It is heartbreaking. Untreated disease and injuries are extremely common, typically this results in mere warnings. Mother dogs are often “used up” within five years due to non-stop breeding. Deformed puppies are simply trashed. Shooting is the most common form of euthanasia. There are heart-wrenching stories such as a litter of puppies frozen together in an unheated facility. Or another puppy carelessly thrown on top of a kennel roof, found by an inspector. The price these animals pay is unfathomable. There is no reason to associate yourself with this appalling, predatory industry.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have warned consumers of the risks of
pet store puppies. Since 2016, puppy-selling pet stores have been at the center of an antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter outbreak that has so far infected more than 150 Americans across at least 20 states. In 2018, the Florida Department of Health in Orange County linked two
Orlando puppy-selling pet stores to cases of Campylobacter.
The puppies who make it out alive
end up wriggling in a pet store window. They look as cute as can be, giving no indication where they came from. Fortunately, adoption is widely avail-
able. It’s cheaper both short and long-term, and gives pet owners better information on exactly what they are getting. Rescue animals receive better medical care than a puppy mill puppy. They are handled by people who care about their well-being, and know their personalities Most dog breeds have their own specialized rescue organizations, staffed by caring people invested in ensuring a good match between animal and owner. A pet is a multi-year, emotional and
financial commitment. With a little plan- ning and research, pet owners can get what they actually want.
U
www.TheNewBarker.com
Humanitarian Measures Taken To Protect Consumers and Safeguard Animal Welfare
Florida has the highest number of consumers submitting complaints about puppies purchased from a pet store, followed by Ohio and California. Although their primary complaints were about receiving a sick pet, many puppy buyers also complained about deceptive marketing, health contracts that were not honored, and/or a seller’s attempts to cut costs by skimping on vet care. A number of pet store customers complained they were unknowingly sold puppies under financing programs that were actually pet leasing programs. In May 2020, Florida’s Attorney General Ashley Moody filed a complaint
against Hoof’s Pets, Inc., dba Petland Orlando East and Petland Waterford Lakes and its owners Geoffrey M. Hoofnagle and Ben W. Hoofnagle The defendants allegedly misrepresent to consumers that the puppies they sell are healthy, high-quality, and fit for sale. In fact, in some instances, puppies have died soon after being purchased or suffered from congenital or other hereditary disorders. Attorney General Moody said, “The sale of sick and dying puppies is
both immoral and illegal. Planning for a new puppy requires a great deal of time and money—and certainly there is an emotional investment. Families deserve the assurance that they will in fact receive the high-quality puppy they were promised. It is reprehensible that the defendants would exploit the trust of new pet owners to make a profit while risking the health and safety of these puppies.” Since the attorney general’s office filed its action, they have received 33
additional complaints about the same store. One family reportedly spent $6,000 on a puppy and $4,000 in veterinary bills trying to save the puppy’s life, only to have her die three weeks after purchase. Additionally, Florida State Rep. Sam Killebrew (R-District 41) introduced
House Bill 45 which would prohibit Florida pet stores from selling puppies and kittens. “Rep. Killebrew’s measure would codify into state law an approach already enacted by nearly 80 cities and counties in Florida,” said Kate MacFall, Florida state director for the Humane Society of the United States.
A Price Paid For Going Against the AKC
Critics of the American Kennel Club (AKC) say the organization has opposed legislation that would improve conditions for animals and reduce the number of abusive high-volume breeders. The AKC and its members have been active in politics, influenc- ing efforts including specific caps on the numbers of litters kennels could breed and the use of tethering including efforts in Florida, Oregon, North Carolina, and Georgia. Some breeders say there have been consequences for taking the other side of the AKC argument. Ted Paul (shown right), was a Collie breeder and judge at dog shows for more than 40 years. In 2009, he was asked by Oregon state lawmakers to support a bill that aimed to limit the number of intact dogs a breeder could have. A longtime member and past president of the Collie Club of America, he agreed, saying he thought it could curb abuses. Paul said that he was branded a traitor on the Internet, and AKC-affiliated dog show organizers stopped using him as a judge. “I was surprised by the backlash,” he said. The Oregon bill passed, but Paul said he had been
“completely ostracized.” He now has two rescue dogs, including Precious, a puppy-mill dog with a birth defect that causes her tongue to always stick out.
THE NEW BARKER 71
Leah Nash The New York Times
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