| Puppy Mill Survivors Webcam |
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December 2008, Los Angeles - The holidays are a wonderful time to bring a new pet into your household because vacation provides time to bond with your new animal and get started with the obedience and socialization activities that ensure a long, happy relationship. Found Animals Foundation (www.foundanimals.org) and Los Angeles Animal Services (www.laanimalservices.com) are taking this opportunity to educate the public and inform holiday shoppers, “If you’re considering a new pet this holiday season please, ADOPT! - DON’T SHOP! Thousands of great animals of all types, shapes, sizes, ages and colors are available at your local animal care facility. From puppies and kittens to seniors, from purebreds to mutts – a fantastic companion is waiting for you! Want proof? - Check out these adorable purebred Maltese and Yorkshire Terrier puppies on the PUPPY CAM (http://www.foundanimals.org/index.php/Past-Stars/Past-Stars/index.html) In June, three shipments of puppy mill dogs flown into LAX from the Far East on Seoul, Korea-based Asiana Airlines were intercepted and confiscated by LA Animal Services. Ten dogs survived: 5 underage Yorkies and 5 eight week-old Maltese puppies. Accompanying health certificates falsely claimed they were four months old and ignored health issues present when they arrived. These 10 purebred “puppy mill” survivors were 2 pounds each and grossly dehydrated upon arrival. They were fortunately rescued and nursed back to health by LA Animal Services, highlighting the need for domestic law enforcement officials to focus more attention on the horrors of the “puppy mill” industry both in the U.S. and abroad.
East Valley Animal Care Center
14409 Vanowen Street Van Nuys, CA 91405 Or, head to your nearest shelter and find your own fantastic holiday stray. Click here for adoption information in your area (http://www.foundanimals.org/index.php/Programs-Overview/adoption.html) KNOW THE FACTS
Holiday shoppers need to realize they have options. You’ll find purebred pets alongside the All-American mutts at local shelters – for much more reasonable prices too. According to the United States Humane Society, 25% of all shelter dogs are purebred. When you adopt from the shelter you save the life of a deserving animal and avoid supporting commercial puppy mills, where mother dogs are often kept in poor conditions and inbreeding can produce puppies with serious health issues. An episode of Oprah earlier this year brought national attention on the unfortunate phenomenon called the “puppy mill.” A puppy mill is a dog-breeding operation intended to provide a non-stop supply of purebred puppies to a public with an insatiable appetite for them. Puppy mills force dogs to produce litter after litter just for profit, without the prospect of ever becoming part of a family themselves. These dogs and their puppies are plagued with suffering, disease, malnutrition, and loneliness. Bitches can barely walk after living a life of immobilized confinement. The dogs are housed in shockingly poor conditions, particularly for the "breeding stock" animals, that are caged and continually bred for years without any human companionship and then killed, abandoned or sold to another "miller" after their fertility wanes. In addition to an abused mother, the result is hundreds of thousands of puppies churned out each year for sale at pet stores, over the Internet, and through newspaper ads. Most people don't realize, that when they buy a puppy through any of these ways, they are often supporting a cruel and inhumane industry. This practice will only end once the public is informed and people learn where these animals come from. Maybe then people will stop buying puppy mill puppies. Buyer Beware! If you want a dog in your life, don't buy a puppy mill puppy. Unfortunately, avoiding them requires discipline and awareness. Pet store clerks and other sellers will never willingly admit their dogs come from puppy mills, despite laws that require retailers to clearly and accurately identify the source of the animals they sell. How do you separate fact from fiction? Here are the facts: 1. Pet stores cater to impulsive buyers and consumers seeking convenient transactions. Unlike responsible rescuers and breeders, these stores don't interview prospective buyers to ensure responsible, lifelong homes for the pets they sell. These stores may also be staffed with employees that have limited knowledge about pets and pet care. 2. A "USDA-inspected" breeder does not mean a "good" breeder. Be wary of pet store staff that say, they only sell animals from breeders who are "USDA-inspected." The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) enforces the federal law called the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) that regulates commercial breeding operations. This act doesn't require all commercial breeders to be licensed. The USDA establishes only minimum-care standards in enforcing the law and its inspection team is chronically understaffed. Breeders are required to provide food, water and shelter, but not love, socialization or freedom from confining cages. Sadly, many USDA-licensed and inspected puppy mills operate under squalid conditions with known violations of the AWA. Federal law constrains state and local authorities from blocking the shipping and sale of these animals across state lines and current efforts to regulate importing animals from abroad, leave something to be desired, placing extreme burden on the customer to make the right choices. 3. Many disreputable breeders sell their dogs directly to the public over the Internet and through newspaper ads. They often sell several breeds of dogs but may advertise each breed in a separate place and not in one large advertisement or website. These breeders are not required to be inspected by any federal agency and, in many states, are not inspected at all. 4. Reputable breeders CARE where their puppies go and interview prospective adopters. They don't sell through pet stores or to families they haven't thoroughly checked out. 5. Purebred "papers" do not guarantee the quality of the breeder or the dog. Even the American Kennel Club (AKC) readily admits that it "cannot guarantee the quality or health of dogs in its registry." 6. Puppy mill puppies often have medical problems. These problems can lead to veterinary bills in the thousands of dollars. Pet retailers count on the bond between families and their new puppies to be so strong, that the puppies won't be returned (though the law requires them to accept returns). Guarantees are often so difficult to comply with, that they are virtually useless. In addition, poor breeding and socialization practices at many puppy mills can lead to behavioral problems throughout the puppies' lives. In the event a puppy purchased from a store does experience medical problems, the buyer should file a Pet Seller Complaint Form. If you’re looking for an animal to join your family, you definitely should not buy from a pet store. Be very wary of websites and newspaper ads and above all, don't ever buy a dog if you can't physically visit every area of the home, or breeding facility at which the seller keeps his dogs. Puppy mills will continue to operate until people stop buying their dogs. Putting puppy mills out of business should be a goal of every dog lover. We should only be so fortunate, to be faced with the dilemma of what to do with the mothers and puppies, if and when we succeed. We urge you – ADOPT - Don’t Shop!!! Visit your local shelter or do business with a respectable rescue individual or organization. You are likely to find a wide selection of healthy, well-socialized puppies and adult dogs—including purebreds—just waiting for that special home—yours. FOR ALL INQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT: Michael Gilman, Director of Communications Found Animals Foundation, Inc. 310-566-7389 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
