Pet Love Shack, Non-Fiction

Pet Love Shack, Non-Fiction

Don’t Buy that Doggy in the Window

Most puppies are cute,

but they grow up.

Please research the breeder

of your next dog carefully, and avoid

purchasing from pet shops.

Petie

Companion animals in our society (as reflected in our law) are considered no more than property, and this perception underlies much of our cultural abuse of these animals. The discarding of unwanted animals is common, even socially acceptable behavior: an estimated 25 million animals become homeless every year (of which 27% are purebred dogs). Of these 25 million homeless animals, an average of 9 million die on the streets from disease, starvation, exposure, or injury; 16 million die in pounds/shelters

(50% are turned in by their caretakers).

The cause for the senseless death of these "pets" is the consumer who just can’t resist that adorable kitten, puppy, bunny, etc. at the pet store. This perpetuates and subsidizes the intentional breeding of these animals, who will probably eventually end up in the street or a shelter. Then if the buyer doesn’t spay or neuter the animal, the problem increase exponentially.

A common form of breeding puppies is in low-budget, backyard breeding factories. In many of these puppy mills, one will find overcrowding , filth , and malnourished/neglected animals . Approximately, 360,000 of these unhealthy puppies are sold to pet stores and at least 90% of the half million purebred puppies sold in pet stores are from puppy mills. Pet stores, like puppy mills, are a business, and so profit is the prime motivator.

For example, Docktor Pet Center (popular nationwide pet store chain) has had 812 animal cruelty charges brought against the stores in five different states since 1987. An inherent problem with the stores is that not all of the "goods" get purchased, so they will be discarded to provide space for younger, more desired animals.

We already have an overpopulation crisis for companion animals. Instead of purchasing your next pet from a pet store which supports and creates animal abuse, go to your local animal shelter and adopt an animal. You can save him or her from a fate of death. Please spay or neuter your pet in order to prevent adding to the overpopulation problem. The blame for companion animal overpopulation rests with human. Humans cause those desperate, tortured eyes looking out from behind the bars or tied outside to tire rims, and only humans have the power to save my buddies! It took 17 months before I was rescued. Let's rescue the rest that are in the 5,000 or so Puppy Mills in this country!

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