HSUS LAUNCHES FIRST PUPPY MILL ACTION WEEK - 11/25 THROUGH 12/01

Holiday Shoppers Called On to Help End the Needless Suffering of Dogs; Please Sign the Pledge and Help Spread Awareness

Don’t Put Cruelty on Your Holiday Gift List

November 16, 2007

The Humane Society of the United States' Puppy Mill Action Week Calls on Holiday Shoppers to Help End the Needless Suffering of Dogs

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) will launch its first Puppy Mill Action Week from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1 to educate the public about the dangers and cruelties of puppy mills during the height of holiday buying season.

Puppy Mill Action Week aims to inform consumers that they can put an end to puppy mills by refusing to buy a dog from a pet store or over the Internet, both of which largely sell dogs from mills.

"Holiday shopping time is the worst for these animals. Puppy mills are about supply and demand, with no greater demand than during the holidays," says Stephanie Shain, director of The HSUS' Stop Puppy Mills campaign. "When consumers stop 'demanding' the 'product' by shopping for puppies in pet stores and online, these mills will go out of business."

"People think they are rescuing a dog from a pet store, when that purchase is only making room for hundreds more puppy mill dogs to be bred and sold"

She further explains, "People think they are rescuing a dog from a pet store, when that purchase is only making room for hundreds more puppy mill dogs to be bred and sold. The public should be concerned not only with that one puppy in the window, but also for the mistreated breeding dogs caged for years back at the puppy mill. Because people buy the puppies, these dogs will spend their lifetime confined, churning out puppies."


Animal shelters and purebred rescue groups have thousands of dogs, many purebreds, who desperately need the gift of a loving home this holiday season. On the other hand, if people do want to buy a puppy, they need to investigate and make sure they are dealing with a good, compassionate breeder. Consumers have the ability to prevent suffering to many dogs with a single purchase.

The HSUS has been working for years to stop these cruel enterprises – using the courts, the legislative process, undercover investigations and public awareness campaigns. Earlier this month, an HSUS investigation threw a spotlight on shocking conditions in Virginia where more than 900 unlicensed commercial puppy dealers operate.

5 Simple Things You Can Do To Help

Puppy Mill Action Week asks people to follow five simple steps by going to www.humanesociety.org/puppymill

Sign the "Stop Puppy Mills" pledge on the website, which includes a promise to never buy a dog online or from a pet store.

Write to government officials and ask for an end to the inhumane treatment of dogs in puppy mills. Urge members of Congress to make puppy mill dogs and enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act a priority. Send your thoughts to newspaper editors about the connection between pet stores and puppy mills.

Download free "Stop Puppy Mills in 2008" HSUS card inserts for holiday greeting cards.

Download free flyers from The HSUS website to post in veterinary offices, health clubs, dog parks and other public places.

Spread the word about puppy mills by sending one e-mail to five friends with a link to www.humanesociety.org/puppymills and by buying The HSUS' "Stop Puppy Mills" campaign items for holiday gifts.
"Stop Puppy Mills" T-shirts will be given away to 100 people (chosen randomly) who sign the pledge during Puppy Mill Action Week.

Facts:

Adopting from an animal shelter, where one out of every four dogs is a purebred, or from a purebred rescue group, can help stop the puppy mill business.
Puppy mills contribute to millions of unwanted dogs being euthanized each year in the U.S.
About one-third of the nation's 11,000 pet stores sell puppies.
The HSUS estimates 2 million to 4 million puppy mill dogs are sold each year in the United States.
Mill puppies are more likely to have severe health problems, genetic defects and behavioral issues.
Documented puppy mill conditions include over-breeding, inbreeding, minimal veterinary care, poor food and shelter, crowded cages and lack of socialization.
Dogs kept for breeding in puppy mills suffer for years and are bred as often as possible before they are killed, sold through auction like used cars or abandoned.
Pet stores and unscrupulous breeders use attractive websites to hide the truth and to dupe the public into thinking that they are dealing with a reputable breeder.
Reputable breeders never sell puppies over the Internet or through a pet store. They will insist on meeting the family who wants to buy the dog.

Source: HSUS

Also be sure to visit the Best Friends community "The Truth About the Pet Trade" on the Network here.

Working together, we can put a stop to pet store cruelty and puppy mills.

Posted by Patricia Haddock, Best Friends Network
Photos courtesy of sxc.hu