I didn’t see the poor creatures at first.
Story by Keaven Van LomIt wasn’t until winter’s cold compelled the leaves off the barrier of a thick hedge that my back-road commute to work became a journey that broke my heart every day. I was seeing my first backyard breeder, or puppy mill.
(located in Antioch, TN)Dozens of Chihuahuas, Cockers, and Yorkshire Terriers languished in small, five-by-five wire enclosures. Day after day they paced their meager patch of dirt or sat atop ramshackle plywood doghouses to look forlornly at a world denied to them. They would never play fetch, feel the wind in their face on a car ride, or snuggle with a family member next to a warm fire. Rather, they continually suffered sweltering hot summers and frigid winters with virtually no protection.
A crude “Puppies for Sale” sign would appear near the mailbox from time to time, no doubt accompanied by an enticing newspaper ad. After Animal Control blew me off, I drummed up the courage to talk to the breeder, an old woman who was planning to pass the operation on to her daughter. How many hundreds of innocent little animals suffered over the years to fill her pockets? I did the only other thing I could think of: I called the IRS and reported her, hoping she hadn’t been declaring income on her cruel trade.
In actuality, this operation was nothing compared to what is known as a puppy mill, where hundreds of thousands of dogs across the country are kept prisoners in mass commercial breeding operations. The dogs are typically imprisoned in filthy, tiny, wire cages with no bedding, veterinary care, or protection from the elements. Their eyes and ears are often crusty and oozing with infection, while mange ravages their skin with red scabs. The cruel wire flooring causes their feet to abscess and their bodies are riddled with tumors and parasites. The bitches and studs who produce litter after litter in lonely confinement are discarded when they are worn out. Their confinement is probably the worst of their torture. Rescuers speak of how, once released from their cages, these dogs can do nothing but stand up, turn around and sit down. Lest you think I am exaggerating, check out pictures and read the stories of the animals subjected to this insane cruelty online at banpuppymills.com, stoppuppymills.org and prisonersofgreed.org.
Photo Courtesy of the Humane Society of the United StatesThe puppy mill business thrives on supply and demand. The heartless people who exploit dogs for profit are counting on the emotional tug of that adorable, perfumed ball of fur at the pet store. It only takes Disney making another “101 Dalmatians” movie or Paris Hilton accessorizing with a lapdog and the country goes bonkers over designer dogs without any knowledge whatsoever of the cruelty from which they come. Rarely does the horrific truth of puppy mills reach the unwitting public, though a recent investigation by the Humane Society of the United States into Pets of Bel Air, an upscale pet boutique in Beverly Hills, revealed that employees routinely deceived customers by falsely claiming that no puppies sold at the store were from puppy mills. The truth only made national news because celebrities such as Britney Spears, Denise Richards, Demi Moore, and Robin Williams are customers.
While the highest concentration of puppy mills is found in the state of Pennsylvania, no area is immune, even such community-oriented areas like Truckee-Tahoe. According to Dan Olsen, Truckee’s Manager of Animal Services, Truckee hasn’t had any major problems recently with puppy mills; but at one time, the agency broke up the beginnings of a potential puppy mill in Sierra County.
“The owners had purchased seven Great Danes and were starting to breed them. They ended up being confiscated for poor conditions and they were eventually turned over to Animal Control and adopted into a Great Dane rescue,” Olsen said.
While this story had a happy ending, most don’t, since puppy mills are hidden from view. For instance, in Franklin, Tenn., breeder Jennifer Siliski was found to be keeping approximately 200 toy Maltese dogs in her home, where cages were stacked atop each other in the filthy house to provide merchandise for Hollybelle Maltese, her online company that sold the pups. At the time of confiscation, veterinarians suspected that as many as 100 of the dogs were pregnant. One 15-year-old mother was blind, deaf, and too weak to lick her pups clean. In addition, authorities suspected that Siliski had given hormone-like pills to the female dogs and Viagra to the males in order to maximize reproduction. At rescue, most of the males had erections to the point they were bleeding, probably due to the mucous membrane surrounding the penis drying and cracking when unnaturally exposed to air for a prolonged period of time.
As many as four million animals are euthanized every year because they are born into a world peopled by irresponsible humans who don’t spay and neuter, while about one third of the country’s 11,000 pet stores still sell puppies! The plain fact is that when you buy, a pound pup dies. When you pull out your wallet at the pet store or purchase an animal from an ad, on the internet, or in front of the grocery store, you are fueling the operations of puppy mills and backyard breeders.
