Atlanta Area Pet Stores Take ‘Puppy Friendly’ Pledge

Thanks to the efforts of local advocates, many Atlanta area pet stores have signed The Humane Society of the United States' puppy friendly pet store pledge — committing not to sell puppies, but instead support local animal adoption programs and provide literature that helps customers learn how to locate a reputable breeder. The HSUS applauds these independent retailers because their actions prove it is not necessary to support the cruel puppy mill trade to operate a successful pet-related business.

"These stores have set a positive example of corporate responsibility for other businesses to follow," said Stephanie Shain, senior director of The HSUS' puppy mills campaign. "Pet stores that profit from the cruel puppy mill industry need to step up and do the right thing by stopping their puppy sales. Shelters and rescues are brimming with all types of dogs in need of homes."

Store owners and managers who sign The HSUS' pledge receive a placard proclaiming, "We love puppies; that's why we don't sell them," to display in the store, as well as materials about adopting a dog or finding a responsible breeder. The HSUS encourages shoppers to purchase pet supplies at stores displaying the puppy-friendly sign.

The independent retailers in the Atlanta area that have recently signed the puppy friendly pledge to not sell puppies are:

Citydog Market (Atlanta)
Intown Healthy Hound (Atlanta)
Park Pet Supply (Atlanta)
Pet Supplies "Plus" (Atlanta)
Dog City Bakery (Marietta)
Mom & Pups (Marietta)
Pet Supplies "Plus" (Marietta)
Pets Unlimited (Marietta)
Pawsibilities Pet Food & Supply (Roswell)
Panhandle Pet Supply (Thomasville)
Policy Helps Dogs Across the United States

The majority of pet stores that sell puppies carry dogs from puppy mills, which are mass production facilities that churn out large numbers of puppies under inhumane conditions. The breeding dogs at puppy mills spend their entire lives in cramped cages or kennels with little or no personal attention or quality of life. Consumers who purchase puppies from pet stores or over the Internet without seeing a breeder's home firsthand are often unknowingly supporting this cruel puppy mill industry.

Facts

Approximately one-third of the nation's 9,000 independent pet stores sell puppies.
The HSUS estimates that 2 million to 4 million puppy mill puppies are sold each year in the United States.
Documented puppy mill conditions include over-breeding, inbreeding, minimal veterinary care, poor food and shelter, crowded cages and lack of socialization.
Dogs kept for breeding in puppy mills suffer for years in continual confinement. They are bred as often as possible and then destroyed or discarded once they can no longer produce puppies.
Pet stores and online sellers often use attractive Web sites to hide the truth and to dupe consumers into thinking that they are dealing with a small, reputable breeder.
Reputable breeders never sell puppies over the Internet or through a pet store and will insist on meeting the family who will be purchasing the dog.
Puppy mills contribute to the pet overpopulation problem, which results in millions of unwanted dogs euthanized at shelters every year.

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Don’t Buy Heartache for the Holidays

The Humane Society of the United States warns families who are ready to welcome a pet into their homes this holiday to make doubly certain that they are not unwittingly supporting the cruel "puppy mill" industry.

Simple advice: Don't purchase puppies from a pet store, from a Web site, from a classified ad — or from any source where you cannot be absolutely certain that you are dealing with a reputable breeder. The HSUS urges families to first consider adoption from local shelters or rescue groups, where healthy, loving animals need nothing so much as a happy family this holiday.

Puppy mills are mass breeding operations designed to maximize profits. As HSUS investigators and rescue teams have shown over and over again, operators of these facilities commonly disregard the physical, social and emotional health of the dogs. Sloppy mass breeding programs and poor living conditions cause puppies from puppy mills to have more physical and behavioral problems than dogs from reliable sources.

"The Humane Society of the United States braces itself every year for the upsetting calls that come in right after the holidays," says Stephanie Shain, senior director of the puppy mills campaign for HSUS. "People call about sick or dying puppies who were purchased for the holidays. Too often consumers do not do their homework and end up spending the holiday trying to save a sick animal instead of enjoying the festive season."

