Saving Dogs from Puppy Mills

I am so happy to see this article posted. It is a topic near and dear to my heart! I participate in a list serve that covers the state of Michigan for dog rescue. I have 4 little doggies that I own myself, so I have chosen not to foster, but instead, I help with transport, and I also do doggie home evaulations for Rescues that are placing dogs for adoptions. I am a social worker (for 40 years)so I have developed some unique systems to do the evals. Very similar to the children adoption studies, just shorter. The Rescues like them a lot! As far as puppymills, yes, I have transported some of those poor babies. They are filthy when we get them; some with deformities, some with bad eyes and skin conditions that are just from pure neglect. It would break your heart a hundred times over. Some people say "it is only a dog" "or a cat," etc. The way I feel is that we have made these furbabies very vulnerable by domesticating them, and therefore, it has become our respnsibility to take care of them. I believe more information is getting out there since that sports star was prosecuted for dog fighting. I was pretty amazed that the country in general was so outraged, but I was very pleased. If you would like to see a wonderful site that shows an agency that is doing remarkable things for these vulnerable animals, many from puppymills, please visit www.hua.org (Hearts United for Animals) Thanks for posting this topic. If anyone has any questions about dog rescue, please do not hesitate to ask me. Juanita

I don't purchase from pet stores for this reason. And because the fees are outrageous. Then there's the fact that a purebred, if you must have one, is easily accesible. I got my Siberian Husky from the animal shelter and my Great Dane from the corner of 54th and Wabash. I think there should be even tighter regulations placed on legimate breeders and that anyone who is not a legimate breeder should be required by law to spay or nueter their pet. As for puppy mill breeders I'd love to see them live in the same conditions that they forced on the animals. Unsanitary conditions, no grooming, no socialization or interaction with other people and do it all in a cell so small they can't even stand. I've no pity for anyone who subjects defenseless animals to that kind of treatment and even less for those who do it to gain a buck.

I have never heard of any puppy mills in my area, but believe me, if there were any to be found, my family and I would do whatever we needed to do to get them shut down. We are big animal lovers in my family, and we do what we can to help those in need that we know of.