Recently Maine has raided and rescued hundreds of dogs from 3 puppy mills that were in deplorable conditions. My understanding is that these animals were in horrible condition, many were sick and uncared for. Thin, starving, parasite infested and some near death.........For the life of me, I cannot imagine how anyone could ever do this to any type of animal. Those people responsible deserve nothing less than Jail and fines and they must lose their right to ever own an animal again......... I would like to see the State seize their property to pay back the thousands of dollars it took to care for these animals after they were rescued.
New legislation is in the works here in Maine. My own Club (YCKC) is helping the State with those new regulations. The Federation here in Maine is also highly involved. I believe that new regulations are needed along with input from those of us who care. It must be carefully constructed so that it does not impose impossible aspects for breeders who are reputable and truly care about their dogs.
I have asked myself, what consitutes a "puppy mill"? The State does not have a definitive answer........ Wikipedia on the web has a wonderful write up on the subject. Below are some excerpts from it:
"Puppy mills (also known as puppy farms outside of the United States) are large-scale dog breeding facilities that operate under substandard breeding conditions that provoke the development of chronic health problems, temperamnet issues, and hereditary defects. They are overcrowded and kept in unsanitary conditions. They usually do not receive adequate food, water or veterinary care. Females are often forced to breed every time in heat to increase profits. Mill dogs are weaned from their mothers well before 8-10 weeks of age. While puppies may come with pedigrees, the pedigree itself is neither an indication of quality nor authenticity. The pups are poorly socialized and often have disease are sick and have hereditary defects. They often will also have temperment problems. The vast majority of puppy mill dogs are sold to pet stores by "dealers"." However this is not always the case, nor do some mills even breed more that one type of dog.........
I think all of this is valuable information. I think all of us need to realize that Puppy mills do exist and that we need to think about who we sell our dogs to and who we are buying dogs from. I think that we all should realize exactly why one should never buy from a petstore.......as it just supports these puppy mills. Find a reputable breeder..........
More to come in: Part 2 Holly
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