Mother dogs in puppy mills will suffer this Mother's Day

photo courtesy of Dallas Yanez

---

Related Articles

• Puppy mills: A dog's life in hell on earth

  
  

• Illinois House passes Pet Store Disclosure Bill, Senate still in debate

This Saturday, May 8th, members of the Chicago-based non-profit, The Puppy Mill Project, will be protesting to raise awareness about puppy mills. The term "puppy mills" refers to a place where puppies are bred for profit. They are USDA-licensed, but not properly regulated or enforced. Don't be fooled: USDA licensing standards are minimal and mean nothing when you buy a dog. 

These poor dogs are kept in wire cages, given no mental or physical comforts, no interaction with people, and little or no veterinary care. The mother dogs, in particular, are the worst off.  They are bred every time they come into heat and kept in these conditions for the duration of their breeding life, after which they are sold or destroyed. Some are given or sold to rescues for rehabilitation and placement in loving homes, but they are typically very ill and un-socialized and it is too little, too late.

The puppies produced in the mills are taken from their mothers before they are weaned, sold to pet stores to be sold again to naive consumers.  These are the lucky ones.  However, due to poor quality of care and bad breeding, many are too ill and either die or end up costing their new families thousands of dollars in vet bills.  Some are used for the next puppy mill generation of breeding dogs.  In both scenarios,  the cycle of abuse continues.  Most families looking to purchase a puppy are unaware of where they originate, or that they are unwittingly contributing to the abuse. If they were to be informed, they would likely decide not to buy a puppy and support this cruel trade, but rather to adopt or seek out a humane, ethical breeder.

In Illinois, House Bill 5772 (HB5772) , which amends both the Animal Welfare Act and the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, would require disclosure of the origin and medical history of any dog or cat sold prior to purchase. It has passed in the House and is being reviewed in the Senate.  If HB5772 passes, it will finally give the consumer the ability to make an educated decision about whether or not to purchase a puppy from a store. They would be able to research the puppy's origin, and make an informed decision. 

The Puppy Mill Project Founder Cari Meyers asks, "It's time the pet stores, internet sites and newspaper ads selling puppies are required to disclose where these puppies are really coming from. I know too may people that have purchased these puppies and have spent thousands of dollars to keep these little dogs alive. Some have not been successful and their puppies have died and the families of these puppies have had their hearts broken. These stores need to go humane or go away. This is over a billion dollar industry and these "breeders" need to be held accountable. Consumers need to look up puppy mills on the internet and become educated. We can go to the grocery store and know where our avocados come from. Why should we not know about our companion animals?" 

The Puppy Mill Project protests at pet stores that sell puppy mill dogs every Saturday.  This Saturday's protest will be held at Northbrook Court from 1-3 pm on Lake Cook Road. For more information, contact info@thepuppymillproject.org.  Short video taken at last week's protest found here.