Hi, there – CindyLu here! I’m a pup who considers herself very lucky. You see, I’m one of those designer-dog types. I’m a blend of Shih Tzu and Yorkshire Terrier; they call me a Shorkie. Had fate been less kind to me, I could have been one of the countless girls having babies over and over again in a puppy mill.
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| Source: USDA report |
In fact, I did come from what people call a backyard breeder. You see, there were these humans who thought it would be cool for their dog to have puppies, and I was one of those babies. Luckily, I was born in a home, and they took decent care of me. Things could have been much worse, and I might not have even been here today talking with you if they had been.
I worry about all my friends who are sitting in those ugly, dirty wire cages at the mills. They get sick a lot, and don’t even get good food. They never, ever get to go outside – no walkies. Can you imagine that? And they never get kind words from a human, let alone a hug or the chance to snuggle up on the sofa or in bed under the covers.
They suffer lonely, depressing, painful lives, and all just so that some people can make lots of money. That makes me barkin’ mad. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but boy, would I like to take a bite out of their ankles! It would serve them right for what happens to the legs of my poor doggie friends in those disgusting cages.
So I’m asking you, when you finish reading this, to do what you can to educate everyone you know about what my friends have to live with. Please share not just the message, but the petition – and show everyone the pictures and videos, so they can really understand what it’s all about.
Tell Petland to please stop selling puppies from breeders, and to instead help all my friends in the rescues and shelters. Many of them are dogs like me, or certain breeds that people have their hearts set on.
Let your friends know that, just because the rescue dogs are cheaper, it doesn’t mean they’re less important or valuable. In fact, your friends can meet fabulous doggies and kitties from the rescues, and truly damaged and unhealthy ones from a pet store. Taking home one of the pet store puppies supports the people who torture my doggie friends. And that’s the truth.
Thank you.
Wags and kisses, CindyLu xo
Puppy Mills
If there was ever a subject to turn an animal lovers stomach, it would have to be puppy mills. True, animal abuse is tops on the list – but what is the behavior of people who breed animals purely for the sake of profit, ignoring the basic physical and psychological needs of those animals in order to extract the most profit possible? I’d call that abuse. And the circumstances of the treatment and care (read that lack of treatment and lack of care) by inhumane commercial breeders for the animals in their custody are unarguably despicable at best. When pet stores capitalize on those businesses, in order to turn greater profits for their own businesses, they are guilty as cohorts in the dirty deeds. Petland is one such cohort.
Abuse. a–·buse
[v. uh–byooz; n. uh–byoos] 
Show IPA verb,a·bused, a·bus·ing, noun
1.
… bad or improper treatment; maltreatment: The child was subjected to cruel
abuse. (source: www.dictionary.com)
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| Chihuahuas in Oregon mill covered with rats and feces |
The majority of commercial breeders are only able to profit from breeding animals if they
a.) Maximize the total number produced
b.) Minimize the cost of maintaining this inventory
c.) Promote maximum sales prices
What this amounts to, in real terms, is that these businesses continually re-breed the parenting stock, spend the least possible on housing, supplies, food and medical care, and turn the puppies over as quickly as possible to be sold at the highest possible prices.
Some of the many lovely features of these facilities:
- Animals are housed in overcrowded conditions, in cages stacked upon each other – space costs!
- Animals are kept in cages with rusting wires, which cut into and infect the paws and legs; legs often become deformed from years of standing on these wires.
- Infections and diseases run rampant; cleaning is costly and difficult with a high number to maintain
- Food generally consists of the cheapest available; it is not uncommon for these animals to be fed the scraps from the floors of pet food manufacturers.
- Lack of proper nutrition and healthy immune system result from the inadequate food; the same holds true for the puppies, given the mothers’ diminished ability to produce healthy milk.
- Puppies are taken from mothers as early as 4-6 weeks; to wait the proper time period is too costly.
- Mothers are bred as often as physically possible, to extract maximum number of puppies from each.
- Mothers’ health, physical and psychological well-being are not considered.
- Proper vaccinations, spay/neuter, vet care are not provided, to avoid costs.
- Parenting animals are killed, starved to death, discarded, or auctioned off for best price when no longer useful.
Despite the claims of Petland employees,
- their stock come from puppy mills and not responsible breeders,
- are not verified as having been properly cared for nor properly vetted, and
- the “papers” provided as authenticity are not awarded, but purchased, through the AKC or the APRI.
- Just view some comments from unhappy Petland customers.
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| It’s time to end this |
If you think our governmental agencies charged with overseeing animal welfare practices are on the ball with this one, think again. In a USDA audit report done by the Inspector General, glaring problems with inspections of these businesses were detailed; even inspections involving the most egregious violations of the Animal Welfare Act, AWA, did not accurately report or provide for proper remedies. (Caution: the report contains graphic material)
The puppies that come from these inhumane breeding facilities do not escape the effects of having been born in them. Sold in Petland stores, as well as other puppy-selling stores, these puppies are prone to diseases and chronic conditions, many lifelong and life-limiting. With high price tags, unsuspecting buyers believe they are purchasing a high-quality, purebred dog, further misled by a written guarantee provided by the store which actually covers the store’s liabilities more than anything else.
