One dollar helps fight a puppy mill
UPDATE MAY 30TH: As of today, Animal Ark has raised $32,200, and the Town House has raised $6,340 for a total of $38,540—all of it going straight to fighting one of the largest puppy mills in Minnesota.
Click here to read about dollars coming in from around the country. Mickey, from the Town House bar said, “Every day we get 5-6 envelopes in the mail with checks from $3., $4, $5- $20.” The support has made it possible to move forward and appeal the breeder’s permit—though they haven’t reached the total goal just yet.
Click here to read about the appeal filed yesterday.======================================================
By Kelli Ohrtman: Best Friends NetworkMinnesotans are coming together to fight a 500-dog breeding operation, a.k.a.
puppy mill in Morrison County, MN. Animal Ark, a no-kill shelter in Hastings, MN has been fighting against the puppy mill for over a year, and they need all the support they can get to keep going. Now the Town House Bar in St. Paul, Minnesota has stepped up as well to raise funds for Animal Ark’s efforts against puppy mills. They have organized a raffle to raise money to cover legal fees to appeal the permit issued to the puppy mill. Tickets are only a dollar, and every one purchased helps Animal Ark take a stand to show the county and everyone watching the case that puppy mills are not okay!
What you could win: A week next spring (April 5-12, 2008) at a two-bedroom villa in Orlando, Florida. It sleeps up to eight people, and the week up for grabs is at a very sought-after time of year. For more info and pictures of the villa,
Click Here.=======================================================
How to Buy TicketsRaffle tickets are $1 each
Checks can be made out to: Animal Ark Shelter
Please include a name and phone number for each raffle ticket order
Mail to:
The Town House
Attn: Mickey Short
1415 University Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55104Animal Ark needs to raise $30,000 by June 1st to cover all legal fees in the case. The goal for the raffle is to raise $5,000 by the October drawing date. The need for fundraising is ongoing in Animal Ark’s work against puppy mills! Mickey, a Town House employee and long-time Animal Ark volunteer will put names and phone numbers on the raffle tickets purchased, or she will send tickets to purchasers to fill out, if preferred.
*Are you a great salesperson (or someone who feels strongly about fighting puppy mills?) Consider purchasing a block of tickets—50, 100, whatever you think you can sell to friends, family, coworkers and neighbors! E-mail Mickey at: Fosseyfriend@aol.com with questions
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Ten things to know about puppy mills:1.) Best Friends’ definition of a puppy mill is anyone breeding for profit. Another name for a puppy mills is “commercial breeder.”
2.) In order to make a profit, breeders need to have a lot of dogs and breed them as often as possible. That’s why it is common for commercial breeders to keep 500 to over 1,000 dogs. Standard practice is to keep dogs in cages for their entire lives
3.) Pet stores get their dogs exclusively from USDA-licensed commercial breeders
4.) Yes, that means that puppies in stores come from puppy mills!
5.) While over 4 millions animals are euthanized in shelters every year, puppy mills churn out an estimated 500,000 puppies a year
6.) Buying puppies from a pet store encourages puppy mills to breed more dogs
7.) Puppy millers often set up fancy websites—NEVER buy a pet unless you visit where it was raised and see its parents
8.) Selling puppies makes millions of dollars for breeders, pet registries, and pet shops. Meanwhile, their breeding “stock” lives a life of misery in a cage
9.) Keeping dogs in these conditions is entirely legal, supported by the USDA, American Kennel Club, and state laws.
10.) The best way to fight puppy mills is to never, ever buy a dog from a pet store or website, and to tell others to do the same.
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Click on the links below for more information:Minnesota’s newest puppy mill. (Funds raised in the raffle go directly to appealing this permit.)
Animal Ark Shelter, and their efforts to stop puppy mills.
Town House Bar sets a fantastic example of how businesses can get involved.