Melissa's New Blog: HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGIE IN THE WINDOW, THE ONE WITH THE WAGGLY TAIL?

*You all know how important this is to me, so I'm re-posting it from the old blog - please keep educating others, as well as yourselves!

As you all know, I’m crazy about animals. I have been ever since I was a wee-little girl. Whether it was writing my congressman about the importance of protecting manatees (I really wish I had a copy of those letters written from a 9 year old version of myself!) or rescuing baby birds who’d fallen out of their nest and been abandoned by their mom, I have always been trying to make a difference. I’m not trying to change the world, but I want to do what I can.

It obviously angers me when I hear about intentional animal abuse and neglect – ever heard the saying, “an eye for an eye”? I think that would be fair. But something that has really been driving me crazy lately is the unintentional support of animal cruelty by unsuspecting consumers such as yourself. What I’m about to preach deals mostly with the purchase of puppies, but it’s important to realize that this goes for other pets, especially cats, as well.

You’ve probably heard of the term “puppy mill” before, but do you really know what it means? As defined by Wikipedia: “Puppy mills are large-scale dog breeding facilities that operate under substandard breeding conditions that provoke the development of chronic health problems, temperament issues, and hereditary defects. The term can be applied to operations involving other animals irresponsibly bred for profit, e.g. kitty mills. Animals that have been produced in mills are most commonly sold at pet stores to unsuspecting consumers.”

Another term that is important to understand, because it is basically a less organized, small-scale puppy mill is “backyard breeder.” As defined by Wikipedia: “Backyard breeder is a general term, sometimes considered derisive, used in USA to describe people who breed animals without selection for important genetic traits. Usually describes those who allow animals, particularly dogs or horses, to procreate regardless of physical or genetic health as antonyms to breeders who intentionally screen and select their brood for important characteristics.”

I’m not going to list sites that illustrate the vulgarity of puppy mills because there are just too many, but just take a second and Google “puppy mill” and you will find tons of pictures to see for yourself.

I know that anyone out there wishing to have a puppy would never want to support such cruel means of breeding. The sad thing is, if you have ever purchased a puppy from a pet store (or from many "breeders"), you have unintentionally supported these operations. The HSUS estimates that roughly 99% of puppies sold in pet stores come from puppy mills.

I have spent some time researching valuable resources about being responsible when it comes to finding your new best friend. I hope you find them useful.

HOW TO SPOT A PUPPY MILL

10 WAYS YOU CAN HELP FIGHT PUPPY MILLS

DID YOU PURCHASE A PUPPY FROM A PET STORE THAT TURNED OUT TO BE SICK? YOU HAVE RIGHTS! CHECK OUT THE PUPPY LEMON LAWS IN YOUR STATE (PDF FILE)

DON’T SHOP, ADOPT! FIND A SHELTER NEAR YOU

LOOKING FOR A PURE BREED? DO YOUR RESEARCH TO FIND A DOG THAT WILL FIT YOUR LIFESTYLE

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN A PURE BREED, CHECK OUT BREED SPECIFIC RESCUE GROUPS

SIGNS OF A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER

HOW TO FIND A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER

MISCELLANEOUS PET CARE QUESTIONS – SOME REALLY USEFUL RESOURCES LISTED!

Bottom line, things to keep in mind

Please, whatever you do don’t purchase a puppy from a pet store. No matter how trustworthy and nice the sales associate may seem, you are almost certainly supporting one of the worst kinds of animal cruelty by purchasing puppies from pet stores. Almost 100% of puppies in pet stores come from a puppy mill or backyard breeder, whether the pet store purchased them directly or through a “puppy broker.” A responsible breeder would NEVER sell their precious puppies to a pet store.
If you’re not getting a dog through a shelter or rescue group, you should be able to meet his/her mom (and if possible, his/her dad) to make sure she’s healthy, well cared for, loved and has a good temperament. If your breeder won't allow you to visit your new potential puppy on-site and meet his/her mom, don't proceed with the sale!
As a general rule of thumb, don’t purchase puppies advertised in newspapers or online or sold on a “first come, first serve” basis – as nice as the ads might make the situation look, you are most likely being tricked into supporting animal cruelty.
It doesn’t matter how cute that “doggie in the window” is. First, think of all the possible vet expenses you can occur by purchasing a puppy that has possibly been inbred, malnourished, taken from mom too early and under socialized. If that doesn’t deter you, think about that puppy’s mom and dad, who will never make it out of their miserable existence at the mill – “bred and fed” – that’s their life.

Facts you should know

Approximately 8 million to 12 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year, and approximately 5 million to 9 million are euthanized (60 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats). Shelter intakes are about evenly divided between those animals relinquished by owners and those picked up by animal control. These are national estimates; the percentage of euthanasia may vary from state to state. (Source: ASPCA) *I’ll do the math for you – that’s 9-17 dogs and cats every minute of every day*
Twenty-five percent of dogs who enter local shelters are purebred. (Source: NCPPSP)
Five out of ten dogs in shelters and seven out of ten cats in shelters are destroyed simply because there is no one to adopt them. (Source: ASPCA)

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