Puppy Mills
ACT Newsletter - Puppy Mills
Humane Society of Southern Arizona
ACT UPDATES
Animal Cruelty Taskforce of Southern Arizona’s
Newsletter for Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice and Animal Protection Professionals
Volume 2, Number 1, Year 2002
PUPPY MILLS:
A puppy mill is a breeding facility that mass-produces puppies which are typically presented as being “pure breds” and sold at eight weeks of age to brokers and retail operations across the U.S.
The documented problems of puppy mills include: overbreeding dams, inbreeding, minimal veterinary care, poor quality of food and shelter, lack of socialization with humans, overcrowded cages, and the killing of unwanted animals. To the unwitting consumer, this situation frequently means buying a puppy facing an array of immediate veterinary problems or harboring genetically borne diseases that do not appear until years later.
Sadly, some dogs are forced to live in puppy mills for their entire lives. They are kept there for one reason only: to produce more puppies. Repeatedly bred, most of these “brood bitches” are killed once their reproductive capacity wanes.
Over 3,000 of these mills currently operate in the US, many of them despite repeated violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and other United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations. The agency uses a force of approximately 80 inspectors to enforce the AWA and oversee all animals in zoos, circuses, laboratories, and puppy mills, as well as those transported via commercial airlines.
Although all 50 states have anti-cruelty laws that should prevent neglect and mistreatment of dogs in puppy mills, such laws are seldom enforced in rural areas, where most puppy mills are located.
PUPPY MILLS: PET STORE LINK
Puppy mills thrive because the demand for pedigreed dogs has created a highly profitable market for small farmers and for the chain pet stores they supply. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and the Companion Animal Protection Society estimate that nine of ten puppies sold at pet shops come from puppy mills.
Animal welfare advocates such as the HSUS strongly oppose the sale, through pet shops and similar outlets, of puppies and dogs from mass-breeding establishments. Puppy mill dogs are the “inventory” of these retail operations. Statistics from the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) suggest that approximately 3,500 to 3,700 of the 11,500 to 12,000 US pet stores sell cats and dogs. PIJAC also estimates that pet stores sell 300,000 to 400,000 puppies every year. The HSUS estimates the number to be closer to 500,000.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Facing an unreliable regulatory environment and legislatures unwilling to pass statutes that directly combat the problem of mass breeders and their nationwide network of dealers, The Humane Society of the United States continues to target the consumer for its anti-puppy mill messages. Consumer demand for purebred puppies, more than any other factor, perpetuates the misery of puppy mills. Unfortunately, a dog’s lifespan often outstrips many consumers’ demand for this “product,” sending millions of dogs to animal shelters every year, where roughly half will be euthanized.
Unfortunately, data show that puppy sales may be growing, bolstering this tragic system. Figures from the largest U.S. breed-registration organization, the American Kennel Club (AKC), show that purebred registrations increased slightly from 1995 to 1996. Meanwhile, the AKC says that it “supports major scientific research to advance the health of purebred dogs,” but the only contributions listed in its 1996 annual report were for a total of $730,000 to the AKC Canine Health Foundation, less than two percent of AKC’s total income that year. In contrast, it spent $10.5 million to fund dog and performance events. (AKC cleared $46.2 million in 1996, including $26.3 miilion from registration fees.) Meanwhile, the AKC touts itself as “the nation’s leading not-for-profit organization devoted solely to the advancement of purebred dogs.” AKC papers do not guarantee the quality or health of a puppy.
In 1994, Time magazine estimated that as many as 25% of purebred dogs were afflicted with serious genetic problems. The HSUS estimates that 25% to 30% of the dogs that enter U.S. animal shelters are purebred.
In 1998, The HSUS conducted focus groups to learn more about the purchasing criteria of consumers who purchased puppies from a pet store, as well as their perceptions and understanding of puppy mills. The focus groups indicated that many people still do not understand the connection between puppy mills and pet shops.
