At What Price Are Those Puppies in the Window?
Missouri’s Shameful Secret
Americans love puppies, spending tens of billions of dollars on pet products, pet-related activities and pet services annually. However, few of us realize that the prized young puppies we buy from pet stores, over the Internet or through newspaper ads already have the odds stacked against them. This is because they were born to depleted, neglected, malnourished and miserable mothers in horrific puppy mills.
Sadly, Missouri is the puppy mill capital of the US. Its many rural counties harbor hundreds of mass production puppy factories where captive dogs suffer lifelong misery and neglect at the hands of greedy breeders.
Often the breeding parents live in filthy conditions, receiving little or no medical care. Frequently their offspring do not even live up to good breeding standards. These unlicensed operations’ negligence passes on genetic tendencies like hip dysplasia, eye problems, heart arrhythmia and other health issues, and even behavior problems to future generations of puppies. The puppies can also be taken away from their mothers too early and sold before they are old enough to be sold – Missouri law requires them to be at least 8 weeks of age. The breeding adults receive no housebreaking and no socialization with human beings or other dogs, making them difficult to tain or live with.
Shelters know that there are already far too many puppies and kittens born annually to find loving homes. Breeding more in deplorable conditions is animal cruelty.
FCHS sees a few of these adult dogs at the shelter, after they have “run their course” as breeders and are no longer of use to the puppy mill breeder. They are a very sorry, sad sight to see. They are unsocialized and filthy, heavily matted or hairless. They have skin conditions or infections, claws overgrown and curling, pads of feet raw and tender or calloused from years of walking on a 2x3 foot wire floor. They may have eye and other infections, and they are afraid of the human hand and even of a hard floor surface. Many other depleted mother dogs are shipped off to auction to fates unknown.
The puppy mill operations are well protected to keep them from the eyes of the Department of Agriculture inspectors who would invariably shut them down and seize the animals due to the conditions they are kept in. Puppy mills, like shelters and rescue groups, are required to undergo inspection and licensing under Missouri’s Animal Care Facilities Act, but they hide from the eyes of those protecting the animals’ welfare.
Their puppies are sold to pet stores across the country for resale upwards of $600 dollars apiece, and when you buy animals from these pet stores, it creates another opening for them to fill with another puppy mill puppy.
Compassionate breeders breed their pets according to standards, socialize and provide them health care. These breeders will allow you to see the parents of the litter and the home in which they were raised. They will do a home study of your home to ensure that they will be placing their pets in good homes. Many require the offspring to be spayed or neutered, as well, which shleters appreciate, and curtail litters after a limited number of them. Breeding puppies the right way requires lots of knowledge, skill and financial investment up front. Novices will not know the proper breeding standards or care required. Realistically, compassionate breeders do little more than ‘break even’ on each puppy. By contrast, puppy mills sacrifice animal welfare and humane treatment for dollars. It is so sad.
In contrast, compassionate breeders, rescue groups, and animal shelters, where 25% or more of the animals are typically purebreds, are all good places to get a dog or puppy – PLEASE DON’T encourage puppy mills to supply more puppies by buying from a pet store or internet ad! Please come to the shelter and tell us what you are looking for. We can be on the lookout for the dog of your dreams, and you will be saving a life at the same time!
Help Prevent These Animal Miseries:
· Always spay or neuter your own pets.
· Support the important work of the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation (http://www.maal.org).
· Please do not buy while homeless animals die. However, if you must buy, find responsible breeders. HSUS offers a helpful guide at this link:
Take the Puppy Mill Pledge: http://stoppuppymills.org/
“Missouri is home to over 1,500 USDA-licensed commercial breeders—more than any other state. This number does not include breeding operations that sell dogs directly to the public via websites, newspaper ads, or from their property. It's no wonder Missouri has been dubbed the "Puppy Mill Capitol of the United States" by activists in the state. Interestingly, Missouri is one of a handful of states in the U.S. that currently have a "Pet Facilities Act" on the books. The Act covers a variety of businesses—both for- and non-profit—that deal with animals. Missouri's law looks good on paper, but reviews of enforcement practices have revealed major problems.” -- from http://gateway.hsus.org/spm/bigpicture/index.cfm?state=mo
June 29, 2009
Prosecution Bark Alert: Missouri cracks down on substandard breeding facilities and unlicensed breeders
--Director of Agriculture, Attorney General Join Forces--
Jefferson City, MO -- Missouri Department of Agriculture Director Jon Hagler and Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster today announced phase two of Operation Bark Alert - a crackdown on unlicensed breeders in Missouri. Phase two of the program, "Prosecution Bark Alert," is being launched using the top law enforcement authority of Missouri to stop unlicensed and substandard dog breeders from operating in the state. Operation Bark Alert was initiated in February and has thus far located more than 200 unlicensed breeders across Missouri and rescued nearly 1900 dogs.
"Substandard and unlicensed dog-breeding facilities are a recognized problem in our state," said Attorney General Koster. "We want to make sure Missouri's commitment to protecting the health and welfare of animals is clear. These facilities will sometimes result in cruel and unacceptable conditions. The General Assembly has set a standard for such facilities and this Attorney General's office intends to enforce that standard."
"With the leadership of Gov. Nixon and the support of Attorney General Koster, we have identified hundreds of substandard facilities and lead the nation in cracking down on unlicensed breeders," said Dr. Jon Hagler. "We want unlicensed breeders to know that in the days and weeks ahead, they will begin to face increasing pressure as we add more bite to Bark Alert. One way or another, they are going to get the message that substandard, unlicensed facilities are not welcome in Missouri."
For the first time in Missouri, the Department of Agriculture and the Attorney General's Office have joined forces and publicly teamed up to take legal action against breeders who are not licensed. Missouri law requires dog breeders to become licensed with the Animal Care Facilities Act program at the Missouri Department of Agriculture.
"Since Operation Bark Alert was announced in February, my office has taken legal action against several unregistered breeders who were raided by the Department of Agriculture, rescue groups in Missouri and local law enforcement officials. We plan to file against irresponsible breeders and require they comply with the law or shut their doors," said Koster. "Our efforts are intended to send the message that dog breeders in Missouri must meet or exceed the General Assembly's standards, and that examples of animal cruelty will be addressed."
Attorney General Koster's office is also contacting breeders who may have let their licenses lapse to remind them they must be licensed with the state. For more information regarding Operation Bark Alert or to report an unlicensed breeder, visit barkalert.mo.gov or call:
Here's a way to help FCHS at NO expense to you.
Shop today at your Schnucks store with your eScrip card - You get your groceries - Schnucks donates a percentage to FCHS. Everybody wins!
Pick up a card, call the 1-800 number on the front of the card, and then tell them you want to have your card number connected the Franklin County Humane Society in Union, Missouri. If you need it, our group ID number is 500022033. Then remove the white sticker and present your card to the checker BEFORE he or she rings up your groceries.
Please Listen for Us On Shelter Talk Radio
Tune in to AM 1220 All Talk Radio KLPW on the first Wednesday of each month to hear 'Shelter Talk' with Mary Lenau and Diane Jones at 8:35 a.m.
Tune in to 1350 All Talk Radio KSLQ on the last Friday of each month to hear another version of 'Shelter Talk' with Mary Lenau and Chris Diekhaus at 8:00 a.m.
If you have questions or input for KLPW, call (636) 583-5155.
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