The F.U.E.L. Collection, at 249 Arch Street in Philadelphia, is hosting an exhibit of memorable art, called "Puppies Are Biodegradable" that focuses on the evils of the Lancaster County puppy mills. More than 75 original works by 40 artists are on display, and half of the proceeds will go to puppy mill rescue groups in Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia City Paper described the works as ranging from "heartfelt to disturbing."

The exhibit name comes from the answer given by notorious Lancaster County "dog breeder" Henry Stoltzfus when he was asked what happened to the dogs he bred that didn't sell. His answer? They would be "left to rot," he said, because "they are biodegradable."

If you're anywhere near Philly, stop in through July 30 and support The Cause. You can click here to learn more about the exhibition.

July 12, 2007

The following story appeared in the Johnstown (PA) Tribune-Democrat on May 6, 2007. Kudos to reporter Kirk Swauger and to the newspaper for shining the spotlight on this problem and educating its readers!

Bust brings puppy-mill problem to light

By KIRK SWAUGER
The Tribune-Democrat

MEYERSDALE - Known for riding in horse-drawn buggies and shunning modern conveniences, the Amish are gaining a darker reputation: Puppy-mill operators.

Five days after an Amish puppy mill was raided in southern Somerset County, authorities believe a problem generally associated with Lancaster County's Pennsylvania Dutch country is moving closer to home.

"I would suspect there are plenty more Amish using dogs as cash crops," Somerset County Humane Society Officer Elane Gower said.

"I'm sure they're out there - I just haven't found them yet."

Gov. Ed Rendell is proposing toughened health and safety standards for Pennsylvania's 2,400 licensed kennels. The legislation would require larger cages and 20 minutes of daily exercise for the dogs, and it would force operators to keep records of exercise, sanitation and feeding.

Opponents contend the plan would be costly and burdensome for law-abiding kennels.

"In the Amish community, so-called puppy mills are a big source of income," said Andy McIlvain, manager for the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Wellsboro, Tioga County.

"Part of their culture is selling lots of products, and generally the Amish look at animals as another resource to sell. "It's easy to get into, and it doesn't take a lot to set up a kennel."

Pennsylvania is reputedly the puppy-mill capital of the United States, experts said, particularly among the Amish in Lancaster County.

"The tragedy is with females who live their lives in cages, and their value is measured in how many puppies they can breed," Gower said. "When they can't breed anymore, they're excess dogs."

In Cambria and Somerset counties, the problem often is irresponsible backyard breeders, said D Black, executive director of the Humane Society of Cambria County.

"Their are two kinds of bad breeders - the clueless, basically the backyard breeder - and the careless, who don't care about anything but profit," Black said. "To me, that's what constitutes a puppy mill - if they're just cranking out dogs."

Last Tuesday, Gower and state dog law Warden Dennis Wetzel seized 17 dogs from a farm near Pocahontas. The suspect, Bennie Hostetler, 41, of Salisbury, told Gower he sold the puppies for $150 each to a man who takes them to a pet store in eastern Pennsylvania, where they often sell for $500 or more.

Hostetler has agreed never to breed dogs again, and he is being allowed to keep an adult male dog on the condition that he has it neutered. Cited for not having licenses or rabies vaccinations for the dogs, Hostetler could face up to $300 in fines for each citation.

The dogs, including beagles, Jack Russell terriers, pugs and pug-beagle mixes known as "puggles," were kept in wire cages in a dark barn.

They were placed for adoption at the humane society, starting Saturday.

Gower said puppy mills such as Hostetler's often sell to pet shops. "No good breeder would ever dream of selling puppies to a pet store," she said. "They want to know that the puppies are going to good homes. Good breeders care where their animals go.

"I've had pet stores approach me and say, 'How can I find quality puppies?' I say, 'You're not going to.' "

Gower suggests anyone interested in purchasing a puppy do so through a reputable breeder, where they can see the mother and father and how the puppies have been raised.