BUYER BEWARE!
Fraud and misrepresentation abound in local pet stores
By Marsh Myers
Director of Education and Community Outreach
Humane Society of Southern Arizona
It’s Monday morning and time for the latest round of phone calls to irrate pet owners who spent hundreds of dollars on the perfect dog just to have their vet tell them that the “papered” animal is a poorly-bred mutt with a host of medical and genetic problems. This morning’s complaint: a local pet store has placed an anonymous (but legal) ad in the daily shopper newspaper, offering to “adopt to good homes” any unwanted puppies in the Tucson area. In fact, the shop does not adopt animals at all. Like most pet stores, this one has little or no screening process for the potential owner. If you have the money, you get the dog.
The complaintant is upset because she sees (perhaps justly) the potential for fraud in this scheme. “What’s to keep them from taking a bunch of puppies someone had in their garage, marking them up a thousand percent, slapping a ‘pure-bred’ label on them and selling them to the unsuspecting public?” she asks.
My answer: “Not much.”
We are fortunate to have our Puppy Lemon Law [see left] in this state, but it is hard to enforce and few pet owners know about it. What’s more, local pet shops flaunt the law by not providing the written information on the animal’s medical and familial history. Not a single complaintant I have spoken to since the law was enacted stated that the pet dealer provided or even had this information.
Then there’s the other “tricks...”
Several years ago, another local pet shop felt our humane society’s wrath when they posted a large sign in their puppy area that stated they participated in the “Arizona Humane Society’s Healthy Puppy Program.” A quick phone call to the Phoenix-based AHS proved our suspicions... there was no such program. The pet shop, part of an Arizona-based chain, had posted the same sign in their Phoenix stores until Arizona Humane interceded. The sign came down and was promptly shipped to Tucson – apparently with the hope that local animal advocates wouldn’t notice the deception. Fortunately, we did and the sign disappeared.
When dealing with frustrated pet owners, there are a few important details to share
Pet Shop Complaints:
Pima Animal Control Center
4000 N. Silverbell Road
Tucson, Arizona 85745
(520) 743-7550
THE PUPPY PROTECTION ACT:
On October 1, 2001, Senators Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) introduced the Puppy Protection Act (S. 1478), along with seven original cosponsors. These Senators have stepped forward to crack down on the more than 3,000 puppy mills that operate in the United States.
The Puppy Protection Act will help the U.S. Department of Agriculture enforce the Animal Welfare Act by encouraging swift and strong action against repeat violators of the AWA. It will also address the problem of incessant overbreeding by commercial breeders and require that dogs be adequately socialized, enhancing their well-being and helping to ensure fewer behavioral problems in the future.
Specifically, this legislation will:
LEMON LAWS:
As the horror of puppy mills gains attention, states are responding with “lemon laws” that protect consumers who buy puppies. As of August 2001, seventeen states had enacted laws or issued regulations that allow consumers to receive refunds or the reimbursement of veterinary bills when a sick puppy is purchased. While these laws place a limited onus on pet stores and puppy mills to sell healthy puppies, and theoretically improve conditions for their breeding facilities, many animal welfare advocates feel that they do not adequately protect the animals who suffer in these establishments.
In Arizona, the “puppy lemon law” states that “at the time of sale, each pet dealer shall give the purchaser of a cat or dog a written statement that contains the following information... The date of the animal’s birth, if known, the state in which the animal was born, if known, and the date the pet dealer received the animal... any veterinary treatment of medication the animal received... a statement that a veterinarian examined the animal ... and that the animal had no congenital or hereditary condition that would adversely affect the (animal’s) health...”
The Animal Cruelty Taskforce’s website has the complete text of the State felony animal cruelty law, Pima County and City of Tucson ordinances and the Puppy “Lemon” Law.