To help spread the word, a new video featuring Justin Scally, manager of the HSUS Wilde Puppy Mill Task Force, discusses the suffering he has witnessed at some of the 16 puppy mills The HSUS has helped to shut down this year. Scally also introduces a puppy mill survivor named Brandy.

People who are ready to welcome a dog into their home this holiday should be aware that pet store and Internet sellers have been known — and filmed by undercover investigators — to mislead prospective customers about the source of puppies. If you do deal with a breeder, you should visit the home in person to see how and where the puppy's mother is living. And please, make sure you and your family are ready for the responsibility of a lifetime commitment to a pet.

Puppy Mill Facts:

Dogs at puppy mills typically receive little to no medical care, live in squalid conditions with no exercise, socialization or human interaction, and are confined inside cramped wire cages for life. Breeding dogs at puppy mills must endure constant breeding cycles and are destroyed or discarded once they can no longer produce puppies.
The HSUS supports compassionate breeders who provide for their dog's physical and mental well-being. Quality breeders don't sell puppies through pet stores or over the Internet.
Puppy mills contribute to the pet overpopulation problem, which results in millions of unwanted dogs euthanized at shelters every year.
For more information on how to adopt or find a good breeder, go to humanesociety.org/puppy.


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Never Buy Your Best Friend Online

If Lisa Mullins knew more about puppy mills, she never would have purchased her English Bulldog online. Mullins didn't know she was purchasing a sick puppy bred at a puppy mill when she bought her bulldog, Otis, from Bulldog Ravine. The Internet seller promised registration papers, "champion" bloodlines, and a health guarantee.

It wasn't until after Otis became seriously ill that Lisa learned that Bulldog Ravine was actually a Pennsylvania puppy importer accused of selling unhealthy bulldogs from overseas puppy mills. Sadly, after suffering from many health issues that cost his family thousands of dollars in vet bills, Otis died at only 8 months of age.

If you buy a dog over the Internet, at a pet store or through a newspaper ad, your new pooch may very well be from a puppy mill—an abusive mass-production facility that churns out puppies under inhumane conditions.

Puppy mill producers often have slick, professional websites that convincingly advertise their puppies as "home raised" or "family raised". These claims are often false. A reputable breeder will never sell dogs through the Internet or other outlets that would not allow them to personally meet and interview prospective buyers.

The HSUS believes that Bulldog Ravine owner Brenda Moncrieff, like many Internet puppy sellers, has operated businesses under several names and used different Web sites to sell puppies, possibly including: B&E English Bulldogs, Heavenly French Bulldogs, APlusBulldogs.com, MNMBulldogs.com and GreenacresBulldogs.com. Mullins and dozens of other heartbroken Bulldog Ravine customers have contacted The Humane Society of the United States for help.

"Most of the puppy mills that The HSUS has raided in recent months have been Internet sellers that posed online as small reputable breeders," said Stephanie Shain, senior director of The HSUS' puppy mills campaign. "The HSUS encourages anyone who has purchased a Bulldog from Bulldog Ravine or one of these other online businesses to contact us as soon as possible."

If you are ready to share your home with a new pet and have the time, space and dedication to provide a lifetime of care and companionship, visit your local animal shelter. One in every four dogs in U.S. animal shelters is a purebred. Most dogs in shelters are there due to "people" reasons, such as cost, lack of time, lifestyle changes (new baby, divorce, moving, or marriage), or allergies, not because of something the dog has done.

Some shelters will keep a waiting list for people seeking a particular breed or species. In addition, private rescue groups exist for almost every breed of dog, as well as other kinds of pets. If you choose to buy your pet from a breeder instead, always visit the breeder's facility in person and see how and where all the dogs are living. Never buy a puppy without personally visiting where the puppies and their parents are raised and housed.

