Friday, November 03, 2006
Shop It To Stop It - Puppy Farming
600 litters of dogs on average are advertised weekly in newspapers, periodicals and free adds papers here in Ireland.400 DOGS FOR SALE adds appear on average in one free adds paper alone, many of these for up to nine different breeds, the majority of which are being raised on PUPPY FARMS here in Ireland. Other adds appear on notice boards everywhere with photos of cute pups, obviously a little money spinner for people who breed their animals at home.Many people who buy a pup do not realise they are causing untold misery for the pups mother who lives her life virtually 'in pup' and many report buying the saddest, sickest pup just to save it.In reality this easy money prompts the breeder to continue.Most advertisements you reply to are from rural areas where the sellers offer to bring the pups to a motorway garage or nearest town to exchange the deal. This ploy is twofold, the main reason is the buyer does not see the conditions the dogs are kept in, the other is that PUPPY FARMING has now become a lucrative TAX FREE enterprise.You cannot be 'shopped' if no one knows where you live.Oficially it is tax liable but who is checking...EXCEPT US.
With up to 1500 euros for the bigger Mastiffs or rare breeds,(more for Females) and a litter raising up to 5,000 euros or more, another twist has emerged.Someone who wants a dog but cannot afford an 'expensive' dog is given a female at a reduced price.The deal being that this pup when on heat is bred and mated with the original sellers dog and a female of the new litter is given back as part payment to close the deal.This ploy results in even more dogs coming on to the market.Neapolitan Mastiffs cost 900e male and 1300-1500e female.So The Alliance for Animal Rights is now reporting details of dog sellers to their local
REVENUE INVESTIGATIONS UNITS and urging the public to do likewise.The problem of over-breeding here in Ireland is causing the deaths of thousands of unwanted dogs annually.IF GENUINE PEOPLE WANT TO HAVE A DOG IN THEIR FAMILY, they will rescue one from a pound or shelter. Many designer dogs die in dog pounds too.
Harrods
The dog pens were filmed by a secret cameraStop Puppy Farming
Not new...but still worth reading.
This store was selling these sad puppies for hugely inflated prices..read what you were getting for your money..
Since the BBC investigation , Ceredigion council has issued the farm with a licence to breed and sell dogs. (read full story)
Harrods has stopped using a Wales puppy farm to stock its pet shop after it was exposed as part of a joint undercover investigation by the BBC and Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity. The investigation highlighted once again the problem of puppy farming across the country.The investigation was instigated following a tip-off from a former Harrods employee who was concerned at the large numbers of dogs being supplied to the store from Windy Rise Farm.Catherine Gillie, former veterinary nurse and Dogs Trust Assistant Field Director, managed to get inside the farm in Wales as part of the investigation. She says “Conditions inside this puppy farm were absolutely horrific. Both puppies and their mothers displayed obvious signs of neglect, starved of affection and proper care, and were in kept in appalling conditions, with no proper bedding, no access to the outside world, and unable to even see over the top of their pens.”
The Dogs Trust fears this is just the tip of the iceberg of what could be an illegal multi-million pound industry across the UK, and is strengthening its campaign to stamp out puppy farming.Clarissa Baldwin, Dogs Trust Chief Executive says “Dogs Trust has been campaigning for many years to put an end to the appalling and inhumane practice of puppy farming. Sadly, the puppy farm shown in this broadcast is just one of many across the country.”
Dogs Trust has launched a campaign condemning puppy farming. The charity urges the public to help, and is appealing for you to show your support by displaying its ‘Stop Puppy Farming’ car sticker.
