8/14/2009

More Than 500 Dogs Rescued from Texas Puppy Mill

On Tuesday, August 13th, 2009, the HSUS helped rescue more than 500 dogs and about 15 cats from squalor on a northeastern Texas puppy mill (read the full story).


Five Tips to help you avoid getting a puppy mill bred dog.
  1. Consider adoption first when getting a pet. Animal shelters are filled with dogs and cats of all breeds and sizes who need and deserve loving homes. Nationwide, approximately 25 percent of the dogs in shelters are purebreds.
  2. Find a responsible breeder and visit their premises in person to see how the parent dogs are living and the conditions in which the puppy was raised. Responsible breeders house their dogs as members of the family and do not keep them confined to cages.
  3. Don't be fooled by common claims made by pet stores when pushing their puppies. Good breeders do not sell to pet stores because they want to meet the families who are taking home their puppies.
  4. Don't be swayed by a great website or ad; many of the puppy mills The HSUS has raided in recent years hid behind beautiful and deceiving websites promising "family raised" puppies.
  5. Avoid the temptation to "rescue" a puppy mill puppy by buying him; your purchase will only help perpetuate a cruel industry and another dog will quickly fill his cage.