Visit us at: http://www.act-az.org
ACT TAKES ITS SHOW ON THE ROAD:
ACT was proud to offer the “Tools of Animal Cruelty Investigations” seminar for the second and third time, with the third edition presented in Phoenix at the request of Maricopa County Animal Care and Control. The seminars were held August 13-15 and December 3- 5, and had approximately sixty people in total attendance between the two seminars, nineteen from Maricopa County Animal Care and Control alone. This year the seminar has been expanded from two days to three and offers topics ranging from the historical background of animal cruelty and welfare movements to using state, county and city codes, as well as conducting investigations based on actual scenarios. Participants got hands-on experience with documenting the scene and preparing a case to present to grand jury. The participants were also able to identify resources in their community to help with their own investigations.
“The most helpful information for me was learning of the variety of ways that law enforcement can work together to solve a variety of crimes,” stated one participant. “We had some general idea of what to look for and what is needed to proceed for animal cruelty, but the information given at this seminar enhanced our knowledge,” said another. The participants offered great feedback for ACT and many useful suggestions that will be put into practice for upcoming seminars. Thanks to all who presented and attended for making these seminars successful.
Upcoming ACT Trainings:
ACT “Tools of Animal Cruelty Investigation” Seminar – May 23-24, 2002, in Bullhead City, Arizona. Hosted by the Arizona State Association of Animal Control Officers
The two-day seminar for law enforcement, criminal justice and animal protection professionals, offering instruction on the history of animal welfare, research into animal cruelty, deciphering city, county and state codes and practical investigation techniques.
Please call Patty Williams at (928) 763-6000 for details and registration information.
National Cruelty Investigation School:
Tuition ranges from $400 - $500 depending on level and location of class. Tuition is subject to change.
Download and print an application for enrollment at www.missouri.edu/~letiwww/animal3.htm Or contact the office to receive a packet of information regarding the Institute and/or the National Cruelty Investigations School and an application for enrollment. Email LETI at DorityA@missouri.edu
The Law Enforcement Training Institute
University of Missouri-Columbia
321 Hearnes Center
Columbia, Missouri 65211
(572) 882-6021 or (800) 825-6505
Fax (573) 884-5693
RESOURCES ON PUPPY MILLS AND RELATED SUBJECTS:
Books and Periodicals:
Drayer, Mary Ellen (Ed.) The Animal Dealers: Evidence of Abuse of Animals in the Commercial Trade, 1952-1997. Washington, DC: Animal Welfare Institute, 1997.
Ecenbarger, William. “Scandal of America’s Puppy Mills” in Readers Digest, February 1999.
Green, Alan. Animal Underworld: Inside America’s Black Market for Rare and Exotic Species. New York: Public Affairs, 1999.
Nichol, John. The Animal Smugglers and Other Wildlife Traders. New York: Facts on File Publications, 1987.
Wrede, Barbara J. Before You Buy That Puppy: Is This The Right Puppy For You? New York: Barron’s Educational Series, 1994.
Videos and Miscellaneous:
“Puppy Mills” (video). Produced by 20/20, ABC Television, New York. Originally aired December 20, 1991. (Available through the Humane Society of Southern Arizona’s Library).
The Humane Society of the United States website – www.hsus.org
ACT OFFICERS 2002:
Detective Mike Duffey, Co-Chair
Pima County Sheriff’s Department
1750 E Benson Highway
Tucson AZ 85714
(520) 741-4751 FAX: (520) 741-4886
Pat Mehrhoff, Co-Chair
City of Tucson Attorney’s Office
PO Box 27210
Tucson, Arizona 85726
(520) 791-5492, Ext. 1515
Jami McDowell and Molly Allen,
Co-Secretaries
Humane Society of Southern Arizona
3450 N Kelvin Blvd
Tucson AZ 85716
(520) 321-3704, Ext. 141 or 168.
Additional information about the Animal Cruelty Taskforce can be found online at:
www.act-az.org
Courtesy of
HSUS
www.hsus.org
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