Dogs Trust has also issued full guidelines on how to make sure you don’t buy a puppy from an illegal breeder and advises anyone thinking of buying a puppy to make sure that a puppy is always seen with its mother, preferably in its home environment.The full guidelines and the special car sticker are available by emailing puppyfarming@dogstrust.org.uk or by phoning 020 7837 0006.Clarissa Baldwin says “Puppies bought from the adverts in local newspapers, or the pet shop on the high street, could so easily come from a puppy farm. Even a pedigree certificate or registration is not necessarily proof the puppy has been properly reared or bred. As a nation of animal lovers, we urge people to carefully consider where they get their dog from.”There is no legal definition for the term ‘puppy farming’ but it is generally accepted as referring to dog breeders who breed indiscriminately, mass-producing puppies from their bitches and sell their puppies onto a third party.The dogs at puppy farms are quite simply there to churn out litter after litter of pups. They are not given adequate care, are often fed poor quality diets, lack veterinary attention, are under socialised and under stimulated. On top of all this, the puppies produced are often in-bred and suffer the medical consequences that this brings. Puppy farm dogs are treated like battery hens, cooped up, devoid of contact and only useful when they come on heat the next litter can be produced. The health and living conditions of the dogs is not important because the puppy farm owner can count on the fact that the bitch and the ‘home’ environment will never be viewed.Anyone even tempted by a cheap farmed pup should think twice, if only for the sake of their future expenditure. The pup is cheap because the breeder has cut corners, compromising the pup’s long term physical and mental health. This could cost the new pup’s owner dearly. Your ‘bargain’ pup could prove a sickly, costly, nervous wreck and your purchase has helped perpetrate the suffering of puppy farmed dogs.Put simply, if no one purchased from these places then they would cease to exist. No punters equals no business.
If you know of a puppy farm, lobby your MP and generally do everything legally within your powers to expose the farm and the people who own it.Exposing puppy farming and doing all you can to eradicate this barbaric practice is definitely worth your while.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Safe...Until Born!
The top photo is of a puppy in the rubbish pen...on a puppy farmNo love, no warmth, no kindness and only considered a comodity. Think of all the dogs like this one and tell yourself you can look the other way. Think of him or her when you see that puppy in the pet shop window and how miserable and unhappy his or her life truly is. Think of this face and get involved. This could be your puppy's mother.
The photo below - shows the puppies on their way to the retail outlets
Photos Taken From..
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Thursday, June 22, 2006
BAN THE SALE....
PLEASE HELP THE KENNEL CLUB
BAN THE SALE OF PUPPIES FROM PET SHOPS!
I urge you write to your MP (they may not know the first thing about this trade) but write. Ask your MP to support this cause and add their name to the following!
The KC along with David Taylor MP has tabled an EDM (early day motion) in regards to the New Proposed Welfare Bill [i]The Sale of Puppies in Pet Shops EDM 863
sale of puppies
Only with your support and many other like minded people will we ever get this trade banned.
Lesley
Hope-UK
Thursday, May 25, 2006
THAT MAN WALSH
Cruel puppy breeder is banned for life by court
A DOG breeder has been banned from keeping the animals for life and ordered to pay £48,485 costs after losing his appeal.
John Michael Joseph Walsh, 55, who has previous convictions relating to animals, was found guilty earlier this year of animal cruelty and the transportation and abandonment of nine young puppies on May 20, 2004.
Blandford magistrates had heard how Walsh, of Denton Hall Kennels, Low Lane, Brampton, Cumbria, left nine puppies in a parked car at Weymouth ferry port on a hot summer's day while he took another six puppies over to Jersey.
continued...
Walsh appealed against his conviction on the grounds that the puppies did not suffer.
He also claimed, through his defence lawyer David Lyons, that there may have been a third party who attended the puppies but was not prepared to give evidence.
Judge John Harrow, presiding at Dorchester Crown Court, heard how Walsh had chosen to give no evidence throughout the original trial and the appeal except for telling Sergeant Paul Senior, of Cumbria Police, to let them prove I was in the car'.
The court was also told how Walsh, on his way back from Jersey, had answered a mobile phone call from police operator Dawn O'Leary in which he admitted he had left the puppies in the car but said they had plenty of food and water.
Charles Gabb, prosecuting, said that Walsh drove the green Vauxhall estate to the ferry port to catch the 7.15am departure leaving two small boxes, containing six Jack Russells, two Papillions and one Bichon Frise, in the back of the car knowing he was not due back until 2.40pm.
Mr Gabb said that the temperature outside the vehicle reached 24C and likened the heat inside to that of an oven or sauna.
He added: "You don't need to be a vet to know that in those circumstances those dogs were suffering."
The puppies were eventually freed from the car at 12.15pm after a vigilant parking attendant alerted her boss and the police.
Subsequent examination at about 2pm, by vet David Cumber, revealed that the dogs showed no signs of heat stroke.
Further expert evidence from vets Roger Eddy and Robin Carpenter confirmed that although these puppies appeared to show no signs of suffering from heat stroke when examined by Mr Cumber, if they had been left any longer in those conditions they may have died.
