I just finished reading your article concerning the "puppy Mills' in Lancaster County. I was always proud to say I was from Lancaster County, but not anymore. I have personally experienced the terrible business of puppy mills, while looking for a dog I came upon what I thought was a legitimate breeder but was actually a puppy mill. I reported them to the local humane league and also the state board of animal protection. There license was removed. However for every one that closes another stays in business. Recently in two townships in Lancaster County, two puppy mill owners went before their township boards and asked for zoning approval for mills tha tthey had been running without approval for 16 years!
The tragic part of this story is that they were granted approval without any question, no fines, no words of caution, just approval to continue the abuse of dogs. When asked by reporters why they were granted approval one board member answered;"we want to remain an agricultural community" Dogs are not crops!
I am afraid that even with the new laws that will take effect in October, there will continue to be people that will ignore the law. Will there be enough policing of the puppy mills to make a difference? I applaud you for making this issue a national priority. It is the only way we can make a difference int he life of these precious puppies.
Nina Brown
Inside the Puppy Mills
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How many puppy mills have you visited?
I've been to about 25 of them, mostly in the more puppy-mill-intensive areas, such as the Midwest and the East. But they are everywhere. There are easily more than 10,000 of them now nationwide.
When you witness this treatment, how do you keep your emotions to yourself?
I just try to relate to the owners of these places like I'm one of them. To them it's a business; they're making money selling puppies. If you have a litter of six puppies, you can easily make $500 or so per puppy. That's how they look at it. So I try to focus on the business aspect of it and relate to them in that way. What's really interesting is that every puppy mill I've been to, the owners have a beloved pet, a dog that lives in their house, one or more or them, that is their baby and who they treat like you and I treat our dogs. Then they'll take me out back and show me the hundreds of puppies in small cages and tell me excitedly how much money they're making.
Do you think the public knows what goes on in these puppy mills?
No. I talk to people all the time who think puppy mills are a thing of the past. People don't understand that if you buy a purebred dog it probably came from a puppy mill … I think the majority of people, if they knew the reality of the puppy industry, they might make different choices.
How can people combat puppy mills?
By getting dogs from shelters instead of pet stores and online. People first need to educate themselves and realize that when you are buying a puppy at a pet store or flea market or auction or on a Web site, you are supporting these cruel puppy mills. People need to write letters to editors and contact their politicians and show their concern. The laws and standards have to be changed. It actually all comes down to consumers. People really should know better.
How do you deal with the emotions of your work?
By going home and looking at my dog, And then I think about how most of the dogs in this world have such different lives. The disparity. So many dogs are just throwaway used creatures, and nobody cares whether they are comfortable, healthy, happy. And here's my dog, who I give the electric blanket to all day on my bed. The thing is, we've created these creatures to satisfy us, be it for hunting or companionship. They are so dependant on us, and to exploit and abuse them as we do, yeah, it breaks my heart. It's extremely sad and I'm just doing what I can to inform the public so they can think about saving some dogs instead of perpetuating a cruel industry.
© 2007
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