What about cats and other animals? Where do the pet stores get them from?
A lot of puppy mills also breed cats. Some of them also breed rabbits and hamsters. That's why I prefer using the term "pet factory" because it's not only dogs suffering in puppy mills. Pet factories are abusing all kinds of animals - rabbits, mice, turtles, birds, you name it. Any animal that you see in a pet store, if it wasn't rescued from the shelter system, it comes from a highly questionable place. The reason you don't usually see it discussed is I believe that animal welfare organizations are afraid of stepping over the line and seeming too extreme. However, the abuse that is inflicted upon rabbits, birds, turtles and all the animals that you see in pet stores IS extreme.
One other thing - pet stores around the country routinely defraud consumers by telling them that their suppliers/breeders are USDA licensed. That is a half-truth. They are obfuscating the reality, that the USDA sanctions and condones and licenses animal cruelty by keeping breeding dogs and cats in wire cages with 6 inches in front of their face for life.
If you've bought a sick puppy from a pet store or an internet so-called breeder, then contact CAPS and fill out a complaint form. We can help them.
What advice would you have for people who want to pass similar ordinances in their towns?
I think it's important for people to understand that regular citizens who have had enough of this puppy mill and pet factory cruelty can go to their city council and demand change. They can contact us at CAPS to ask us for assistance in investigating the pet stores in their area so that we can assist their local government in connecting the dots that prove consumer fraud and animal cruelty right in their back yards.
What would you say to someone who thinks they have to buy a cat or dog to get the kind of animal they want?
To the people who think that they need to buy an animal in a pet store or from a "responsible breeder" on the internet (no responsible breeder would EVER sell via the internet) they are misguided. All you have to do to find the companion animal of your choice is to put the name of the breed you desire, followed by the word "rescue" in a google search and you will be able to rescue such companion animals from a local rescue organization in your area. You will be able to save a life.
Twenty-five percent of the dogs in the shelter system are purebred dogs. They just need a chance. This buying of dogs has got to stop. You cannot buy love. It's unconscionable. Dogs are man's best friend they deserve not to be treated as commodities.
Do you have animals at home?
My husband and I have adopted 4 dogs from the Los Angeles shelter system, all of whom were on death row.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Citizens have the power to make changes. And instead of just sitting back and accepting puppy mills as a fact, they can effect change by doing a number of do-able things. They can gather their friends who are equally fed up and stand in front of a pet store in their neighborhood on Saturdays, which is the busy retail day, to educate shoppers about the truth. And they can contact their local government, and they should, to advise them that they are part of a growing movement that will no longer tolerate pet factory abuse and consumer fraud.
Carole Sax, my colleague, called me up one day years ago, crying, saying "Oh my God there is a pet store in Beverly Hills. That's my town. I can't stand it. We have to do something about this!" I said, "You know what? We can and we will." And we did. And we put Posh Puppy out of business. We did the exact same thing. We go city to city, and do the exact same thing.
I just want to tell people, "You can do this. You can make this happen, empower yourself and do it in your neighborhood. If we did it, you can do it. It just takes determination, commitment and tenacity, and a solid grasp of the facts."
