Puppy Mill Campaign
DDAL Opposes Draft Bill on Puppy Mills
In an unfortunate and unforseen turn of events, DDAL is opposing
the new direction of the Pet Animal Welfare Statute. A Discussion
Draft of this bill (S. 1139) actually allows breeders to be
inspected by a "certified third-party inspection service"
rather than by the USDA, which is charged with enforcing the
Animal Welfare Act.
This guts the intent of having the federal government license,
regulate and inspect large, commercial retail breeders. In addition,
it allows existing breeders to opt out of USDA licensing, regulation
and inspection. This is a bad legal precedent, and it is bad
for animal welfare and protection.
What is a "Puppy Mill?"
 |
| Puppy
mills house animals in deplorable conditions. |
A puppy mill is a facility that continuously breeds female
dogs, housing them and their puppies in deplorable conditions.
Inadequate food, water, sanitation, constant exposure to the
elements and dilapidated housing are commonplace.
Because of these inhumane conditions, many puppies sold from
these mills suffer from chronic physical ailments and may be
fearful of people and other animals. These inhumane and abusive
conditions have been the subjects of television reports and
newspaper articles nationwide.
No Way to Know Conditions Where Puppies Are Raised
More and more Americans are buying puppies online and suffering
the consequences. The American Pet Product Manufacturers Association
reports more than 200,000 American households bought puppies
online in 2004, many for prices ranging from $500 to $5,000.
“It’s not uncommon for a puppy to be bred in Missouri,
sold through an Internet site with a Pennsylvania address and
delivered to a family in Colorado,” explains DDAL Legislative
Director Sara Amundson.
“Given the pervasive use of the Internet to sell puppies
across state lines and the rise in Internet ‘brokers’
to facilitate sales, there is no way for buyers to know under
what conditions the puppies are kept," Amundson adds. "Consumers
have more information on the safety of a mattress they’ve
purchased online than the background of a living, breathing
puppy.”
Factsheet
on Puppy Mills
How You Can Help Stop Puppy Mills
- Write a Letter to the Editor of your
local newspaper and help bring needed attention to this issue!
- Adopt a puppy from a shelter or rescue group.
- Help bolster our case for stronger regulations. Send DDAL
newspaper articles about the inhumane conditions found at
puppy mills, especially of dealers who sell directly to the
public.