The high prices paid only provide extreme profits for the stores, the brokers and the breeders. They have nothing to do with the dogs purchased.
The problem is immense, the perpetrators without moral compass. But we need not feel helpless or hopeless; there are things we can do right now to begin making the change for the poor animals that are subjected to this insanity.
- Sign the petition, asking Petland to stop selling from puppy mills
- Educate yourself, then educate everyone you know
- Do not buy a pet from a store, an online website or through a classified ad
- Boycott stores that sell pets – do not provide any profit for them; Take the pledge
- Patronize pet stores that work with rescues and shelters, like PetSmart and Petco
All pets deserve to be treated decently, with respect and humane consideration.
We look forward to the day when all dogs dream happy dreams.
Love the way you presented this. All the evidence on one page–if people buy puppies from any petstore after reading this, they are heartless.
Nice post, CindyLu. That picture of the poor Cocker in the cage breaks my heart. How can people do this?
Thank you, Hilary – that was my intent. I pray people learn the truths and don’t support these wretched businesses.
Thank you, Amy. Really, how could someone see that kind of thing and not feel anything?!
A great post!
We’re off to sign the petition.
Nubbin wiggles,
Oskar
What a powerful post!
I wish that we could take this post and have it displayed in front of a Petlands store.
Oskar, thank you for signing the petition! Smooches!
Thank you, jen! Hey – that’s an idea! 😉
What a great post! I have signed the petition and will spread the word on facebook and twitter! I am rescued yorkie and there is some evidence that I was used as a breeder before being abandoned in 2001.
Your pal, Pip
Thank you for posting all this good info!
AND the Puppy Mill Capital of the world video! Momma saw first hand how they view dogs as livestock when she visited her college roommate’s family (roommate wasn’t like that tho!).
We’re following your blog!
A heartfelt and provocative posting. I have done my bit and signed the petition. All pets, or as I prefer to call them, treasured family members, need to be treated with love and not used and abused for inhumane profit.
With respect and hope, Gary and Penny the Jack Russell
Well done, Kim and Cindy Lu. A very accurate description of life in a puppy mill. I really don’t think there’s any term other than abuse for the way puppy mills treat their dogs (and cats). The pet shops that buy their animals from them are just as guilty.
I saw that USDA Audit when it was released last year. The pictures turned my stomach. Who in their right mind walks by a Shih Tzu with that many ticks on it’s face and does NOTHING?! Who lets dogs eat food infested with cockroaches? People with black hearts.
It is truly horrofic what happens with these dogs. With so much available now on the internet I don’t understand why there is not a task force designed to uncover these dens of evil and filth. It needs to stop!
What an amazing post. It is heartbreaking what these poor animals go through…. The people responsible don’t deserve to be called human. I know I shouldn’t say this, but Cindy Lu, if you have the chance, bit them! I have bad allergies so when we got a dog, we needed to get a breed that wasn’t allergic. We got a Bichon. I never realized the term “backyard breeder” before reading this post, but now I realize that is where she was from. Everything seemed so fine. But, she developed Cancer and had to be put to sleep before her 10th birthday. My mom found the breeders number from her papers and called her. She wanted to know if anything similar happened with her parents. The woman hung up on her….
@Mr. Pip – Thank you for signing the petition! How horrible that you were probably from one of those awful places. I’m so glad you’re in a safe and loving home now!
@Ryker the Tonkinese – Oh, that must have been awful to have seen and experienced the mindset of those who just don’t care about our fellow creatures. So glad you’re joining us here – welcome! 🙂
p.s. – Mom here looooves Tonkinese kitties! She likes to talk with them!
@klahanie – As usual, you have expressed the sentiments so eloquently. Thank you so much for signing the petition! Hugs to Penny!
@Lori A. Huston – Thank you, I’m so glad you agree. How else could we describe such despicable behavior, right?
@Karen Friesecke – “People with black hearts”. You could not describe the culprits any better than that! Thank you.
@jodistone – Welcome here! Yes, it’s quite amazing that such disgusting businesses are allowed to operate at all. Let’s hope tomorrow brings better awareness and hope for the animals subjected to their evil ways.
@Hilary – Oh, how heartbreaking that must have been for you. As much as we must realize the onus of responsibility that purchasers bear in this misery, most people just honestly don’t know about these things. That hangup was surely proof you were dealing with someone less than responsible. And of course by then, it was too late to do anything about it. Shame on them. Thank you for all you do to bring awareness – I saw you’ve joined the Blog the Change for today!
Oh, CindyLu, we’re so glad you have a nice home. These picture are so horrible and we’ll help you put the bitey on the bad puppy mills.
Your pals,
Diane and Cosmo
Thank you so very, very much, Diane and Cosmo! I sure would love all the help I can get in putting the bitey on those bad, bad places! Smooches!
Really affecting post… the photos and information are enough to break your heart. I don’t know how anyone could read this and think it’s okay to support this horrible system.
@Pup Fan – Very good point. Can’t imagine someone being able to do that. They must have the “black hearts” that Karen Friesecke referred to!
This is a wonderful post – thank you for shedding more light on the issue of puppy mills (and petland)! We adopted Dumpling, a shih tzu mix, in January and can not remember what life was like before we got him. He is a truly wonderful companion and brings us so much joy! 🙂