Forwarded message - for info, please visit http://tinyurl.com/y2u339

Star Ledger: Pet store pups may be trouble

"To that end, HSUS is about to launch a national billboard campaign
to expose the truth about 'that doggie in the window' and is placing
similar ads in major magazines. To find a reputable breeder, they
recommend visiting www.puppybuyersguide.org. Another source is the
New Jersey Federation of Dog Clubs' Breed Directory, available at
veterinary hospitals."

In your letters, indicate that ALL breeding is wrong.
Submit letters to eletters@starledger.com

http://www.nj.com/search/index.ssf?/base/living-
0/1162705319122940.xml?starledger?liva&coll=1

Pet store pups may be trouble
Sunday, November 05, 2006

WITH THE HOLIDAYS looming, when your kids clamor for a pet, think
twice. First, it's unwise to present pets in the midst of holiday
excitement. They deserve full attention. Second, know where to find
the right dog -- and it's not from a pet store, where virtually all
the cute canines were "manufactured" in puppy mills.

Although Amish and Mennonite farms in Lancaster County are hotbeds
for puppy mills that sell to New Jersey pet stores, other counties in
Pennsylvania have jumped into the profitable practice, as have
several Midwestern states. More are popping up in rural areas of
central New York.

I use the word "manufactured" advisedly because puppy mills exhibit
deplorable conditions. Crates are stacked on top of each other like
mini-skyscrapers, with little or no regard for the welfare of the
animals, who are treated abysmally. Females stuck in crates crank out
one litter after another until they are no longer productive, when
puppy mills get rid of them in ways you don't want to know about.

Well-meaning souls may knowingly purchase a pet store pup to "save
its life," not realizing they are perpetuating the problem by
encouraging production. Since so many puppy mill dogs wind up with
serious physical problems, an altruist who deliberately selects a pet
store pup had better have plenty of money for veterinary bills. While
some pet store pups may be healthy, they are in the minority.

Puppies for profit

Carol Araneo-Mayer of Toms River, an animal welfare advocate for 40
years and former president of People for Animals in Hillside, serves
as vice president of Adopt-a-Pet in her town.

"Pennsylvania farmers have replaced tobacco and hog farming. Many
have moved out chickens and moved in pups because there's less work
involved and good profit," she said. "Plus, they don't fall under
close scrutiny from the USDA. We need to educate the public before
the holidays to keep them from impulse buying from pet stores who buy
from puppy mills."

Explaining why cats are not mass-produced as well, she said "cats
cannot be kept in squalid conditions and cramped quarters because
they get very sick very quickly."

Her own dogs were purchased from pet stores, but not by her.
Dutchess, a Bichon purchased from a Mercer County store, was adopted
by Araneo-Mayer when the owner couldn't housebreak the pup. About
four years ago, Mocha, a female chocolate Lab purchased from a
Monmouth pet store, and Winston, a Brussels griffon from a Middlesex
County store, were released to Adopt-a-Pet, where Araneo-Mayer
snatched them up for herself.

Dutchess is still not housebroken, which her owner says is because
pups trapped in cages with their own waste resist going outside.
Mocha has hip dysplasia and is "obsessive compulsive and can't
relax," she said. Winston has had double hip surgery performed
simultaneously "because he was in such terrible pain." She shrugs off
the expense. "Thousands of dollars later, he's only bothered when the
weather is bad."

Humane efforts

Samantha Mullen, representing the Humane Society of the United States
regional office in Flanders, said, "We realize that many people
outside the field of animal protection still do not understand the
implications of the term 'puppy mill,' which is why we must continue
our unremitting efforts to enlighten the public."

To that end, HSUS is about to launch a national billboard campaign to
expose the truth about "that doggie in the window" and is placing
similar ads in major magazines. To find a reputable breeder, they
recommend visiting www.puppybuyersguide.org. Another source is the
New Jersey Federation of Dog Clubs' Breed Directory, available at
veterinary hospitals. Many adoptable purebreds are also listed at
www.petfinder.com, along with mixed breeds.

In 2000, a "lemon law" bill, sponsored by the late Assemblyman Alan
Augustine (R-Union), passed into law. It allows anyone purchasing a
sickly pup from a pet store to get back the purchase price and a
percentage of veterinary bills. Prior to this legislation, a pet
store could ignore a request for recompense and offer to take the dog
back with no guarantee of what fate the dog would meet.

"The lemon law certainly helped," said Araneo-Mayer, "but more needs
to be done." Which is why she and Kathy and Walter Hargis, also of
Toms River, staged the first Puppy Mill Awareness Day in 2003. At
least two similar events are held each year.

Wendy Wyatt of Mountain Lakes, author of "Please Don't Hurt Abby the
Labby," attended the recent Awareness Day in Lancaster to gather
information for a young adult novel on puppy mill practices she is
writing in collaboration with Laura Byrne of Mendham. "I was excited
but at the same time frightened to see a puppy mill, but I needed to
see the actual squalor to give firsthand testimony," she said. "What
was wonderful was the enthusiasm and dedication of those attending
the event. Most brought dogs they'd rescued."

Araneo-Mayer advises that attempts to address puppy mill conditions
through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, responsible for enforcing
the Animal Welfare Act, as well as the Pennsylvania Attorney
General's Office, have resulted in "some sanctions and occasional
animal cruelty convictions. Tell your readers they can have a
tremendous impact by not purchasing puppies from pet stores."

Recommended reading: "In Your Face" by Chris DeRose (Duncan
Publishing, $21). DeRose is a former Bergen County cop, actor
("Columbo," "Rockford Files," "General Hospital"), private
investigator, martial arts black belt, pilot and TV reporter. He
founded "Last Chance for Animals" (www.lcanimal.org) in 1984, an
investigative group responsible for gathering evidence of animal
cruelty, from chickens to chimps. His group has already shut down
some nefarious operations.

Correction: The photo caption with last week's column incorrectly
described the cat depicted as a Persian. It was an Oriental
shorthair.

Next week: Brian Kilcommons launches program to pair K-9s with
returning injured military.

Contact Joan Lowell Smith at P.O. Box 302, Garwood, N.J. 07027 or e-
mail her at jsmith@starledger.com.

© 2006 The Star Ledger
© 2006 NJ.com All Rights Reserved.

Posted on SHARE Yahoo group 11/7/06