View the world through the eyes of Hudson. His objective of this blog is to educate the public by trying to teach them not to buy a dog through a puppy mill. Don't buy a dog before you see where his parents live and how they are treated. Better yet ADOPT through a rescue or shelter and know you've done a good deed by saving a dog's life !!!
BREAKING: Long lost dog reunited with family after 20 months of separation!Gunnar went missing from his family's home in Verona 20 months ago. His family desperately tried to locate him, using every option at their disposal, but Gunnar was nowhere to be found. They had given up hope. Meanwhile, agents at City of Pittsburgh Animal Care & Control were on a different hunt of their own. Officers responded to a report of a loose dog in Squirrel Hill, but were initially unable to catch the fearful pooch because of his quick responses & the proximity of Frick Park. Continued sightings over the months aided them in their search & they even tried to track the dog's footprints in the snow. Their tireless efforts to bring him to safety were eventually successful & the dog was brought to our shelter for care. Thanks to a microchip, our staff members discovered that it was Gunnar! His family was notified & arrived at our shelter this morning to reclaim him. Needless to say, there wasn't a dry eye in the house!Video credit: Steve Stoehr, Allegheny County Dog Warden
Posted by Animal Rescue League Shelter & Wildlife Center on Tuesday, February 24, 2015
BREAKING: Long lost dog reunited with family after 20 months of separation!
Gunnar went missing from his family's home in Verona 20 months ago. His family desperately tried to locate him, using every option at their disposal, but Gunnar was nowhere to be found. They had given up hope. Meanwhile, agents at City of Pittsburgh Animal Care & Control were on a different hunt of their own. Officers responded to a report of a loose dog in Squirrel Hill, but were initially unable to catch the fearful pooch because of his quick responses & the proximity of Frick Park. Continued sightings over the months aided them in their search & they even tried to track the dog's footprints in the snow. Their tireless efforts to bring him to safety were eventually successful & the dog was brought to our shelter for care. Thanks to a microchip, our staff members discovered that it was Gunnar! His family was notified & arrived at our shelter this morning to reclaim him. Needless to say, there wasn't a dry eye in the house!
To amend chapter 267, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to agricultural data
collection.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 267, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be
2 known as section 267.169, to read as follows:
267.169. 1. No pre mise s re gistration data, animal ide ntification data,
2 environmental data, or animal tracking data collected by any state agency from
3 participants under the federal Animal Disease Traceability Program, nor any data
4 collected for the purpose of animal health or environmental protection shall be subject to
5 disclosure under the Missouri sunshine law in chapter 610.
6 2. Any unauthorized release of information under subsection 1 of this section with
7 regard to a particular entity or person regardless of the type or quantity of information
8 released shall be a violation of this section. Any entity or person alleging a violation of this
9 section may bring a civil action against a state agency in a court of competent jurisdiction.
10 A court may order any appropriate relief including damages in an amount not to exceed
11 ten thousand dollars, payment of reasonable attorney's fees, costs, expenses, and any
12 injunctive relief the court deems necessary and proper.
So the paranoid Puppy Millers are at it again. Any way for Joe Public and Mr. Average Citizen to not know what they do to the parent dogs they will push for. This is just one GIANT PARANOID BILL in hopes that it keeps the general public from knowing how they treat their breeding dogs. Please take time today to contact your local representative.
Missouri Legislative Alert! HB 79 would leave abused and neglected animals in the hands of their abusers; HB479 eliminates the ability to monitor animal welfare issues at dog breeding facilities
Dear Leanne,
Abused animals need your help now!
House Bill 79 is yet another attempt to severely weaken Missouri’s anti-cruelty statutes. It would effectively eliminate disposition hearings for animals that have been abused and/or neglected.
Law enforcement in many rural counties would discourage impounding abused and neglected animals if they did not have access to a timely disposition process, especially if the county cannot afford to care for the animals on a long-term basis. This could possibly leave animals in the hands of their abusers until the case goes to trial and is resolved.
That could be many months or even years.
Months for the animals to continue to be abused and neglected, or even die.
HB 479 would eliminate the Sunshine Law on animal health and environmental issues. This bill is an attempt to keep the public in the dark about how animals are treated at animal operations like commercial dog breeding facilities.
We've worked so hard to improve the standard of care for breeding dogs and stopping cruelty in Missouri's puppy mills: It is imperative that the ability to monitor animal welfare issues at commercial dog breeding facilities remains intact.
