So here I am, babysitting two of my favorite dogs on the planet.
Portia and Gucci's daddies are stomping around Panama (hey, they've been everywhere else: Why not?) and I'm spending a good part of my days keeping a border collie entertained.
Anyone ever had a border collie? I think the term "hypervigilant" was coined in their honor. I have never been tracked this closely .. even by my editors :)
Gucci is an elderly dachsund who is failing in sight and vision. She gets around the house quite well, but I snatch her up and snuggle her every chance I get.
Why do I share these anecdotes?
Simple.
There are people out there who claim to be properly prepared to oversee "kennel" operations of 50 dogs, alone.
One word: Bullcrap.
NO ONE can keep on top of the basic physiological needs of evolved animal companions with that sort of ratio. Whom do you think you're fooling?
I suppose your bottom line is pumping out puppies for sale to people unaware of the horrid conditions in which their parents live. Most likely you don't even know who their parents *are*. Shame on you.
As we approach Mother's Day, I want to send a wave of love and sympathy for the momma puppies kept shackled and shut out from a normal life, so that these "business owners" may turn a profit.
Rant over.
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Melody Sings her Pleas
My journey into the dark world of mass dog-breeding in puppy mills
"BUSTED!"
Read my story Busted in "The Bark" magazine!
My Quest
Follow me on a journey through several states within a nation which prides itself on humane treatment of man's best friend.
Sadly, not everyone follows those rules.
Who knew that the cute little puppies for sale in pet stores, on Internet sites or in newspapers may be offspring from virtual warehouses that abuse, neglect and torment adult dogs who are used solely for producing litters?
Who knew they were products of parents living in squalor; shoved into cages with barely enough room to move, bathing in their own excrement, and scrambling for weeks-old food and only drops of filthy water?
The conditions in "puppy mills" are grotesque. Proprietors turn the suffering of their stock into eye-popping profits, often making millions of dollars by selling "purebred" dogs to pet stores and, sometimes, directly to customers who believe the verbiage in classified ads.
The message from animal activists remains unchanged: DO NOT BUY DOGS FROM PET STORES. Curbing demand will eliminate supply from these canine factories.But the message is slow to circulate, and pet stores continue to thrive; crafty mass-breeders continue to pose as hobbyists, hawking genetically deformed puppies to unsuspecting buyers through innocuous ads in newspapers and Internet sites.
The practice of mass breeding in puppy mills is illegal in most jurisdictions, but several do not have specific regulations for humane conditions on the books.
Those that do are woefully lax in enforcement, allowing perpetrators to skirt the law, frequently skipping jurisdictions when caught so they can set up yet another operation. It's all they know, and it's a profitable venture.
Why do law enforcement agencies look the other way? How do well-meaning pet-hunters miss signs of puppy mill connections? What can be done to put a stop to this atrocious, inhumane practice of animal torture?
I'll tackle all of the above, and more, in my quest to break the pattern through investigative journalism which will hold all major players accountable for their roles in the proliferation of puppy mills.Come with me as I uncover the horrors.
Sadly, not everyone follows those rules.
Who knew that the cute little puppies for sale in pet stores, on Internet sites or in newspapers may be offspring from virtual warehouses that abuse, neglect and torment adult dogs who are used solely for producing litters?
Who knew they were products of parents living in squalor; shoved into cages with barely enough room to move, bathing in their own excrement, and scrambling for weeks-old food and only drops of filthy water?
The conditions in "puppy mills" are grotesque. Proprietors turn the suffering of their stock into eye-popping profits, often making millions of dollars by selling "purebred" dogs to pet stores and, sometimes, directly to customers who believe the verbiage in classified ads.
The message from animal activists remains unchanged: DO NOT BUY DOGS FROM PET STORES. Curbing demand will eliminate supply from these canine factories.But the message is slow to circulate, and pet stores continue to thrive; crafty mass-breeders continue to pose as hobbyists, hawking genetically deformed puppies to unsuspecting buyers through innocuous ads in newspapers and Internet sites.
The practice of mass breeding in puppy mills is illegal in most jurisdictions, but several do not have specific regulations for humane conditions on the books.
Those that do are woefully lax in enforcement, allowing perpetrators to skirt the law, frequently skipping jurisdictions when caught so they can set up yet another operation. It's all they know, and it's a profitable venture.
Why do law enforcement agencies look the other way? How do well-meaning pet-hunters miss signs of puppy mill connections? What can be done to put a stop to this atrocious, inhumane practice of animal torture?
I'll tackle all of the above, and more, in my quest to break the pattern through investigative journalism which will hold all major players accountable for their roles in the proliferation of puppy mills.Come with me as I uncover the horrors.
Followers
Blog Archive
About Me
- Jan
- Seattle, Washington
- A refugee from newspaper journalism and a passionate animal lover, I've turned my talents and focus toward the insidious practice of mass-breeding dogs. I won't stop until the issue becomes part of our national dialogue.
Unchained Melody
Melody Sings her Pleas
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