I'm pretty excited about an article regarding puppy mills that I read in the summer issue of The American Dog Magazine. According to Carole Raphaelle Davis in her article titled, Inside The 'Rescue Revolution' "the owner of Elaine's Pet Depot signed an agreement to hand over all of her puppy mill dogs to Good Dog Animal Rescue for adoption. The agreement with the lynchpin store of a national chain of pet stores included a statement that reflected the store's commitment to working with rescue organizations. The store agreed to hold adoptions and end its sale of puppy mill dogs."
This victory occurred after five weeks of protests by activists. So the activism works. 70% of week end business was deterred at pet stores twhere protesters waved graphic signs of dogs suffering in the mills. Over twelve stores in the heart of Los Angeles have closed or converted to rescue in just over a year says Raphaelle Davis.
Some stores are converting from selling puppy mill dogs to holding adoptions for shelter dogs prior to being picketed in order to avoid bad publicity. Or they simply close.
Even though New York is the largest market for puppy mill dogs, the national welfare organizations are watching Los Angeles because they believe L.A. is the most important with a celebrity culture that dictates trends. Will the nation will follow Los Angeles? That is the hope.
There is a national effort from rescue organizations to eliminate puppy mills, and Jennifer Fearing of the Humane Society of the United States believes that both the supply and demand end of the "business" must be addressed. This includes passing legislation to improve standards of care in existing mills , and closing or converting the retail outlets that sell the pups. Petsmart and PETCO are good examples that this model of adopting shelter animals works.
To read the full article, grab a summer issue of The American Dog Magazine or go to The American Dog Magazine online.
Maddie and Cinnamon in the picture above are both shelter rescues. Maggie, my dog who motivated me to write my book, MAGGIE: the dog who changed my life, came from a good breeder. Please, when you decide you want a pet, choose adoption first. There are so many dogs and cats in shelters who will be euthanized simply because there are not enough people to adopt them. If you want a purebred dog, remember you can get one of just about any breed from a breed rescue group. If you do decide you want to buy a purebred puppy and don't want a rescued dog, please be sure to get your pup from one of the many responsible breeders out there -- not from a retail pet store as their supply of puppies most often come from puppy mills.
Posted By:
Dawn Kairns
Author of MAGGIE: the dog who changed my life
www.dawnkairns.com
www.maggiethedogwhochangedmylife.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/themaggiebook