Missouri Senators need to hear from you!Tell them you do not want animals to remain with their abusers. Tell them you want animal welfare issues at commercial dog breeding facilites to be monitored.
Protect helpless animals: Stop Missouri House Bill 79 and 479.
Kathy Warnick President Humane Society of Missouri
Thank you for getting in touch with us. You're correct, animal cruelty is not something our state should condone. HB 79 has been voted out of the House Select Committee on General Laws, but has not yet been scheduled a hearing on the floor. Similarly, HB 479 has been passed out of the House Select Committee on Judiciary but has yet to be scheduled to be debated on the floor. If those bills are passed by the House and come to the Senate for debate (or any other bill that deals with those issues comes up for debate), Sen. Dempsey will keep your thoughts in mind. If we can help with any other district or legislative issues, please don't hesitate to let us know.
Hudson's original email to his senator Dear Senator
HB 79 has amended language that would severely weaken Missouri's anti-cruelty statutes and would effectively eliminate disposition hearings for animals that have been abused and/or neglected. HB 479 would eliminate the Sunshine Law on animal health and environmental issues.
As your constituent, I am writing to ask you to vote NO on HB 79 and HB 479.
Under HB 79, abused and neglected animals could be left in the hands of their abusers.
I support current Section 578.018 which allows state prosecutors to seek a disposition hearing for animals that have been cruelly treated and subsequently seized by law enforcement officials. I support the current statute which allows a judge to order such animals to be surrendered to a veterinarian, an animal control authority or animal shelter.
HB 479 would eliminate the ability to monitor animal welfare issues at commercial dog breeding facilities. Missourians have worked so hard to improve the standard of care for breeding dogs and stopping cruelty in Missouri's puppy mills: It is imperative that the ability to monitor animal welfare issues at commercial dog breeding facilities remains intact.
As your constituent, I ask you to please vigorously oppose HB 79 and any other legislation that seeks to modify Section 578.018. Please ensure animals will not remain in the control of those who have abused or neglected them.
As your constituent, I also urge you to oppose HB 479 and any other legislation that eliminates the ability to monitor animal welfare issues at commercial dog breeding facilities.
According to the ASPCA, approximately 4 million dogs enter animal shelters in the United States every year, but less than half of them are successfully adopted. New research suggests that labeling a dog a pit bull could reduce their chances for adoption.
Dr. Clive Wynne spends a lot of time thinking about dogs and their behavior — the kind of characteristics that can make a dog man’s best friend or potentially unadoptable. He runs the Canine Science Collaboratory at Arizona State University.
"Our mission is to better understand the relationship between people and their dogs and that extends into understanding the relationship between dogs and their wild ancestors," Wynne said.
Over time — Wynne thinks about 15,000 years — wolves evolved into the hundreds of breeds of dogs we know today. Through selective breeding, humans have assigned dogs different sets of traits and behaviors.
"So we know for example that Border Collies are a herding breed of dog and most border Collies given half a chance will round up anything else that’s in the house they’ll round up the cat they’ll round up the children right? That’s a typical herding dog behavior," said Wynne.
But other dogs were bred to display a more aggressive type of behavior "The pit that the pit bull is named for is the fighting pit – where people threw dogs together to fight each other and some people, regrettably, still do," Wynne said.
While dog fighting is now less common, the stigma of a frightening, powerful, aggressive dog is still associated with pit bulls and their name. And that name is a heavy burden on the dogs — especially when they show up in a shelter.
"It can be difficult to place pit bull breeds because the negative stereotypes are very high," said Michael Morefield, shelter operations manager at the Animal Welfare League in Phoenix.
He said pit bulls have the highest euthanasia rates and the longest lengths of stay in Maricopa County shelters.
"Now pit bulls actually not a breed. It’s not a German Shepherd it’s not a Chesapeake bay retriever it’s not a dachshund it is a larger category and makes up about 25 different breeds" said Morefield.
So at the Animal Welfare League, when staff identify dogs, they use a more specific breed to describe a dog with pit bull characteristics, like American Staffordshire Terrier.
Most shelters can’t afford to DNA test every dog they receive, so they rely on an educated staff to label breeds based on physical characteristics.
