If you're like a lot of people, like I was once, you've undoubtedly gone to Pet Shops to look for items for dogs, cats, fish, birds, hamsters, etc. and probably even stopped to look at the puppies through the glass. They always look so happy and willing to share their life with you! Often when you ask for a simple price, you're told all about how you can finance one of these puppies and take him home today for only x number of easy payments.
Before I was aware of where these pet shops got their puppies I often reasoned, "Well, they cost a little more, but for what it's worth, you sure do get a lot!". Heck, I even decided that it might just be worth it. You get a puppy that's up to date on it's shots and has vet records, it's an AKC purebred and a lot of these places come with a certificate for a free spay/neuter. And just look at those big brown eyes, large open smile and wagging tail! It's easy to see why so many people buy their pets from these places. It's sad to say that even with the reputation of some pet shops, these puppies have a 50% chance of coming either with a disease, or incubating a disease. Incubating a disease would be like a person with HIV. He doesn't have AIDS yet, but he has the virus that causes it. Any living thing can get sick, though. Whether it's a human like you or I, a dog, cat...anything!! Due to the breeding conditions,however, these animals are much more likely to be sick than most animals
But the worst part about pet shops is the source from which they get their puppies. I became more knowledgable about this source and the Government Agency that is supposed to monitor them (The United States Department of Agriculture) about a year ago and immediately decided that something must be done. That something prompted this site. When others won't take the responsibility for humane treatment of these animals, it's up to the Animal Loving Community to raise awareness. Pet shops get their puppies from over 4,000 (nearly 5,000 now) commercial breeding facilities known as puppy mills. The average puppy mill in the United States includes 60 dogs. Some have many less, but tragically, some have many more. There have been reports of mills with 450 or more dogs on their premises.
It's nice to know that as long as there are puppy mills, there will always be the USDA to stand by the hundreds of thousands of dogs used in these facilities. Oh, sure there will still be abuse and neglect, inadequate food, shelter, the dogs will still be losing their fur due to poor nutrition and freezing in the winter, they'll still be "cooking" on the hot wires of the metal cage just large enough to accomdate a dog (with little room to even turn around or lie down comfortably), fights will still break out among cagemates over mere survival, but at least the USDA will still be standing there. It takes more than standing around to enforce the laws and this website was initially founded to strengthen the laws concerning commerical breeding facilities as well as replacing the USDA with a competent team of Animal Care and Control Officers to enforce these laws. Join us in the fight to save these nearly 300,000 dogs from a short life of misery!
