A few facts about puppy farming
April 26th 2009 01:28
All is not fun and games and unconditional love in the dog world.
It is hard sometimes, when caring for animals and enjoying the enormous rewards this simple act brings, to confront sad realities such as pet shop malpractice.
There are ethically run pet shops around, but there is a major caveat on even the most scrupulous of them which is that there is a better way to buy every single thing they sell. A pet shop may be slightly more convenient, but a consumer looking for pet-related items, be it bird seed or a cat bed or a dog coat, will get a cheaper price and better after-sales care by buying directly from the manufacturer.
As for animals, buying directly from breeders is a much better way of ensuring ethical practices and a happy, healthy pet.
Meanwhile, many pet shops are run on anything but ethical lines, and they are responsible for some of the darkest stories about animal mistreatment.
One of the more contemptible practices of pet shops is puppy farming, or forced breeding. According to the British-based Puppy Alert web site, this practice is rife.
"Breeding bitches are frequently bred from each season and spend their lives in either solitary confinement or overcrowded conditions, often forced each season to produce excessive quantities of puppies for the pet trade, estimated at over 100,000 every year (in the UK and Eire), often with inadequate veterinary care or intervention," the web site says.
"Purchasers of these puppies often find that within a few days the puppy is sick and needs urgent veterinary treatment. Some puppies suffer so badly that even veterinary intervention has failed to save the puppy."
I am not much of a crusader, and I make no claim to selfless and extended efforts on the part of animals. But this Zoomies post is at least is a little effort for today, and I recommend a good look at the Puppy Alert Puppy Alert web page.
Knowledge is power, and the more we as dog lovers understand and recognise animal mistreatment, the fewer places the perpetrators of such cruelty have to hide.
image: liberationphotography.org
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Comment by Zeus
Comment by Carolyn Cordon
Light Within
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Food Leaf
I have written about puppy farms here. As a registered breeder of pedigree dogs, I have a vested interest in this of course, but I am much more concerned about the ongoing relationship of puppy breeder/new puppy owner.
I am ready and willing to talk to any of the many puppy owners out there who have bought a pup from our kennel. The relationship is/should be an ongoing one.
Comment by Chris Champion
LettersToNorm
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Very interesting reading. I suppose ethical registered dog breeders are at the forefront of the fight against unethical practices. You know more about it; you see and hear more about the bad guys.
Go you!
Comment by Roux
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I was very lucky, mom keeps track of what goes on at puppy mills here in the USA and she goes to the site Your text goes here. She thinks that anyone that wants to see the horror I avoided should go there.
Roux 'b Doux, once Ruth.
Comment by Roux
I and Me
Just Writing
Sorry, usually mom helps but this time she was getting me treats and I got distracted. Roux
Comment by Chris Champion
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Treats come in all forms, Roux, and to be distracted by them is, as they say, only canine.