"It’s just very difficult because there are so many mixed breeds that you are basically ascribing characteristics of a pure bred animal to something that could be third, fourth, fifth generation mixed breed and then trying to determine that just by looking at it," said Morefield.
Aside from being difficult, labeling a shelter dog a specific breed can also have a major effect on a dog’s adoptability.
Lisa Gunter studies shelters like the Animal Welfare League for her research on at the Canine Science Collaboratory.
She said a shelter in Florida recently removed breed labels from their kennel cards and from their online adoption profiles. "We looked at over 17,000 records from the year before when they had breed labels to when they got rid of breed labels and we looked at the dogs adoption numbers and length of stay," said Gunter.
She says the result were dramatic.
"We found that with adoptions the pit bull dogs, their adoptions increased by 72 percent and all dogs in the shelter in every breed group – that was akc breed groups – increased. So that was fantastic. Yt wasn’t just that pit bulls benefited but everybody benefited," Gunter said.
Gunter acknowledges that not all shelters may be inclined to remove breed labels because they serve as a kind of useful shorthand, but her research suggests they may be doing more harm than good.
Wynne said when you take the emphasis off the breed and you let people focus on the behavioral characteristics of an individual dog, the opportunities for a connection and a successful adoption will increase.
"Don’t let yourself be swayed largely, or perhaps at all by the label that says this dog is in principle that breed that breed or whatever. Actually meet Fido, you know, give him a chance!" Wynne said.
Posted Apr. 22, 2015 at 8:57 PM Updated Apr 22, 2015 at 10:20 PM
GOSHEN - An Orange County legislative committee on Wednesday unanimously approved a proposal to post the names and mugshots of convicted animal abusers on the county website and prohibit them from acquiring other animals.
County Legislator Mike Anagnostakis had announced his proposed law earlier this month and made minor modifications to it since then to address concerns raised by the District Attorney's Office, the Sheriff's Office and farmers. Both District Attorney David Hoovler and Undersheriff Ken Jones voiced support for the revised version on Wednesday, without reservations.
"As a district attorney, it's a good piece of legislation," Hoovler told the Rules, Enactments and Intergovernmental Relations Committee. "I think overall, you can't go wrong with it."
Anagnostakis, a Town of Newburgh Republican, dubbed the proposal "Rocky's Law," after a 3-year-old Staffordshire terrier whose owner was arrested last month for allegedly leaving his dog tethered outside in freezing temperatures and snow in the City of Newburgh for five weeks while he went on vacation. Rocky had to be euthanized, having suffered hypothermia, endured rat bites and lost h
alf his weight.
Anagnostakis' proposal - which goes to the full Legislature for a vote on May 7 - would create a registry on the county website, similar to what states and counties commonly use to identify convicted sex offenders, and require convicted animal abusers to register on it within five days of their conviction or after being released from jail or prison if they are incarcerated. Neglecting to report their convictions would be a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a maximum fine of $2,000. The Sheriff's Office would maintain the registry.
Convicted abusers would be identified on the registry and prohibited from buying or adopting another animal for 15 years, with potentially stiff penalties against them if they do so and against any store, shelter or individual who provides the animal to them. A subsequent conviction would result in a lifetime ban on owning animals.
Six other New York counties, including Westchester and Rockland, and New York City have animal abuser registries, the only ones of their kind in the country. Anagnostakis contends the penalties he proposed would be the strictest.
For the last week, I have seen this tiny dog lingering in a muddy dog pen behind a house that I have to pass every day on my way into town. The last time I saw her, she was sitting at the gate in the pouring rain, right at dark. Longing for human contact. I couldn't get her off my mind that night and I decided that I was going to stop the next morning and rescue her from that horrible existence, regardless of what I had to do. Then my husband had to go to the hospital on Thursday morning and I didn't get to check on her for the next 2 days. I worried about her the whole time I was away. This morning I was there bright and early at the house and as it turns out, her whole world changed today for only $20.00. The elderly man gave her to me in exchange for a $20 dollar bill.
This precious little beating heart was so excited to see me at that gate. I couldn't get the lock off the pen fast enough. And then she flew into my arms. Her life began today and she was most thankful....
Friends, please join me in honoring a veterinarian who went far above the call of duty to help a dog who was the victim of a horrible crime!
A young dog named Ruby was hit by multiple shotgun blasts to her face and neck at short range by a teenager last year. She was taken by police officers from the Montgomery County Police Department (Official) in Maryland to Kindness Animal Hospital, where she was cared for by Dr. Jeffrey Zolkiewicz.