PetCo, which has a store in Richland Township, does not sell puppies or kittens, although it often does have dogs and cats available for adoption, corporate spokesman Don Cowan said. "We try to encourage people to go to local shelters to adopt them," Cowan said in a telephone interview from company headquarters in San Diego.

Last year, a former state trooper and another Somerset man each pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with wholesaling puppies without a license and falsifying health certificates. David Holtzman and Timothy Schliesser sold and transported puppies by air, without a license, and used falsified papers from a fictitious veterinarian, federal attorneys said.

Authorities said the pair were doing businesses under the names Laurel Ridge Bulldogs, T&D Quality Puppies and T&D Quality Pupps. They allegedly collected $6,250 for the dogs.

May 10, 2007

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, has achieved the dubious honor of being known as the Puppy Mill Capital of the East, because of the large number of commercial breeding businesses that have started there over the past few years. Many of these mills are run by those peaceful, God-fearing folks everyone loves to love--the Amish. The Amish took to puppy mills like ducks to water, and in just a few short years have managed to establish the largest number of puppy mills in any county in the United States.

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell has made it his business to strengthen the enforcement powers of state agencies that are supposed to oversee these businesses. New proposed regulations include increasing the size of the cages in which the dogs are kept, ensuring that all dogs get daily exercise, and improve sanitation, ventilation, and drainage standards for the buildings in which the dogs spend their lives.

As rescuers, we would like to see puppy mills outlawed. Period. But that isn't going to happen any time soon. In the meantime, please take a moment to support the passage of the proposed regulations, which will, at the very least, set an enforceable standard for the quality of life of these dogs, who are kept as breeding machines. Click here to read more about this issue and to download a letter, prepared by the ASPCA, that you can send in support of the regulations. You do not have to be a Pennsylvania resident to help!

And just in case you feel you don't have time to help, take a look at this photo.

This dog, believe it or not, is a Maltese that was rescued recently from a Lancaster County mill. The facility in which he spent his life received passing marks from the inspectors who visited it.

Please don't wait--help now! And once again, remember NOT to visit or vacation in Lancaster County!

February 22, 2007

The Dog Press has reported that Andrew Hunte, owner of the Hunte Corporation--the largest supplier of puppy mill dogs in the country, is now a member in good standing of the German Shepherd Dog Club of America. The vote on whether to admit Hunte was 9-8. You can read a detailed description of how a man who is no friend of ANY dog managed to become a member of this organization here. CAUTION: This discussion is NOT for children!

The admission of Hunte to membership in this club has gotten a lot of publicity, and GSDCA President Lew Bunch states that the club board of directors is working on "corrective actions." We'll be watching, Mr. Bunch!

February 14, 2007

By SARAH LYNCH
The Independent

ASHLAND, KY--It's been a year since her first rescue, but simply recalling the story still evokes tender sentiment and triumphant tears from Sue Romano. "I got a phone call last year in August from a woman who said, 'Sue, there's a little boy in Nashville that is going to be euthanized this Friday if we don't save him.'"

Romano, along with a friend who also volunteers with the Almost Home Dachshund Rescue Society, immediately began impassioned attempts to save the dog's life. "We tried all week to get a hold of that shelter to let them know that we wanted that little boy," the Catlettsburg resident said.

Almost Home Dachshund Rescue Society, founded in 2001, is a nationwide organization of volunteers, like Romano, working to rescue abandoned, abused, neglected, and unwanted dachshunds and dachshund mixes.

Finally, the rescuers were able to get in touch with a shelter worker. Romano said the dog was picked up by her collaborator. Although she would like to retire to rescue and care for dachshunds full-time, she is employed as a terminal operator at Marathon where she has worked for more than 20 years.

After the dog was picked up in Nashville, the two rescuers met at Flying J in Catlettsburg. "The woman who picked the dog up said she had to pull over on the side of the road because he was so covered in fleas and ticks. She tried to get as many off as she could but advised me to bathe the dog as soon as I got home."

