Letters: Puppy mills inhumane, should be avoided by dog buyers
Filed under: Pets 911 - June 5, 2007
www.northwestern.com
June 5, 2007
I want to warn others about the dangers of puppy mills.
Many people think they’re buying a healthy puppy only to find out soon after that he is seriously ill and requires costly veterinary care to save his life.
Puppy mills are breeding facilities that produce purebred puppies in large numbers and sell them to unsuspecting consumers. They are inhumane, designed to maximize profits, and commonly disregard the physical, social, and emotional health of dogs in their facilities.
Puppy mill puppies are more likely to have physical and behavioral problems than dogs from good sources. Puppy mills lurk behind beautiful web sites, ads in the newspaper, even in pet stores.
The best way to stop puppy mills from continuing their abuse is for consumers to stop buying the puppies they breed. Many people think they are “rescuing” a puppy by buying one—don’t be fooled, you’re just creating space for another puppy to be sold. Never buy a dog unless you can see where he/she was born, how the parents are kept, and what condition all the dogs are in.
If you must purchase a purebred dog, it should be from a reputable breeder.
Checklists of good breeder characteristics are available on www.StopPuppyMills. com, and for information about finding your next pet, check The Humane Society of the United States’ site, www.hsus.org.
The best place to get your next pet is the local animal shelter. One in every four dogs in shelters is purebred. Most of them have already been spayed or neutered, and have received all vaccinations and checkups.
Purebred rescue groups are another excellent resource for finding a dog and you can find links at www.petfinder.org and www.pets911.com. People who love dogs need to help stop them from being mistreated by making sure they aren’t supporting a puppy mill.
Tera Williams Oshkosh
One Response to “Letters: Puppy mills inhumane, should be avoided by dog buyers”
this is so inhumane!