Dr. Z, as he was known to his clients, had never seen a gun injury before, let alone one so horrific, but he and his veterinary team put Ruby back together with multiple surgeries and the best of care.
Concerned because Ruby would need more surgeries in the future and because he worried her disfigured face would make her hard to adopt, he adopted her himself, turning a terrible tragedy into great love and joy.
Now Dr. Z's community is honoring him and Kindness Animal Hospital for this and other acts of charity they've done at the 31st Annual Wheaton & Kensington Chamber of Commerce Community Awards Banquet (http://www.wkcchamber.org).
If you're local, I hope you'll attend and shake this hero's hand for me. If not, please post your comments here -- I'll make sure he sees them!
Cesar is not alone when he recommends “adopt, don’t shop” when getting a new dog, but a substantial number of pets still come from puppy mills, whether direct from a pet shop or breeder, or via a rescue or shelter.
Puppy mill dogs require extra attention and training in order to rehabilitate them because the conditions they were brought up in are horrible. Unlike reputable breeders, who take the steps necessary for the comfort of their breeding dogs and puppies, puppy mills treat their dogs as products to be churned out as quickly as possible.
Puppy mill dogs spend almost all of their time indoors in wire cages, and aren’t even housebroken, so they become used to urinating and defecating in their den, something most dogs would normally avoid. The transition from a crowded, loud, filthy mill to a home with humans can be quite traumatic, and many puppy mill dogs become very anxious and uncertain when taken outside for a walk or even let outside to play in the yard. To them, this isn’t natural.
This is why one of the biggest issues people have with puppy mill dogs is housebreaking them. The dog is too stressed while outside to relax and take care of business, then goes the second they come back in and feel safe again.
The first step in the process is to take the dog for a long walk. This will help teach her to trust you, as well as use up excess energy, which will reduce her anxiety. If she does eliminate, give her immediate praise or a treat, and continue to do so whenever she does her business on the walk.
Don’t worry if your dog doesn’t get it right away. If, despite a long walk, he still hasn’t gone, return home and then watch. As soon as you see signs that he may be getting ready to do his business, such as sniffing or circling, immediately take him outside, and repeat the treat/praise routine when he eliminates outside.
Another important part of rehabilitating a puppy mill dog is crate training, which will create a safe environment that she can retreat to when she’s feeling anxious. Remember: when your dog is feeling anxious or fearful, the worst thing you can do is give them affection. This is often a very difficult concept for people to grasp, because our natural reaction when another human being is feeling anxious or fearful is to comfort them.
Humans work this way, but dogs don’t. When you give affection to a dog, you are reinforcing whatever state of mind they are in at that moment. Giving affection to a nervous dog just tells them, “This is how I want you to be.”
There will be plenty of time for affection once your puppy mill dog is rehabilitated, but in the meantime you need to focus on exercise and discipline, with plenty of “No touch, no talk, no eye contact.” This is a dog that was never allowed to be a dog, and that needs to learn how.
With the help of a calm environment and the creation of rules, boundaries, and limitations, it can be done. Just remember that it will take consistency and a lot of patience, but the end result will be more than worth it.
Learn how to recognize puppy mill red flags. Want more great advice like this? Subscribe to Pets Adviser. It’s FREE.
I remember bugging my parents for years to get a dog — and when they finally did, he didn’t last very long because of his health.
I often remember this dog and his poor health and wonder where he came from. Did my parents adopt him, find him from a neighbor or purchase him at a pet store? This had me wondering if my first pet was a puppy mill dog.
We have come a long way since then with stronger laws, more active opposition from animal organizations and public outcry for reform, but puppy mills are still in operation. This comprehensive list seeks to provide clues and signs to help you learn how to recognize a puppy mill or an irresponsible breeder and what you can do about it.
While it may take a combination of signs to indicate a breeder is operating a puppy mill, some of these are direct flags all on their own:
An organization listed as a rescue is selling puppies in large numbers or always seems to have them available.
A breeder refuses to divulge the name of his or her veterinarian. (If you are given this information, we’re not suggesting you call and interrogate the vet. At least look up the vet’s name and location to ensure it’s legitimate and the vet is still in practice.)