When necessary, AHDRS volunteers will provide veterinary and behavioral care for the dogs they take in before placing them in appropriate homes.

After giving the dog a bath, Romano said he looked wonderful. She would be the dog's foster mom for the time being. As an independent rescuer, Romano maintains control over how she rescues and places foster dogs and she is responsible for the medical care the dogs require, which determines their own adoption fees. Romano's husband, Chris, also works at Marathon as a transport driver. "He's a really big asset to getting the dogs transported when they are adopted," she said. "Although he is gone quite a bit with his job, he can transport the dogs for me to different places near where he has to travel."

The Romanos currently have seven dogs at their home, five of which are dachshunds: Mattie, Molly, Millie, Sadie Mae and Maggie, who was rescued in North Carolina from a seven-year life in a cage at a puppy mill.

"I've always loved dachshunds," she said. "My first one passed away several years ago. After that, I started looking constantly in the paper for another one. On the way to pick up Millie, I decided I wanted to get involved with Almost Home, the rescue society that helped me adopt my Millie, and now here I am, up to my knees in dachshunds.

"The organization's network offers a new approach to dachshund rescue in that we offer a place for volunteers to access information from a national Web site, almosthomerescue.org, to post available dachshunds, and utilize the support of other members in the rescue network for fundraising, transporting, and potential adopter home checks.

"Together we help hundreds of dachshunds and dachshund-mixes each year. When we take them in they have to be in good shape before they can be adopted," Romano explained. "Dental and veterinarian bills, medication, food and other supplies are all out-of-pocket costs. No one is going to pay $700 for a $200 dog no matter what you had to spend of your own money to make that puppy happy and healthy. If you are in rescue, you are always in the red."

But it's the happy endings that make it all worth it. The flea- and tick-infested dog Romano rescued from Tennessee in August 2005 is one example of a successful rescue. "A driver at work said he wanted a dachshund but he was hesitant to get one because he was afraid his daughter, who is autistic, wouldn't do well with a dog," Romano explained.

Regardless, Romano took the dog to the little girl, who hit the dog immediately. "She didn't want anything to do with him," Romano said, "but it was like the dog knew what he was there for. He came right back to that little girl and put his face right in hers and then she started massaging his ears."

Romano said that since then, the dog has become the little girl's assistant. When she has a seizure, he lies across her and he follows her everywhere she goes. This is why Romano said she is so passionate about being a part of the rescue organization. "I love it and wouldn't take anything for it. Instead of spending money to euthanize these babies, that money should be used to spay and neuter them. That would solve the problem with over-population."

She'll never buy another dog. Romano said any four-legged friend of hers will come from an animal shelter or rescue organization from now on.

"If anything comes out of this, I want people to know that dog rescue organizations are a good place to get animals and they should be supported. Anything is better than dumping dogs off on the side of the road."

November 6, 2006

It doesn't happen as often as we'd like that we get to report news as good as this: The American Kennel Club (AKC) has changed its mind and cancelled its plan to form an alliance with Petland, a large chain of pet stores that sells puppies.

Here is the text of a letter sent to AKC delegates, as well as to concerned citizens who have written recently to protest the AKC/Petland partnership, from AKC officers:

At the September Delegates Meeting AKC reported that we had reached an agreement with Petland in order to facilitate the registration of dogs that are already AKC registrable.

AKC's Board of Directors and management believed that this agreement would have helped to further the mission of the AKC. Promoting responsible dog ownership to new puppy owners, implementing our care and conditions policies, and exposing more dog owners to AKC educational programs and services would have had even greater reach.

In the past few weeks we have received many comments about this agreement, both positive and negative. We have listened to the concerns and because this issue has become so divisive, we believe it is in the best interest of our sport and the American Kennel Club not to go forward with this initiative.

Ron Menaker, Chairman of the Board
Dennis B. Sprung, President and CEO

October 9, 2006

The AKC is addressing the question of how their decision to form a partnership with the Petland chain of puppy-selling pet stores will "impact rescue." Here is what they say:

Dogs will be sold in pet stores whether or not AKC registers them. However the AKC feels that by bringing more registrants into the AKC fold we have the opportunity to educate them and involve them in programs that promote responsible dog ownership.

