Friday 14 December 2007

Puppy mills


It was reported a few days ago by the Humane Society of the United States that a pet store in the Bel Air neighbourhood deceived customers, including Hollywood celebrities, about the origin of their puppies, many of which come from unlicensed pet mills. Puppy mills are breeding facilities that produce purebred puppies in large numbers.These puppy mills are often run by farmers who raise soybeans and corn, and this becomes another, more lucrative cash crop for them. It often becomes a dominant source of income because no money is spent on the care of these dogs. The investigation by the HSUS looked at dog breeders, pet auctions and pet stores that form a chain of supply for the expensive dogs that can be found along the streets of Beverly Hills, often in sweaters and rhinestone collars. The tiny toy breeds that sit in wooden baby cribs at the Bel Air store, Pets of Bel Air, sell for upward of $1,000 and are popular among the young Hollywood set. Puppies from these puppy mills are also directly sold to the public via the Internet, newspaper ads, or at the mill itself.The myriad documented problems of puppy mills include: over breeding, inbreeding, minimal veterinary care, poor quality of food and shelter, lack of human socialization, abuse, overcrowded cages and the killing of unwanted animals.For the unwitting consumer, this situation frequently means buying a puppy facing an array of immediate veterinary problems or harbouring genetic diseases that surface years later.

Have a look at the Humane Society of the United States website and sign the pledge to stop this practice: http://www.stoppuppymills.org/

11 comments:

jmb said...

Will do Eurodog. This is a very horrible practice that needs more publicity to stop it. People need to be aware that pet shops use these facilities as a source for their stock.

Anonymous said...

Doesn't it just make you so angry. I have nothing against anyone wanting to give a dog a good home but when it comes to having a dog for trendy purposes in Hollywood that to me is disgusting.

Crystal xx

Cornish Dreamer said...

Isn't it so sad when people consider money to be more important than life. I will click on the link & sign the pledge. RT

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

I will sign, too. Thi is horrific.

Mopsa said...

I suspect an economy that develops doggy hotels is one where puppy farms thrive alongside. Complete madness. It also makes me feel momentarily guilty for adoring pedigree dogs (Bernese of course) but then again, I support rare breeds of livestock, so try and quash those thoughts.

Anonymous said...

Eurodog, sorry to hog your comments page but we had a terrible time with Sparky yesterday. We have learnt today that she has dislocated her hip and is in a bad way but we are hoping she will recover.

Crystal xx

Eurodog said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Eurodog said...

Crystal,
How can a young dog dislocate its hip?
What happened?
Please keep me posted.

Eurodog said...

It's all about money.
Puppy mills, puppy farms, recycling of rescue dogs, it's all about money.

Flowerpot said...

just done that, ED. What a vile practice. It makes me really angry.

Ellee Seymour said...

I agree this is a shocking practice, my concern is that others are doing it oo. well done for highlighting it.