Advertisements are constantly in the newspaper classifieds, on fliers passed out in public places or listed on the internet to buy puppies from the same person or organization.
A person holds a sign on the side of the road or camps out near a busy roadway trying to sell puppies.
The same person always has puppies available or advertises them at every occasion as gifts.
A breeder offers multiple different breeds for sale or “rare” or “new” breeds. Breeding should not be an experiment.
The seller wants to meet you in a public place to complete the sale.
The person does not ask you any questions other than money and pickup arrangements. Any legitimate breeder should care who his or her puppies end up with and ensure they are going to suitable homes.
The person sells puppies at everyday events, such as garage sales or flea markets.
You are not allowed to meet the breeding parents or view the home or business facility.
A person claims he or she is selling the puppies as an “agent” for a breeder.
Puppies are offered in opposite-sex pairs to encourage breeding.
The breeder claims spaying or neutering is not required or unnecessary.
The puppies are offered for sale and delivery before they reach 8 weeks old.
Site Inspections
If the breeder is willing to let you visit his home or breeding facility, this is an important step to ensure your puppy comes from a happy and safe environment. Don’t assume the offer is reason enough not to accept the invitation. Obviously if he’s offering, he has nothing to hide, right? Wrong.
Look for these warning signs when visiting the location:
There is a recognizable or overwhelming odor that is foul or unpleasant. Beware of an overuse of deodorizers or bleach as this may have been used to cover up an odor, which is usually a sign of a more serious problem.
The appearance and health of the animals can reveal the level of care they are given. Look for dirty or long coats, missing teeth, eye or nose discharge, overgrown nails, visible injuries or sores, patches of missing fur or excessive scratching.
Temperament is an important insight as well. Are any of the animals aggressive, vicious, excessively shy or fearful?
If the cages or containment areas for the animals look more like a parking garage than comfortable accommodations, this is another concern. Animals should have enough room to turn around, stand on their hind legs and have a clean sleeping area away from food and water.
Animals are contained in an area with urine or feces (or both).
The animals are not properly protected from the weather. Outdoor facilities should be climate controlled in areas with extreme heat or cold, and adequate shelter for all animals should be available. Look for small structures in disrepair or animals chained to fences, trees or stakes.
No food or water is visibly available to every animal, or the water is dirty. It takes so little time to clean a bowl and provide fresh water, and this is a blatant sign of neglect that should have sirens going off as soon as you see it.
Animals are either too skinny or overweight. A healthy weight is a good sign of nutrition and exercise. Underweight puppies are not getting enough food or may be sick, while overweight puppies may be either fed too much or not allowed to exercise.
The numbers don’t add up. If there is only one or two people at the location but dozens of dogs, it would seem impossible to think each dog gets proper care, exercise and socialization. Unless they work in shifts or have a system for individualized care, ask them to explain their process or check for other signs listed here.
The breeding parents are not available or kept offsite. So basically their site is where the puppies get dropped off every time the parents breed, and this can also be a sign that the parents are kept in horrible conditions or are being forced to breed with every heat cycle.
There is only one female breeding. Forcing one dog to constantly breed at every heat cycle is cruel and can cause health concerns. The dogs are also more likely to be destroyed once they are no longer able to produce litters.
The breeder has no idea how many litters the female has produced. This is scary: The dog was bred so many times or records were never kept of the offspring.
All of the animals appear to be sleeping or lethargic. This can be a sign of very poor health, or the animals may have been medicated to cover up a more serious problem.
This video shows a puppy mill worker who left his employer because of the condition and treatment of the dogs:
Before heading to the site, make sure to bring a camera. Take pictures of any of these signs to document the conditions. If the breeder says pictures are not allowed, this is a major problem.
Or you could do what I did: I said my husband was on a business trip but wanted me to email pictures of the puppies I liked so he could pick one. It worked, and eventually that was one less puppy mill in operation.
Don’t Be Fooled by Registration
Puppy mills have attracted a lot of attention, and for good reason.
Many breeders use the term “papers” or “registered” to give the illusion of approval from a governing body of either the facility conditions or the type of breed. Many people also assume this provides evidence of the health of the puppies — not true.
While the breeder may register the parents or grandparents of the puppies, the governing body usually doesn’t perform inspections or monitor the breeder’s operation. It’s just a piece of paper.