* First, the fact that dogs are being sold in pet stores does not absolve AKC from its decision to support the selling of dogs in pet stores. Using that excuse is like saying, "There will always be crime, so let's buy criminals guns!"

* And second, we hope--and we work hard to make it happen--that one day, dogs will not be bred in puppy mills and will not be sold in pet stores. We don't accept this cruel industry as a fact of life. And the AKC shouldn't either.

September 19, 2006

Yes, the heading is correct, although you can be forgiven for thinking you must have misread it. The American Kennel Club, once the premiere dog registry in the United States, is teaming up with Petland, one of the largest chains of pet stores selling puppy mill puppies in the country. Why? For money, of course!

At its fall delegates meeting, the AKC Board of Directors approved the contract with Petland by a vote of 12 to 1 for the contract, after several hours of discussion. (The contract issue was buried in the treasurer's report and was not listed on the meeting agenda.) The assembled delegates were told that this contract is "the wave of the future" and necessary for the AKC's bottom line. (Numerous reports about this meeting have popped up on the Web; this one is one of the easiest to access and is written by one of the delegates to the meeting.)

The contract is meant to urge Petland employees to encourage buyers of their puppy mill dogs to register them with the AKC in the store. The AKC Web site version of the agreement states that puppies who are not registered soon after purchase are often not registered at all. AKC says that this contract with a major seller of puppy mill puppies is not "an endorsement, partnership, affiliation, or joint venture." They say that "AKC does not endorse any breeder or seller of dogs."

Who are they trying to kid? By becoming part of the puppy mill dog purchasing process in Petland stores, the AKC offers tacit approval to the puppy mill industry.

Naturally, rescue organizations are angry about this unholy alliance. But now many AKC members and delegates are also angry. AKC is supposed to stand for responsible breeding and good breeding practices. By allying themselves with Petland, AKC gives the lie to its own stated goals.

So when the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show rolls around in February, give it a pass. Tell AKC what you think of their bottom-line-boosting Petland contract. You can send an e-mail here.

September 18, 2006

Andrew Hunte, president and founder of the Hunte Corporation, proudly self-described as "the world's largest distributor of puppies to pet stores," says he is a born-again Christian who operates by the Bible. The Bible doesn't say that animals have rights, so Hunte comes to the conclusion that "animals don't have rights." His company uses the Christian fish symbol in its own logo. He says he "invited God" to be part of his corporation when he started the business. And best of all, he said this: “You have to ask ‘what would Jesus do’ for the puppies, our customers, our breeders, the finances and our employees.” You can read Mr. Hunte's pious comments about his business here.

September 8, 2006

Sixty puppies being transported in a tractor-trailer from the Hunte Corporation, the country's largest puppy broker, to a pet store in New England died when the back of the trailer caught fire on August 14. Did you know that "brokered" puppies are frequently transported all over the country in the backs of trucks? Read the story about this tragedy here.

August 25, 2006

China--a nation that has no animal welfare laws whatsoever AND that is hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics--routinely murders dogs, which have traditionally been considered to be "bourgeoisie" affectations, rather than loving companion animals. The situation has taken a horrible turn recently, as officials in southern China, responding to an outbreak of rabies, are in the process of destroying 50,000 dogs by clubbing, electrocution, and poisoning. If any of you have seen film of this situation on MSNBC or other news outlets, you know how sickening the Chinese treatment of dogs is. Aside from this latest atrocity, China also kills dogs for their fur and "leather," and the conditions in which these dogs are kept make US puppy mills look like Club Med.

Because of current US trade policies, it is difficult to avoid buying items made in China--there are just too many of them. But if you can reduce your purchases of Chinese-made goods, that will be a start. Combine this action with signing a letter of protest to be sent by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to one of the Chinese officials responsible for the slaughter. Read the story on the PETA Web site and click on the box to send your message.

