Kristen+Simpson

Check out my impact group UTM & Sheridan Transporation = = **"These dogs are treated worse than our most dangerous criminals, yet they have done nothing wrong" ~Kimberly Thomas [|(Canadanopuppymills.com)]**

toc ~[|No Puppy Mills Canada]
 * "Each year millions of companion animals are destroyed through euthanasia due to the greed of commercial puppy mills, the ignorance of back yard breeders and irresponsible pet owners. New laws, public awareness & compassion will end the suffering of the voiceless. Please help the animals" **

Introduction
Slaughterhouses, fur trade industry, puppy mills, as well as medical research facilities. What do all these places have in common? They all exploit animals for profit in cruel and painful ways. Puppy Mills also known as puppy farms are one of the worst. They are large scale breeding facilitate that supply dogs to pet stores. They are in my opinion the most common and invisible places to exploit these animals. Puppy mills are well kept secrets of the pet trade industry. The high numbers of euthanized animals (4 million dogs per year in U.S.) has led animal rights advocates to oppose the mass breeding of dogs, a view that the profitable breeding industry opposes (CTV News Staff). If dogs are supposed to be mans best friend, than they should have the basic necessities of life.

**What Are Puppy Mills?**
According to the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Ontario SPCA), the term "puppy mill" describes a breeding operation in which dogs are repeatedly bred for financial gain and are kept in substandard conditions" (No Puppy Mills Canada) . Puppy Mills supply pet stores with puppies, because everyone wants a puppy and they have to keep the supply coming. Unlike breeders though the puppies from puppy mills have chronic health problems, temperament issues, and hereditary defects from forced breeding and lack of shots and seeing a vet. Breeders take many things into consideration before producing litters, such as the age of the mother and any health defects already present. Then they ensure that both the mother and the puppies are socialized (No Puppy Mills Canada).

**Issues**

 * The puppy mills want as much money as they can get. By keeping the animals outdoor and in little over croweded cages as well as feeding them only enough to live on, they can reduce their costs drastically.
 * These animals are constantly confined and impregnated (breeding dogs). Until they are exhausted and start to go crazy. When that happens they are killed, they have outlived their usefulness.
 * The wire floors of the cages cut into their tender padding and sometimes trap small puppy feet. The floor allows their feces to drop to the ground where it builds, attracting bugs.
 * Their food is left outside and gets wet attracting company for dinner. Many times they are eating maggots.
 * Most are not socialized properly if at all and fight for food with each other if not separated by nature
 * Others break their bones and are left to have them heal without being set, they are also not vaccinated for common problems, it would cut into the budget
 * Most show physical and psychological problems as they grow up, from the way they were treated. They have a hard time adjusting to family life if they are practically ignored as puppies and left in their cages until they are brought to pet stores to be sold or are ready to be impregnated again.
 * They are ripped away from their mothers at very young ages. "The Canadian Kennel Code of Practices requires that puppies be eight weeks old before being transferred to the broker or sold in a Pet Store" (Thomas) so they get the antibodies from their mothers milk, but they are usually sold much earlier, (6 weeks) so they have that small puppy appeal to attract buyers (CFHS),this also allows the mothers to be ready to be bred again faster (Thomas)
 * "Currently federal animal cruelty laws offer little punishment for puppy mill owners, and many simply pay their fine and return to work" (CFHS).

Are Puppy Mills in Canada?
The puppy mill industry has increased in Canada, because they used to be imported from the United States before 1995. In 1995 a new legislation was "implemented by Agriculture Canada to regulate the import of puppies from the United States. The legislation requires that puppies be microchipped, vaccinated and health checked by a veterinarian" (CFHS). Many of the puppy shipments did not meet these standards, and were sent back thus reducing the number of puppies from being shipped to Canada. However this decrease in imported puppies created a demand for more puppy mills in Canada. Currently federal animal cruelty laws offer little punishment for puppy mill owners, and many simply pay their fine and return to work (CFHS).

Canadian Laws
Technically puppy mills are not illegal in Canada, the laws don't protect these dogs, unless they are in terrible condition. In fact the government doesn't even regulate commercial breeders as the US does, so we can't even track puppy mills (No Puppy mills Canada).

//Do you think this is fair? That we can't stop it from happening without first having dogs in bad enough condition in order to be protected//. I don't know about you but the word 'protect' to me means preventing the animals from being hurt and abused, not waiting for them to be before we step in.

The cruelty to animals act (criminal code 444-447) hasn't been changed since it first came to be in 1892.

Are All Pet Stores supplied by Puppy Mills?
The short answer is yes, a good breeder wont sell their puppies to pet stores, they want to be sure that their puppies find good homes that are matched to them and that they are well cared for.

Most times the pet store will come up with an excuse not to show you. Some pet stores will say they got the pups from a breeder ask them to prove it. Ask for the address and phone number and visit the place to see where your puppy spent part of it's life. Many say the breeder are checked and they are certified by the USDA, however the standards of the USDA are so low many puppy mills are licensed. In fact many fail inspections or refuse to let them see the barn, but still are licensed (No Puppy Mills Canada). Do your research first, don't just take their word for it.

For more information on knowing whether the breeder is reputable check out this [|site] for a checklist of things you should know

**Possible Solutions**

 * Stop buying puppies from pet stores this only increases the demand for more
 * Shut down puppy mills and bring stricter charges against the owners, not just fines that they can pay and continue their business, they should be held responsible
 * An example is a case in the US from 2002 there the owner had his dogs taken away and only paid $500, the SPCA paid over $24 000 to get the dogs healthy

"In August 2002, ten months after the dogs were seized, the owner of the puppy mill pled guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to animals. Nick Levesque is prohibited from owning pets for two years and was fined $500, in stark contrast to the cost to the SPCA. "The overall bill was about $24,000. Now that's including vet bills, boarding fees and of course the expenses for the actual investigation," says Melanson. "It might not be fair but he was fined based on what the Criminal Code stipulates."


 * Adopt dogs (and other animals) from shelters, they are often overrun by many animals of all shapes, sizes and ages that need loving homes.Some shelters put down animals to make room for more, there are always too many that need homes. If you adopt you can save a life that could have been lost (the [|Ontario SPCA] is a great place and so is local humane societies, most places you can browse online for that perfect pet)
 * To decrease the amount of homeless and unwanted animals people have to spay and neuter their pets, most shelters do it for you or have free clinics
 * Breeders should also reduce the amount of puppies they breed, there are many that need homes already
 * (Worst case scenario) Decrease the amount of puppy mills and have people check the mills constantly and keep the standards high and conditions clean

Progress
"In 2001 Ontario made amendments to the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act to specifically address puppy mills. Ontario is the first province to enact this legislation, which includes maximum fines of $50,000 for puppy mill operators convicted of animal cruelty" (CFHS).


 * More are long overdue**

**Videos**
Undercover at Puppy Mills........................................................................... Pet Stores and Puppy Mills (warning Graphic at End) media type="youtube" key="UW4cp0AvC4w" height="274" width="327"..........................media type="youtube" key="s0KucYppXO0" height="270" width="331"