Puppy Mills, Closer Then You Think

In the late 19th century, fear of rabies in New York and other cities lead to the formation of the first animal control groups. Dogs were rounded up and killed often in unspeakably cruel ways. As the New York Times reports, dogs were even placed in crates and drowned in the East River. Back then, a dog catcher was a person who protected the public with very little regard to the animals themselves. Although today groups like the SPCA have made great progress, many people do not realize that they inadvertently are contributing to the problem.

That cute puppy in the window might seem innocent enough, but behind the glass often lies the story of a mother forced to breed all its life and live in a small cage. Typically, animals in puppy mills are denied medical treatment and it is not uncommon for them to be covered by multiple cage sores and even their own feces. Once the animal is no longer productive, it is put down to make room for another abused animal.

Despite attempts to stop puppy mills, animal control groups are often overwhelmed by the legal challenges involved in shutting down incompliant breeders. Although many places that sell pets claim to only take animals from reputable breeders, time and time again, undercover agents have shown when there is money to be made, the darker side of mankind often shows its face.

So what can a person do to help? The first step is education. That education must begin early in life because kids need to know why it is important not to support these institutions. Every day, literally thousands of animals are destroyed simply because there is not enough room to keep them. In a bad economy, many people have been forced to give up their pets when they lost their jobs and had to move. Unfortunately, with funding limited, many perfectly good animals are euthanized every day. Fifty percent of dogs and seventy percent of cats in shelters are never adopted. Older pets in particular, are often disregarded. By adopting a pet, you save a life and cast your vote for a better tomorrow.

This is not to say that there is no such thing as a reputable breeder. But with 3 to 4 million animals euthanized in shelters annually, why bring more pets into this world when so many are waiting to be rescued today?

Robert Haskell is a contributing author and manager of consumer affairs for http://www.officesalesusa.com and http://www.worldatfocus.com/.