August 11, 2006

Governor Ed Rendell, governor of the state now sadly known as the Puppy Mill Capital of the East, has taken an important first step toward ridding Pennsylvania of the shame of this inhumane industry. Political figures often operate on the basis of public opinion, and you can be sure that the powerful mill industry is not happy with the governor's actions. So please take a moment to send Governor Rendell a message of support and encouragement to continue his efforts. Click here to sign a petition.

June 4, 2006

We didn't mean to imply with our earlier story that Rufus Inc. is out of business. Only that they filed for bankruptcy protection in Fall, 2005, and closed their Woof & Co. stores. They are still doing business--under the names Family Pet Centers and Maxie Biggz.

The Humane News, a publication of the Associated Humane Societies, provided some insight into those bankruptcy proceedings. The newsletter reported that the fine folks at Rufus filed for bankruptcy to avoid paying the veterinary bills for sick puppies purchased at their stores, and that their bankruptcy protection meant that they did not have to pay the $9800 fine levied against the company by the state of New Jersey for charges of animal cruelty. The Humane News also reported that Rufus was facing more than 18,000 creditors in five states--Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, and New York--when they filed for bankruptcy protection.

But they go merrily on, selling puppies brokered by the Hunte Corporation. Spread the word. Rufus Inc., like fleas and ticks, are always with us.

March 14, 2006

It has been reported on numerous financial web sites that Rufus Inc., the chain responsible for the Woof & Co. and Maxie Biggz "lifestyle stores," which sold Hunte Corporation-brokered puppies, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August.

September 16, 2005

Rufus Inc. has closed its two original Woof & Co. stores and vanished from Massachusetts after less than two years in the high-priced puppy-selling business there. The Boston Herald reported on June 8 that the two stores had accumulated 27 violations of Massachusetts pet store regulations in the short time they were in business. As usual, no one at the "upscale, lifestyle" stores' home office had any comment. When Rufus opened these two stores, they announced plans to open six more before taking the chain national. Apparently, that plan has been scrapped. Rufus Inc. has had problems in New Jersey too; see the article directly below this one.

June 8, 2005

A New Jersey pet store owned by the Rufus Inc. chain, which has described itself as "upscale" and "a lifestyle store," pleaded guilty to four counts of animal cruelty and was fined almost $10,000 for failing to care for a Shar-pei puppy who had a serious eye problem that needed immediate medical attention. Instead, the puppy was shut away in the back of the store with three other puppies, none of whom even had water to drink. When it was finally rescued, the Shar-pei was nearly blind and had been left without medical care for almost a month, according to the report on the NorthJersey.com web site.

No surprise that Rufus Inc. Executive Vice President Judith Bethelmy did not return a phone call from the newspaper to comment on the incident. We would also like to ask V.P. Judy a question: How do you sleep at night?

We would also like to know how many more stories like this one it's going to take before people stop supporting businesses like Rufus.

May 23, 2005

DVM Newsmagazine, a publication for veterinarians, reports that two Massachusetts veterinarians who contracted to do examinations for pet store operations, including Woof & Co., have been asked to answer allegations of "unprofessional conduct" and to defend their licenses to the state licensing board. The action was taken as part of a "government crusade to clean up consumer complaints involving pet store animals."

State law mandates that animals sold in pet stores must have weekly examinations and be certified healthy by a veterinarian before they are sold. The report states that Dr. Mark Jawitz, who contracted with Woof & Co., "failed to complete weekly examinations on all dogs for sale, spent 45 minutes examining up to 50 dogs at a time and certified animals for sale despite failing to conduct appropriate examinations." Similar charges were leveled against Dr. Mark Verbin, who worked for a local pet store.

Past Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association President Dr. Wendy Emerson described the difficulties faced by vets who contract with pet stores to evaluate the health of the animals sold there. "Offered meager pay, no exam area or equipment and plenty of pressure from the store's owners to pass animals, Emerson says she was left to improvise on many occasions," the report states.

