a potty accident, it's important to rub her nose in it to let her know what she did.

False. When you rub a dog's nose in her own mess, she often sees no association between that and her having had a potty accident. Nor does rubbing her nose in her accident teach her not to potty on the floor again. Instead, rubbing her nose in her accident teaches her that humans are dangerous and unpredictable, and she will likely begin to hide in safety by sneaking into another room to go to the bathroom, making housebreaking even more difficult.

4. A dog who cowers from people was likely abused in the past.

False. There are various reasons for dogs cowering, and not all of them are because a dog was abused. Commonly, the dog was not properly socialized or had negative experiences during her prime socialization period as a puppy. Genetics also play a role in the fearful dog. Other reasons for a dog to duck away might be that she has learned to dodge people who try to grab her collar, or she is uncomfortable with petting, such as having her ears handled. Unfortunately, well-meaning strangers often approach dogs by bending over the top of their heads and reaching down to pet, which will send timid dogs into a cowering position. A better way to approach is by getting into a kneeling position, with your body turned toward the side, and then inviting the dog to approach you. If you practice this method, it will be less likely to cause a canine to cower.
5. Shelter dogs have too much baggage. It's better to adopt a puppy to start with a clean slate.

False. Many shelter dogs are well-behaved pooches who, for an endless list of possible reasons, could not be kept by their original owners. Older shelter dogs make ideal candidates for people wanting to skip the puppy stages of chewing, potty training and mouthing. The interview process at most shelters also pairs canine candidates with the family setting that will best suit the dog's temperament, which can create cohesion from the beginning.
6. All dogs should enjoy being around other dogs. It's essential for dogs to go on outings with other dogs, such as at the dog park. If a dog doesn't enjoy other dogs, there is something wrong with her.

False. Not all people are social butterflies and neither are all dogs. Some dogs may prefer solitude and only a small, select group of people. Dogs also have their own preferences when it comes to other canines. Breeding can play a big role in their sociability, with terriers being notorious for contentiousness with other pooches. Other times, whether from lack of socialization as a puppy or simply an individual preference, dogs may not enjoy canine comradery. Even though plenty of dogs enjoy the dog park, not all of them enjoy the idea of dozens of other dogs frolicking around them and would instead prefer a quiet walk with their owners.
7. You should let dogs just fight it out when they get into a scuffle.

False (well, at least partly false). It's true that you should never get into the middle of a dog fight, because some of the most damaging dog bites occur when owners try to separate fighting dogs. There are some tactics you can use to break up the scuffle without actually getting in the middle of the fray. Try using water, a really loud noise, or even a distraction like grabbing a treat bag or using voice to direct them to do something else. Owners should do everything they can to prevent another fight in the future. Often dogs don't settle matters on their own, and fighting intensifies over time, especially with dogs in the same home. This calls for advanced training with the help of an animal behaviorist or a certified professional trainer.
8. My dog is trying to show she's in charge when she doesn't listen to me.

False. It's easy to attribute human motives like "getting even" or "being spiteful" to our dogs, but dogs don't have the same complex emotions as humans. The more realistic reasons why a dog doesn't do what's being asked is either because she doesn't understand what she's being asked to do, or the dog doesn't have the proper motivation to want to perform the behavior. For example, most dogs don't come when called because the payoff isn't worth it. When they do, they usually are put on a leash or taken into the house when they'd rather stay outside.
9. My dog knows she was bad after she goes potty in the house. Her guilty face says it all.

False. Dogs show a perceived "guilty face" not because they feel an actual emotion of guilt, but they are actually showing appeasement behaviors in response to their owners intimidating body language. Whether we want to or not, it's difficult not to display negative body language when we're upset with our pets. A 2009 study by researcher Alexandra Horowitz at Barnard College in New York revealed that the "guilty look" dogs display is solely attributed by humans and has no relation to whether the dog is actually responsible for an offense. The study found that dogs who had not actually eaten the forbidden treat, but were scolded by their misinformed owners for eating a treat, showed guiltier-looking body language than dogs who had actually eaten the forbidden treat. The guilty look is simply a response of the dog to her owner's behavior.

10. It's always the owner's fault when a dog misbehaves.

False. Most owners are well-meaning, but are simply misinformed or lack knowledge on how to train their dogs effectively. Blaming the owner for all of a dog's problems makes for good TV, but there are a myriad of reasons why a dog misbehaves, including lack of proper socialization or preventive training, or even the genetic tendencies of the dog. It's important for pet parents to push past feelings of shame or guilt; instead get started in the right direction with help from a pet professional using positive reinforcement methods.
11. Using treats for training is bribery, and the dog won't do the behavior later if you don't give her a treat.

False. It's true that dogs need motivation to perform a behavior. That said, the motivation doesn't always have to be a food-based reward. Dogs can be rewarded in many other ways. Reward them with playing, petting or getting to go outside. They can also be put on a random schedule of rewards with a lottery-ticket-like system so they never know when the payout will come. This system helps keep them motivated. For example: learning to walk on a loose leash may be taught in the beginning by using treats, but once the behavior is learned, treats can be phased out so that the only reward becomes getting to go on the walk itself.
12. When a dog chews up shoes or destroys furniture it's because she's punishing the owner.

False. Dogs chew on shoes, furniture and other human items not to punish their owners, but simply because it feels good on their teeth, it relieves boredom, releases energy and, in some cases, may indicate separation anxiety.
13. A dog can't really be happy unless she can run off-leash.

False. Leashes are made for a dog's safety. They should be perceived as tools that keep your dog from running into oncoming traffic, going up to unknown dogs or people, and prevent them from running way. Although regular off-leash play in a fenced area is essential for a dog's well-being, while out in public, dogs can learn to be perfectly content on a leash at their owner's side.
14. Dogs are great judges of people, so if a dog doesn't like someone, it must mean there is something wrong with that person.

False. In the majority of cases, dogs who react aggressively or fearfully to a person are not doing so out of a negative moral evaluation of the individual, but are responding out of their own self-preservation. With that said, there have been plenty of circumstances where pets have used an apparent sixth sense to pick up on cues that went unseen by their human and actually saved their human's life. However, the majority of dogs I see in my training practice are unfriendly with a person because they are reacting out of fear to a certain physical attribute, movement or the physical proximity of a person, and are not reacting based on any moral evaluation of the individual.

Visit Your Local Shelter or Rescue !!!