Shrimp After
Puppy mill animals often have congenital defects (caused by over breeding) or serious behavioral issues and illnesses due to the horrific conditions in which they were born. New owners frequently dump these pups at overburdened shelters, which must then evaluate, treat or euthanize, oftentimes at taxpayer expense.
Health authorities are presently concerned about Brucellosis canis – known as “canine STD,” and most commonly found in un-neutered dogs. While symptoms such as swollen lymph nodes and gentitals, poor vigor, infertility and aborted pups may appear, infected dogs can display no outward symptoms. The disease can spread to humans, causing flu-like symptoms such as fever, sweats, headaches, back pains, and weakness that can be chronic and long-lasting. Children, seniors, and pregnant women are at greater risk.
The disease can cause sterility in male dogs and miscarriages in females, making them of little use to breeders who then discard or sell them. Although reported cases of human B. canis infections are uncommon, the disease is thought to be acutely unrecognized since standard Brucellosis blood tests in humans do not detect B. canis infection. Because of the potential for human infection and the rapidity of spread of the organisms, the Center for Disease Control considers it a very serious disease, which must be reported to health authorities.
What about “hobbyists” – kind and respectable everyday people want to produce a litter every year or so to keep the line going and ensure the memory and lineage of their beloved Boston Terrier? Perhaps they could take a year or two off from breeding and encourage adoption from shelters in order to save the lives of animals on death row.
If you’re looking for a Lab or Golden Retriever to share your mountain home, let local animal shelters or breed-rescue groups help you find one. These people are absolutely committed to providing you with a healthy pet, the perfect fit personality-wise, and to saving the lives of homeless animals. What if you locate a pure breed for rescue in another state? Not to fret. There are volunteers -– even a network of Big Rig truckers that crisscrosses the country – who will transport a rescue to its new home thousands of miles away.
Nanette Cronk, Animal Programs Manager for the Humane Society of Truckee Tahoe (HSTT) works hard at pure-breed rescue and adoption processes as well. “We get a certain amount of purebreds turned in to us by people that are moving, or for other reasons can’t keep their pet,” she said. “Again, without papers we do not guarantee that adopters are getting a purebred, but most people don’t care about that – they just want a nice pet and like certain breeds. I just rescued what looked like a purebred Lab from Reno (our vet said he looked more purebred than most that are claimed to be), and he was adopted last night to a wonderful local family.”
The HSTT extensively screens all adopters and is committed to making them aware of the realities of taking a puppy home. They provide adopters with a special “puppy package” that includes a basic dog training DVD, a booklet specifically about puppy training, a list of puppy training classes, and access to a “hotline” in case adopters need extra help. A certified dog trainer volunteer is also available to consult with new owners who are having a difficult time with their new pup. Cronk says, “The people selling pups in front of stores certainly don’t provide all that!”
You are probably wondering where the law is in all this. State and federal governments typically do not enforce laws to protect dogs, especially in places like the south, where some of the worst animal abuse in the country occurs and where the mantra, “It’s only an animal,” can be heard far and wide. Commercial breeders and brokers have large, well-funded lobbying efforts, and with most puppy mill operations hidden from view, thousands upon thousands of dogs and cats just don’t have a chance.
Any reasonably observant person can’t help but see that there is an overwhelming and unnecessary amount of suffering in the world. One way in which to alleviate or end it is to make informed and thus compassionate choices. Slowly, society is waking up to this simple ethic and to the power of individual contribution by embracing social responsibility. The only way to put puppy mills and backyard breeders out of business is to end the demand.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:• Boycott pet stores that sell puppies or kittens.
• Never buy a puppy or kitten outside of a store, from an ad or over the internet.
• Use your local animal groups and breed rescues to help you find your preferred breed.
• Adopt, rescue and give the gift of life.
FOR MORE INFO:The Truth About the Pet Tradebanpuppymills.com
helpinganimals.com
prisonersofgreed.org
stoppuppymills.org
"This article was previously published in Moonshine Ink, March 13 to April 9, 2008". http://www.moonshineink.com/article_detail.php?id=601Photos of "Shrimp Before" (lead photo) and "Shrimp After" Courtesy of Last Chance for AnimalsKeaven Van Lom worked many hours combating the Pet Trade in Nashville, TN and now calls the beautiful area of Truckee/Tahoe her home. She is a freelance writer and her website is at:
www.keavenvanlom.comPosted by Kim Cady