"Even if I would find something and then prescribe an appropriate treatment, these animals were kept at the pet store; any quarantine was woefully inadequate," she says. "I brought my own stethoscope, thermometer and set up an exam table on a box," she says. "It's not like you do blood work or take X-rays. You don't even have a microscope to do a fecal on these animals. Basically you examine these animals for frank signs of ill health. Even when I would find something, the owners would get angry with me if I wouldn't pass a puppy on hold. The pet store ties your hands."

Defending her profession, MVMA Executive Director Dr. Susan Weinstein stated that "pet shops aren't known for valuing veterinary care."

March 31, 2005

Main Line Rescue, an animal rescue group located in suburban Philadelphia, is sponsoring a billboard on the Pennsylvania Turnpike that shows the other side of the quaint Lancaster County Amish country that draws thousands of tourists annually -- the fact that Lancaster County now has one of the highest concentrations of puppy mills anywhere in the United States. Read more about the billboard campaign here. And if you're planning a vacation in Lancaster County, think twice before you support a local economy that is built on the suffering of thousands of imprisoned dogs.

March 17, 2005

UPDATE
Main Line Rescue has placed a second anti-puppy mill billboard along the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Lancaster County and has received enough donations to put up three more! Read more about the billboards here. And remember, if you're planning a vacation trip to that quaint Amish country in southeastern Pennsylvania, what is lurking behind those picturesque barns on so many Amish farms, and consider vacationing somewhere else.

May 1, 2005

Keystone Golden Retriever Rescue (KGRR), a Pennsylvania rescue group, has filed a lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, seeking to make the DOA enforce the laws meant to protect the dogs in Pennsylvania puppy mills. KGRR has been joined in its lawsuit by the State Dog Warden of Bedford and Fulton Counties. The plaintiffs allege that the Bureau of Dog Law, the DOA agency that is supposed to enforce the laws, is not enforcing them adequately, and that, as a result, dogs in the numerous Pennsylvania puppy mills are living in horrible conditions. Read about the lawsuit here; and consider making a donation to help KGRR pay the legal fees for their courageous action by clicking on the PayPal link at the bottom left of that page.

February 24, 2005

Kudos and thanks to Judge Kathy Smith of the Clinton Superior Court in Frankfort, Indiana, for sentencing a man convicted of shooting his puppy with a pellet gun, then throwing it in the trash, to nine months' jail time. Read the story here. In sentencing the man, Judge Smith noted the connection between cruelty to animals and cruelty to humans so often ignored by other judges, like Judge Garritt Howard of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. In 2004, Judge Howard found a former Cook County corrections officer not guilty of all charges after he kicked and beat his 15-pound puppy to death; details of the case are available here. Judge Howard is up for re-election in 2006.

December 24, 2004

If you are still not quite convinced about how puppies sold in pet stores are "cared for," click here to read a front-page story in this major Boston newspaper. The story details an investigation of the treatment of pet store puppies by a number of chains, including stores owned by New England Pet Centers and Rufus, Inc.

December 14, 2004

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the newsstand, the November 8 issue of PEOPLE Magazine honors a 16-year-old puppy broker as a budding entrepreneur and a "teen titan!" The proud owner of cuddlypuppy.com buys puppies from breeders and sells them over the Internet -- no references required, no home checks, just a $20 "processing fee." Please sign a petition to be sent to the editors of PEOPLE about their bone-headed decision to give a teenager who is contributing to the pet overpopulation problem worldwide publicity. Or send a letter to the editor.

November 2, 2004

If you've been wondering what Rufus Inc., the parent company of Woof & Co., is up to, here's the latest.

Yes, they are busily adding more "upscale puppy stores" to their dysfunctional corporate family -- just using different names. Maxie Biggz, Family Pet Centers, Woof & Co. -- they're all Rufus Inc., and are all brought to you by those same Gap and Ikea veterans who like to pretend that they are friends of animals, even though they buy all their puppies from the Hunte Corporation, the country's largest puppy broker. Prices for dogs in the Maxie Biggz chain range from $750 to $3100. And no, that's not a typo!

