Approximately 350 dogs, 29 miniature ponies, six cats and several exotic birds and turtles were removed from the property of an elderly couple in Logan County, AR, last week, according the the Humane Society of the United States. The dogs were kept in cramped wire cages in filthy conditions. Many suffered serious skin and eye infections and it was clear that most had never known a life outside of their tiny cages.
A group of about 45 people comprised of HSUS and Humane Society of Missouri workers as well as law enforcement officials organized and executed the raid that freed these animals from the unbelievably cruel conditions to which they'd been subjected all their lives.
Upon their rescue the animals were taken to an emergency shelter where they were checked and treated by a team of veterinarians. All of the animals are in the process of being taken in by various animal rescues around the country where they will be socialized and eventually put up for adoption.
Unfortunately, this story is all too familiar.
What we have here is a puppy mill bust. Puppy mills are a widespread problem in this country right now, one that animal rights groups are fighting constantly to bring down.
For those who are unfamiliar, puppy mills breed dogs over and over until they become too ill or too old to reproduce. They receive little or no medical care and when their bodies give out they are euthanized or left to die. The dogs spend their entire lives in small cages, usually stacked high one on top of another, where the urine and feces of other dogs trickles down from cage to cage, causing infection and spreading disease. Often adult dogs who are rescued from puppy mills need intense physical therapy because their muscles are so weakened from not being used as they lie in their cages day after day, not to mention the socialization needed to prepare them for homes with loving families if and when they are rescued. Too often they are not.
The puppies sold in pet stores most often come from such puppy mills as I've just described. After being born into these horrible and unsanitary conditions and nursed by ailing mothers, the puppies' immune systems are weakened and they are often sick. Many die after their unsuspecting new owners spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars trying to save them.
How can you help stop puppy mills?
First and foremost, don't ever support puppy mills financially by buying a puppy from a pet store. Approximately one in four dogs at shelters & rescues are purebred, so even if you are looking for something specific, chances are a little patience and some research can still help you find the perfect dog. In my personal experience and opinion, rescued animals make the best pets anyway. Second, educate your friends and family. If you hear that someone you know is interested in getting a dog, suggest that they adopt from a local animal shelter. You can find a list of shelters in your area here. If you are dead set on getting a puppy of a specific breed and can't find one at a rescue, you should visit the breeder in person and meet the puppy's parents. Make sure you feel comfortable with the environment in which the dogs live and the people who are caring for them.
For more excellent suggestions of ways you can help end puppy mill cruelty, please visit this website.
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