If you are provided a registration certificate or papers from an organization, be sure to call, email or check online lists to see if the breeder is actually registered or if his privileges have been suspended. If he uses a registration you have never heard of before, check it out either online or through a local business bureau. Your local animal shelter or humane society may be able to help determine if the organization is fake or untrustworthy.
Beware of sellers of specific breeds that do not register with at least one of the breed’s parent organizations or cannot explain the breed standard. Reputable breeders of only one type of dog usually choose them for their love of the breed, their existing pets and/or a desire to preserve the breed for future generations. If the seller can’t answer these questions or why he chose the breed he did (or worse, he says it’s because the puppies are very expensive), there’s an obvious problem.
Responsible breeders who follow a breed standard are concerned about genetic health issues and will have screenings done to ensure the puppies will be healthy. If they do not have screenings on the puppies, they should be able to offer health documentation about the parents. If this documentation is refused or not available, or if the breeder refuses to provide information, documentation or photographs of the parents, this can be another serious red flag.
Other signs to look out for include a breeder claiming his registration is pending, the papers are not available at the time of purchase, or the breeder does not hold a license or registration with any reputable organization, local licensing bureau or the USDA (usually required for any breeder who sells to brokers or pet stores).
Transaction Concerns
The above lists provide thorough information to spot puppy mill red flags, but there are more considerations in regard to the exchange of money for the puppy. Be wary if the breeder or seller does any of the following:
Insists on only cash or money orders as means of payment.
Produces no permit from state or local authorities allowing him to sell puppies.
Has complaints pending with business bureaus, humane societies or the local police department and gets nervous when you ask about this.
Was arrested or convicted for a crime involving animals.
Says the sale is final — no returns and no refunds.
If the seller shows signs of any of the above, it’s likely he will disappear as fast as the money leaves your hands. Always check the seller’s name or business name before agreeing to purchase the puppy. Many breeders in trouble with the authorities will move to another state and start up all over again (the “I just moved here with all my dogs and haven’t had a chance to get x-y-z” is another puppy mill red flag). These breeders are hard to catch, but they can’t run forever. That’s why we need you.
Take Action
Many people are aware of overpopulation and unhealthy animals from puppy mills but are unsure how they can help.
If you are considering buying a puppy from a breeder and come across any red flags, try to document or photograph the site and report the breeder to the local humane society, animal control office and the police department. The police department may not be properly equipped or experienced to handle the investigation and removal of the animals on its own, but the cooperation of multiple authorities will help find a solution.
Many times a rescue organization will be able to help remove the animals, clean and evaluate them and transport them to a humane society with room to hold them until a court decides they can be adopted. Follow up on your complaints, and contact the USDA if the breeder holds a license from their organization.
If you find a pet store still selling puppies, raise your concerns with the manager. You might be able to convince them their practice is wrong, refuse to shop at their store — or get shown the front door. It’s still important to say something. Saying nothing only ensures their practices will remain the same. Tell your family and friends about the store, ask them to complain, and contact local shelters and rescues to work together in getting needy animals in the store for adoptions.
Most pet stores have stopped selling puppies and started offering only shelter or rescue pets for adoption (I wish they would all do this). While the stores still charge fees, the money is an adoption fee that helps the shelter or rescue continue to care for needy animals and is no longer a source of profit for the store. If they don’t already do this, ask them to start.
Vets, I’m looking at you, too. If you have a client who brings in the same dog or multiple dogs for c-sections a little too often, it’s time to raise some concerns. You could be unknowingly helping a puppy mill to continue operating, and sometimes you might be the only person to see the continuous breeding. Another sign is a client with a large number of animals coming in with only serious injuries or ailments. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. I’m a responsible pet owner and would answer any question you ask, and any reputable breeder should be able to do the same.
In an ideal world, we’d be able to track down every puppy mill, shut them down, and the various animal welfare organizations could report that their work here is done. But that’s not realistic and as long as people are motivated by money, they will use animals for profit and a source of steady revenue. We have domesticated these animals and have a responsibility to ensure they receive proper care. We are their voice — never stop questioning and speaking for them.
So you are looking for a puppy, maybe you’re a first time dog owner. You have heard about puppy mills and know they are bad. But what you don’t know is how to make sure you don’t accidentally buy from one. Here are 10 signs to help you determine if the puppy you are looking at is from a puppy mill or not.
