Rally Against The AKC's Support Of Puppy Mills

April 12, 2007 : 12:00 AM

Update April 13, 2007 A number of people showed up today in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania including Best Friends Animal Society to rally against the AKC's support for puppy mills. The rally took place during a seminar the AKC held to help breeders and dog owners oppose regulations of puppy mills and such anti-cruelty measures as anti-chaining laws. For more on this and how you can contact the AKC, read the report below.

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An American Kennel Club (AKC) representative, Lisa Peterson, recently stated: “Dogs are … property. …And we like to leave the option to the owner of the property, of the dog, with the breeder…. It's their decision as to how … many intact females to own or how many litters to produce.”

Commercial dog breeders are often “puppy mills”, those businesses that mass produce dogs for sale. There are reportedly 4,000-5,000 puppy mills in the U.S., each with 75 to 150 breeding dogs. Puppy mills are not much different from the factories that churn out toasters, televisions, and the like. Female dogs used for breeding in puppy mills are bred over and over until their bodies give out. The dogs are literally “stored” in cramped, usually filthy, dark cages, given little or no care, and no socialization or human companionship. Dogs in puppy mills have been found starved, with matted fur covered in fleas or tics.

Puppy mills mean big revenues for the AKC. In 2006 the American Kennel Club (AKC) registered 870,000 individual dogs and 416,000 litters. At $20 per dog and $25 per litter (plus $2 per puppy), AKC brought in well over $30 million in revenues from registration of dogs born in puppy mills.

The AKC, though, does not for the most part check to find out if dogs even qualify for registration. The AKC does not actually travel to every breeder’s facility to inspect it. The AKC has announced it “cannot guarantee the quality or health of dogs in its registry.” But AKC is happy to take the money and issue "papers" for the dogs anyway. Usually the "papers' simply list the purebred lineage listed on the application submitted by the breeder.

Most puppy mill dogs are sold in pet stores or online. The consumers believe a dog with AKC registered papers is actually a purebred that is in good health. Of course, many dogs from mills are inbred, provided little or no care or socialization, and have diseases, illnesses or deformities and behavioral problems.

Now the AKC plans to have a seminar called "Legislative Empowerment" where they will teach breeders and other dog owners how to oppose legislation and regulations.

In another example of stunning indifference to cruelty to dogs, AKC announced restrictions on tethering or chaining dogs is "unnecessary". For more on the cruelty and danger of tethering or chaining dogs, click here. A Growing Movement To End The Tethering And Chaining Of Dogs

Dogs Deserve Better, http://www.dogsdeservebetter.com/ is planning a protest at this seminar.

Please join Best Friends and Dogs Deserve Better in a protest at the AKC seminar in Harrisburg at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on Friday, April 13th, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

If you cannot attend the rally, let the AKC know it’s time to stop the exploitive breeding of dogs. It’s time to stop the cruelty from which the AKC is profiting.

Contact the AKC:
American Kennel Club Headquarters
260 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016
Telephone: 212.696.8200
doglaw@akc.org

by Laura Allen of the Animal Law Coalition

Comments

July 9, 2007 at 2:55 AM
posted by: Rainydaywoman

I get action alerts from the Humane Society of the United States. Recently I was horrified to learn how dogs and cats are treated in China. But I am absolutely outraged to learn that conditions aren't much better in my own country. I have been very naive, I suppose. I thought that to breed dogs one had to love the breed and the species. I wondered how these factory puppy farms could be registering their dogs through the AKC. So I visited their website to see if they had taken a stand on this issue. Their motto is we're the "dog's champion." I soon learned that nothing could be further from the truth. Their only concern is in maintaining the property rights of their members, and ensuring that breeding dogs remains a profitable business. I wrote them a scathing email which still has not been answered. I really don't understand how any organization can be so involved with these beautiful souls and not love them. How is that possible? Unless the people who make up that organization have no heart. "The Love of Money is the root of all evil." No truer words have ever been written.