One thing we will give Rufus Inc. -- they sure know how to do PR! Imagine: A store that sells puppy mill puppies and yet continues to assert that they are rescue-friendly! That they want to work with "animal activists!" And, what would be most hilarious, if it weren't so tragic, that they "want to get away from the image of mall pet stores as places that don't take care of animals very well!" They managed to fool the writer of the article in the link above, but they don't fool us.

Their "upscale puppy" empire is growing, which is bad news. Please be aware of this company and make your voices heard in communities where they open stores!

October 31, 2004

One Less Puppy Mill in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania!

Residents of Penn Township, in Lancaster County -- which is fast becoming the Puppy Mill Capital of the United States -- have defeated the plans of a local pig farmer to convert much of his farming operation to a 225-kennel puppy mill. In a letter to the editor of the Lancaster New Era, the residents' group, Concerned Citizens of Penn Township, explained the rationale behind their successful opposition.

Mr. Hess [the farmer], by his own admission, stated many times during the first zoning hearing that he knew nothing about dogs or how to raise them. All such knowledge was to be provided by his consultant, Mr. Nathan Myer, who does not have an educational degree or certification in animal husbandry -- just years of running a puppy mill himself. Mr. Myer has been observed at other township meetings advocating the start-up of puppy mills and speaking on behalf of the applicants. Recently, Mr. Myer was named in a law suit, along with two members of the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement. During his testimony Mr. Myer stated that switching from hog-breeding to dog-breeding will not be difficult for Mr. Hess since it is just "basic animal husbandry." If you do your research and communicate with professionals who hold degrees in animal behavior, you will quickly learn that there is a huge difference between dogs and hogs. Dogs have basic needs that cannot be met in a puppy mill environment. There is obvious disregard for the temperamental characteristics of the dogs used for breeding, and for the method in which litters are raised. Typically, there is inadequate human contact and little or no opportunity for socialization and normal development.

The "state of the art" puppy mill facility was going to house 225 dogs in a 40' by 72' barn, insulated and totally enclosed. No windows, no sun light, only one door. A 24" fan at either end of the building was supposed to cool this barn by using a thermostat which would make the fans run faster as the heat rose causing the louvers to rise. The second, smaller barn was similar with only one fan. How hot do you think it will get in that barn during the humid Pennsylvania summers? A 'high-quality kennel' would have air conditioning and air purifiers at the very least.

Dogs kept in research labs are required by law to receive exercise and play time. There is social time with humans. Why is it that these laws do not extend to puppy mill dogs?... There is no socialization with humans, no play time . only confinement. And then death. If the average citizen would confine a dog in similar conditions, we could be cited for cruelty to animals.

We congratulate the Concerned Citizens of Penn Township on their successful opposition to yet another inhumane puppy mill and encourage other groups to follow their lead.

October 31, 2004

Don't Buy ANYTHING in Stores that Sell Puppies!

The other day I had a surprising conversation with someone, who mentioned casually that she and a friend had gone to a pet store to buy gravel for her friend's fish tank, and while they were there, she saw some dachshund puppies for sale in the store and was allowed to take them out of their cage and pet them.

She saw the look of horror that crossed my face and said, "Oh, don't worry -- we would never buy a puppy from a pet store! We know about puppy mills!"

What she and her friend didn't realize was that when you buy ANYTHING from stores that sell puppies, you are supporting puppy mills. Stores like Petland, Woof & Co., and independent retail outlets that sell puppies turn a big profit on all the pet supplies they sell. Profit that keeps them in the puppy-selling business.

So, please -- don't contribute in any way to the success of pet store puppy sales. When you need fish tank gravel, bird seed, a leash, a collar, a box of dog biscuits, or any other pet supplies, buy them from stores that sell supplies only -- NOT puppies!