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“A Cause for Paws” Gives Students a Way to Combat Puppy Mill Cruelty

The Humane Society of the United States' youth division has launched a new project, "A Cause for Paws," to guide young people in promoting improved conditions for dogs in puppy mills and raising awareness about how to get a dog without supporting cruelty. Part of the Mission: Humane program that gets K-12 students actively involved in the work of The HSUS, "A Cause for Paws" engages youth in making a difference for dogs while they learn academic skills.

The holidays are a time when many people decide to bring a puppy home. Students working with The HSUS are hoping to raise awareness of what goes on behind the pet store window and encourage prospective new dog owners to adopt from local shelters or rescue groups instead of buying from pet stores and Internet sites that, in most cases, are supplied by puppy mills.

The HSUS raided six puppy mills in 2008, bringing rescue to more than 2,000 dogs kept in horrific conditions. Dogs living in these mass dog breeding operations receive little or no exercise or veterinary care. Life is particularly bad for the adult dogs who live their entire lives in cages, without human companionship and with little hope of ever becoming part of a family.

In the wake of recent rescues and the investigation into Petland Inc., the country's largest chain of puppy-selling pet stores that has been tied to puppy mills, young people are asking what they can do to help.

"We are hearing from more and more children across the country who love dogs and are appalled at the way dogs in puppy mills are treated," said Heidi O'Brien, director of outreach for The HSUS' youth division. "They want to know how they can help. Young people can be powerful advocates and it's our goal to guide them in turning their outrage into something positive."

"A Cause for Paws" shows young people how to make their voices heard by their legislators to establish stronger laws to protect dogs. It also directs students in spreading the word to classmates, family and friends about how to steer clear of puppy mills when they make the decision to bring a dog into their family. Activities such as letter-writing and presenting to groups aligns the project—which is offered at two levels for elementary and high school students--to state and national education standards.

High school and elementary students can access step-by-step project instructions online, download a fact sheet, and then submit their work to earn a Mission: Humane T-shirt.

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Tips For Finding A Healthy Puppy

(NAPSI)-If you're in the market for a new dog, it's important to find a good breeder.

That's the advice from experts who say that puppy mills-which are mass dog-breeding facilities that sell puppies through pet stores and over the Internet- often treat their animals cruelly and inhumanely.

According to The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), puppy mills frequently house dogs in shockingly poor conditions, particularly for the "breeding stock" animals who are caged and continually bred for years without human companionship and then killed, abandoned or sold to another puppy mill after their fertility wanes.

An estimated 10,000 of the mills operate in the U.S., forming a billion-dollar industry. The mills sell dogs through many pet stores, over the Internet and sometimes through local newspaper ads. Opponents of the mills say the best way to put them out of business is to not buy the puppies they sell.

Instead, they suggest visiting animal shelters, purebred rescue groups or a responsible breeder. Nationwide, one out of every four dogs in an animal shelter is a purebred, and an estimated 6 to 8 million animals enter shelters annually, with only about half of them being adopted.

The HSUS offers this additional information for prospective pet buyers:

• Be wary of claims that a pet store only sells animals from breeders who are "USDA inspected." The USDA doesn't require all commercial breeders to be licensed, and the group establishes only minimum-care standards, even at inspected puppy mills.

• Some disreputable breeders sell their dogs directly to the public over the Internet and through newspaper ads. These breeders are not required to be inspected by any federal agency and, in many states, are not inspected at all.

• Reputable breeders care where their puppies go and interview hopeful buyers. They don't sell through pet stores or to families they haven't thoroughly checked out.

• Purebred papers do not guarantee the quality of the breeder or the dog.

• Puppy mill puppies often have medical problems that can lead to veterinary bills in the thousands of dollars. In addition, poor breeding and socialization practices at many puppy mills can lead to behavioral problems throughout the puppies' lives.

For more information, including a good breeder checklist, visit www.humanesociety.org/puppy.

