If we could stop puppy mills, we would put an end to one of the worst of the worst places you could ever imagine a lovable dog should ever have to spend his/her life. Too melodramatic? Well, it’s true.
As an avid animal advocate and lover, I feel it’s critical for human beings to protect the welfare of animals. They rely on us, trust us, and remain by our sides with loyal, unconditional love. When I wrote my sapphic romance novel, A New Leash on Life, I did so to not only entertain, but also to educate about animal welfare and the importance of supporting no-kill animal shelters through adoption, fostering and donations.
The Truth About Puppy Mills
According to The Humane Society (www.stoppuppymills.org), puppy mills house dogs in shockingly poor conditions. After their fertility wanes, breeding animals are often killed, abandoned or sold cheaply to another mill to try and get “one more litter” out of the dog. The annual result of all this breeding is millions of puppies, many with behavior and/or health problems.
Why would anyone choose to support puppy mills?
The short answer to that is most supporters don’t even realize they are supporting them.
So what can we do to stop puppy mills?
- Never shop at pet stores that sell animals. Never. Even buying a bag of kibble from such a place supports them and will continue the harsh, cruel cycle of commercial breeding.
- Never buy a puppy from a pet store. According to the Oprah show, 99% of all puppies from a pet store come from a puppy mill. Whatever you do, NEVER buy from a pet store. You will only fuel the business of puppy mills. Instead, seek out pet stores who support homeless pet adoptions.
- Adopt a dog from an animal shelter.
- Support and volunteer at your local animal shelter.
- Exercise your right to vote and work with your state legislature on the passage of local laws in your own community that will improve the lives of dogs in puppy mills.
- Download and print these flyers (courtesy of The Humane Society) and bring them to your veterinarian or groomer’s office: “Getting a Puppy?” and “How to Find a Good Dog Breeder” are designed to help potential pet owners avoid puppy mills.
- Spread the word. Most people have no idea what a puppy mill even is, let alone that the cute puppy they purchased from the local pet store was born in the worst of conditions to a mother who has lived her entire life in a wire crate under despicable circumstances.
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The longer we support pet stores who support puppy mills, the more dogs will have to continue to suffer at the hands of careless human beings. Let’s end this thing.
If you are considering welcoming a pet into your life, please consider adopting a shelter pet.
As with all of my books, I enjoy giving a portion of proceeds to the Hearts United for Animals: www.hua.org, a no-kill animal sanctuary.