June 20, 2007 at 10:30 AM
posted by: Noraandkids

I grew up admiring the "work" of the AKC. I remember how proud I was of the papers of my first AKC puppy, a Minature Poodle. When I decided to have a litter of pups, I carefully followed the rules, insuring my female only bred with the male of choice. My females were never bred before they were mature enough, allowed plenty of time between litters and retired by 5 or 6 years of age. I raised Poodles for awhile and later in life, Basenjis. My pups grew up very socialized and were never placed before 12 weeks of age. It was a work of love. I was a "backyard breeder" raising pet quality dogs from good breeding lines. My females were in as good of condition following nursing a litter as before being bred. I thought this was the aim of the AKC. I believed them whrn they stated they inspected large operations and removed privilages from bad breeders.

Now I know different. And I am ashamed to have ever been a part of this ugly money machine. I have not bred dogs for the past 5 years and will never do so again. I, too, would like to see the AKC crumble. This organization should be ashamed of itself. Money has tainted its oriiginal purpose and brought about the suffering of many helpless dogs and puppies.

Nora

May 7, 2007 at 12:21 PM
posted by: jeanc

Well, this certainly changes my mind about the AKC. How could they promote puppy mills? I have tried to stop one that I think is located in Whitehall MD at a farm, but nothing seems to be happening.

April 13, 2007 at 10:42 PM
posted by: ruthy92

The registries are basically a sham

And falsification of paperwork and registrations is yet another issue they all share

http://www.nowisconsinpuppymills.com/akc.html

April 13, 2007 at 12:10 PM
posted by: kendra

So is it all dog breed registration organizations that are like this, or is it just the AKC that's become so overcome by greed? Is the UKC like this?

April 13, 2007 at 11:55 AM
posted by: southerndogmom

I simply cannot post in a public forum what I think of the AKC. I have more respect for the farmer who owns the property adjacent to mine on which he raises cattle. Shame, shame, shame on the AKC.

There was a time in my life when I might watch a snippet of a program on the idiot box related to the AKC. That time is long gone.

April 13, 2007 at 10:42 AM
posted by: michelle

see related story-
http://network.bestfriends.org/puppymills/news/11808.html

April 12, 2007 at 9:30 PM
posted by: ruthy92

Some of these AKC ers have cronies in the State Depts of Agriculture

So look into what your state Ag employees and officials are up to and who they associate with and lobby for!

(and where they pull their quotes from. Is it propaganda from groups like AKC?)

April 12, 2007 at 9:28 PM
posted by: ruthy92

The number one source of income for the AKC these days is registering puppy mill puppies.

They have a business arrangement with Hunte Corporation, the notorious puppy mill broker in the "puppy mill capitol of America" Missouri.

The AKC board recently voted to enter into a business deal with the puppy mill puppy sellers Petland chain.

The AKC does not want any laws or regulations reducing the output of these horrific mills.

(Many of whom keep dogs outside 24/7, hence the AKC is in favor of chaining and tethering.)

Thus the AKC uses its members (many of whom are hateful and pro-abuse anyway) to lobby FOR the puppy mills.

So you will see even breeders who call themselves reputable lobbying FOR the mills.

All those puppy mill blood dollars pay for dog shows, seminars, dog clubs, and other assorted vanities.

To find your local pro-abuse AKC rep, look for state AKC legislative liasions, SOME dog clubs or federations of dog clubs, ALL dog OWNER groups (federations, responsible, clubs- the emphasis is on OWNER as in dogs as property to be abused at will.)

Also pet law groups, websites, boards, forums, online groups.

And animal "interest" groups (the interest is profit.)

This is the PRO-ABUSE lobby.

April 12, 2007 at 5:31 PM
posted by: kendra

OH!! I HATE HATE HATE HATE THE AKC!!!!! I hate them so much! I wish they would crumble and burn!! The great snobby jerks!!! The hypocrits!