The institution of human slavery was structurally identical to the institution of animal ownership. Because a human slave was regarded as property, the slave owner was able to disregard all of the slave’s interests if it was economically beneficial to do so. ~Gary Francione, Rutgers University Law Department. |
Puppy mills typically produce large numbers of purebred or mixed breed puppies in poor, un-hygienic conditions. They range from huge operations hidden in remote barns to backyard breeders keeping dogs in sheds and trailers. Many puppy mills consist of rows of wire cages, often filthy and full of excrement. Parasites, infections, heart ailments, and other diseases are frequent. With almost no medical care, breeding females are forced to produce two litters a year until they wear out and are discarded. They never see the light of day or know the joy of playing outside with other dogs or human companions. Puppies raised in mills are sold to pet stores, over the Internet, via newspaper ads or directly to unwitting consumers. They are usually unsociable and unhealthy and generic disorders and other ailments can appear months or years after these puppies are purchased. The inhumane conditions in puppy mills, isolation, lack of human or animal contact and socialization, and confinement in small cages can also have a profound psychological impact on dogs’ physical health and short and long-term mental health problems in dogs bred or held captive in these deplorable conditions. WHAT YOU CAN DO! As long as the public continues to buy animals, puppy mills operations will continue to profit and proliferate. If you wish to share your home with a companion animal, adopt a dog or cat from a shelter. |
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