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Federal Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Crack Down on Abusive Puppy Mills

The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund commend federal lawmakers for introducing bills that will crack down on abusive "puppy mills" in the United States — where breeding dogs are often stacked in wire cages for years to produce litter after litter. The legislation will close a loophole in the Animal Welfare Act that currently allows large, commercial breeders who sell puppies online and directly to the public to escape licensing and regulation.

The legislation — known as the "Puppy Uniform Protection Statute" (PUPS), or "Baby's Bill" in honor of rescued puppy mill survivor Baby who is the subject of Jana Kohl's new book A Rare Breed of Love — was introduced in the House of Representatives yesterday as H.R. 6949 by Reps. Sam Farr (D-Calif.), Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.), Lois Capps (D-Calif.) and Terry Everett (R-Ala.). A companion bill, S. 3519, was also introduced in the Senate by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.).

The bills also require that dogs used for breeding be removed from their cages for exercise every day. Female breeding dogs in puppy mills are typically forced to live their entire lives in small cages with no opportunity for exercise, no socialization, and little human interaction.

"Dogs are not livestock, and they shouldn't be treated like a cash crop," said Michael Markarian, executive vice president of The Humane Society of the United States and president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. "We are grateful to federal lawmakers for introducing this legislation to curb the worst abuses in the puppy mill industry. It's a much-needed upgrade to our nation's laws that protect man's best friend from cruelty and harm."

Facilities that breed dogs for commercial resale through pet stores are required to be licensed and inspected under the federal Animal Welfare Act. But thanks to a gaping exception in the law, puppy mills that sell directly to the public are exempt from any federal oversight whatsoever. Unregulated Internet sellers and other direct sales facilities sell thousands of puppies a year to unsuspecting consumers. Due to improper care, their puppies are often sick, leaving outraged consumers with frail, sometimes dying puppies and high vet bills. Meanwhile, the breeding dogs at these facilities often spend their entire lives in constant confinement and deprivation.

"Sadly, finding your puppy online may well increase the chance that you'll be buying from a puppy mill," said Sen. Durbin. "Our bill simply requires that breeders obtain a license from the USDA if they raise more than 50 dogs in a 12-month period and sell directly to the public and sets forth reasonable standards of care for commercial breeders. Responsible dog breeders are not the target of this legislation, but hopefully it will put the puppy mills out of business."

"My work supporting puppy mill regulation goes back to my time in the California Assembly where I championed California's puppy mill law," Rep. Farr said. "I think it's very important that Congress take the time to address issues like animal welfare. These are the kinds of issues that really demonstrate who we are as a society."

"I'm proud to join with Congressman Farr and representatives of The Humane Society of the United States today as we continue our efforts to ensure that commercial dog breeders are appropriately regulated," added Rep. Gerlach. "Our bill, the PUPS Act, will close a loophole in current law that allows large breeding operations avoid any and all oversight. I am confident that this bill will not hinder the operation of reputable and responsible breeders. Instead, it is aimed at protecting dogs and making individuals who are motivated by profit over the fair and humane treatment of dogs accountable for their actions."

The legislation will close the loophole in the AWA that allows thousands of commercial breeders to go unregulated. It will require the following changes to the AWA:

All dog breeders who sell more than 50 puppies per year directly to the public will be federally licensed and inspected; and
Dogs at commercial breeding facilities must be given the opportunity to exercise for 60 minutes a day.

The bill will not affect small breeders and hobby breeders who sell fewer than 50 dogs per year directly to the public, but is crafted to cover only the largest commercial breeding facilities.
Public concern about the inhumane conditions typical in puppy mills is at an all-time high, due to coverage on national television and several large-scale cruelty investigations and rescues from puppy mills this summer that The HSUS and local shelters spearheaded. Earlier this year, the Farm Bill passed by Congress included a new provision to ban the importation of puppies under six months old from puppy mills in China, Russia, Mexico and other foreign countries.

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