(posted: 01/02/2005)
MEMA NOTE: "LET ME MAKE IT UBUNDANTLY CLEAR:
"I AM OPPOSED TO ANY ANIMAL BEING RAISED OR USED IN UNFAVORABLE CONDITIONS. THAT IS ABUSE."
What is a 'puppy mill'?
Make sure you know the difference between a commercial breeder who takes wonderful care of their animals, providing excellent food & environment for them......with the goal to protect & promote a breed that will be used for the purpose they were intended. Some will be rescue dogs, canine police, therapy animal, disabled assistance, hunting companion, family pet. This is NOT the kind of facility that the term "puppy mill" was coined.
And the difference of a hidden away, dirty facility with diseased & damaged animals that is lacking in all the normal facilities for raising healthy well socialized animals for sale. That kind of facility is what the term "puppy mill" was coined.
"HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGIE IN THE WINDOW?"
Truth about the pet trade
Dog auctions
You probably know about ebay auctions and car auctions and livestock auctions—but another type of auction takes place nearly every weekend throughout the summer, and their existence usually comes as a shock to animal lovers. They’re similar to livestock auctions; animals are paraded in front of the audience, with the auctioneer’s voice blasting through the building as livestock are shuffled in and out, sold to the highest bidder for as much cash as possible. But in sale barns and kennels throughout the midwest, thousands of companion animals are crossing the auction block each year just like livestock. In 2007, more than eighteen thousand dogs were bought and sold this way.
Again remember it is NOT a problem with auctions that are selling happy healthy animals, it IS a problem when there are sick & damaged animals being sold just to be misused over & over~!
Auctions are not attended by families looking for a new pet—they are all business from beginning to end. The purpose of these events is to have a venue for professional, commercial breeders to sell off their unneeded breeding dogs. The dogs bought and sold are not treated as pets; they are valued strictly for their capacity to make money. And make money they certainly do. Dog auctions are a multi-million dollar industry in the US. The number of dog auctions in the US has jumped from twenty-eight to sixty-eight in the past seven years, while the number of dogs exchanged increased from just over 5,000 to just over 18,000.
Again remember it is not the selling of animals that is the problem, it is the condition of those animals that is under scrutiny~!
What needs be done?
Animal groups in several states oppose auctions in their community.
Click the links below to read what people are doing about auctions, and how you can help.
Numbers of animals is not the definition of a "puppy mill".
The conditions that those animals are kept in is the definition~!!