#1 – Out-of-State
You really should just stay away from pet stores when buying a puppy. Be especially worried if those puppies are coming from out-of-state, particularly Midwest states (Missouri and Illinois are two of the biggest).
Read more at http://iheartdogs.com/10-signs-that-puppy-is-from-a-puppy-mill/#DPXwlTDQ8R7EM0CG.99
If the Puppy Industry continues to allow and actually even defend puppy mills they are truly going to see their entire industry go under. When you buy a PUPPY MILL Dog you aren't getting a pure breed you are instead getting an INBRED. This should be the new signs used by protestors of pet stores.
Your Aren't buying a purebred rather a Inbred from a pet store.
Puppy Mill Dogs (and Puppies) and their Health Problems
byLORIE HUSTON
In one of my recent posts, Puppy Mills: What Can We Do to Stop Them?, I spoke about a puppy that had been purchased from a typical puppy mill source (i.e. a local pet shop). That puppy had a number of health issues but I declined to go into detail about this individual dog’s health problems because he was simply one example out of so many others. However, one of my readers left a comment suggesting that I should go into details.
Health Problems Are Common in Puppy Mill Puppies and Dogs
I thought a great deal about that comment and considered discussing that one puppy and his puppy mill related health issues. In the end, I decided it might do more good to talk about all of the health issues that are not only possible but common in most, if not all, puppy mill dogs and puppies, rather than concentrating on that one individual dog. The problem goes so much deeper than one dog. Prospective owners need to know that these problems are typical of puppy mill dogs (and puppies) and are frequently seen, not in just one puppy but in the majority of these dogs. In fact, they are more likely to be present than not, in my experience.
Infectious Diseases and Puppy Mills
Infectious diseases are common in puppies that are obtained from puppy mill sources. Infectious diseases that I’ve seen in these puppies include:
canine distemper
canine parvovirus
kennel cough
canine adenovirus (infectious hepatitis)
leptospirosis
intestinal parasites
demodectic mange
The symptoms associated with these diseases range from mild and self-limiting to serious and life-threatening. However, when you add in the stress associated with shipping a sick puppy large distances under less than ideal circumstances and less than ideal nutrition and veterinary care previous to the illness, even the diseases that are normally mild can become much more serious for these puppies.
Malnutrition in Puppy Mill Dogs
Lack of proper nutritional support is a serious problem in several different ways. Quite often, the breeding dogs do not receive adequate nutrition. Malnutrition in a pregnant or nursing dog, needless to say, has a direct effect on the health of her puppies.
In addition, the puppies themselves often do not receive the best nutrition either. After being raised by a mother with a poor nutritional status and then receiving inadequate nutrition themselves, these same puppies are weakened, with an immune system that is not able to function properly, making them even more susceptible to infectious diseases.
Genetic Defects and Congenital Disease in Puppy Mill Puppies
In a puppy mill environment, there is very rarely a health examination that is performed prior to breeding. Breeding dogs are not screened for the genetic disorders that are common in their breed. No pedigrees are evaluated to determine which dogs are likely to produce superior offspring. The ONLY requirement for breeding in these environments is a male and a female dog. As a result, many of the puppies born have genetic defects and congenital disorders that will follow them for the rest of their lives. Some of those lives will be shorter than necessary as a result of these conditions.
The genetic problems encountered will vary from breed to breed. Some of the common ones that I’ve encountered include hip dysplasia, luxating patellas, cardiomyopathy, patent ductus arteriosis (PDA), undescended testicles, demodectic mange, entropion, and many more. The list goes on and on.
Housing Conditions in Puppy Mills
This doesn’t even address the conditions in which the dogs in these facilities are housed. Often, these dogs are housed on wire flooring, which leads to wounds and sores on the bottom of their feet.
Further, they are confined in cages that are often so small that the adult dogs cannot even stand and move around comfortably. They receive little to no exercise, which leads not only to health problems but also to emotional problems as well.
These dogs rarely receive adequate veterinary care. They are not vaccinated properly and, depending on the location, may be infested with fleas, ticks, heartworms, intestinal parasites and other problems.
This is just a quick run-down of some of the problems that I have seen and continue to see in dogs bred in puppy mills. It is not meant to be a complete list, by any means. But I think it should serve to give people considering the purchase of one of these dogs something to think about. And I urge you to remember that if you are considering purchasing a puppy from a pet store, you are almost certainly considering purchasing a puppy produced by a puppy mill.