Mr Cumber added: "Dogs die in hot cars, they die very quickly if the critical temperature is reached."
The court also heard how Walsh, the man allegedly responsible for introducing Foot and Mouth disease into Ireland by smuggling sheep, spent time in prison for cruelly transporting 49 puppies and three kittens in nine carry-cases.
Judge Harrow upheld the conviction and sentence, of a 100-hour community rehabilitation order, imposed by Blandford magistrates, but extended the 10-year ban on keeping dogs to a lifetime ban.
Walsh was ordered to pay £48,485 costs.
RSPCA Inspector Marie Griffiths said after the appeal: "We are absolutely delighted with the outcome, especially the lifetime ban so that no other animals can suffer in this man's hands."
John Walsh has been convicted of animal cruelty
A DOG breeder has been banned from keeping the animals for life and ordered to pay £48,485 costs after losing his appeal.
John Michael Joseph Walsh, 55, who has previous convictions relating to animals, was found guilty earlier this year of animal cruelty and the transportation and abandonment of nine young puppies on May 20, 2004.
Blandford magistrates had heard how Walsh, of Denton Hall Kennels, Low Lane, Brampton, Cumbria, left nine puppies in a parked car at Weymouth ferry port on a hot summer's day while he took another six puppies over to Jersey.
continued...
Walsh appealed against his conviction on the grounds that the puppies did not suffer.
He also claimed, through his defence lawyer David Lyons, that there may have been a third party who attended the puppies but was not prepared to give evidence.
Judge John Harrow, presiding at Dorchester Crown Court, heard how Walsh had chosen to give no evidence throughout the original trial and the appeal except for telling Sergeant Paul Senior, of Cumbria Police, to let them prove I was in the car'.
The court was also told how Walsh, on his way back from Jersey, had answered a mobile phone call from police operator Dawn O'Leary in which he admitted he had left the puppies in the car but said they had plenty of food and water.
Charles Gabb, prosecuting, said that Walsh drove the green Vauxhall estate to the ferry port to catch the 7.15am departure leaving two small boxes, containing six Jack Russells, two Papillions and one Bichon Frise, in the back of the car knowing he was not due back until 2.40pm.
Mr Gabb said that the temperature outside the vehicle reached 24C and likened the heat inside to that of an oven or sauna.
He added: "You don't need to be a vet to know that in those circumstances those dogs were suffering."
The puppies were eventually freed from the car at 12.15pm after a vigilant parking attendant alerted her boss and the police.
Subsequent examination at about 2pm, by vet David Cumber, revealed that the dogs showed no signs of heat stroke.
Further expert evidence from vets Roger Eddy and Robin Carpenter confirmed that although these puppies appeared to show no signs of suffering from heat stroke when examined by Mr Cumber, if they had been left any longer in those conditions they may have died.
Mr Cumber added: "Dogs die in hot cars, they die very quickly if the critical temperature is reached."
The court also heard how Walsh, the man allegedly responsible for introducing Foot and Mouth disease into Ireland by smuggling sheep, spent time in prison for cruelly transporting 49 puppies and three kittens in nine carry-cases.
Judge Harrow upheld the conviction and sentence, of a 100-hour community rehabilitation order, imposed by Blandford magistrates, but extended the 10-year ban on keeping dogs to a lifetime ban.
Walsh was ordered to pay £48,485 costs.
RSPCA Inspector Marie Griffiths said after the appeal: "We are absolutely delighted with the outcome, especially the lifetime ban so that no other animals can suffer in this man's hands."
John Walsh has been convicted of animal cruelty
Cruel Man Banned from keeping Dogs
12 January 2006
A Cumbrian man has been banned from keeping dogs for ten years and ordered to pay almost £35,000 in costs, after leaving nine puppies in a car on a sweltering hot day.
55-year-old John Walsh, from Brampton, locked the dogs in his Vauxhall Astra at Weymouth Quay, in Dorset, while he travelled by ferry to meet prospective buyers, in May 2004. The car's windows had been left only slightly open.Walsh was also ordered to carry out 100-hours community work by magistrates in Blandford. The conviction has been welcomed by local RSPCA officers.
In 2001, he was jailed for illegally importing sheep infected with foot and mouth into Ireland,an act which the judge said had cost the country "tens of millions of Euros."
In this latest incident, the nine puppies had been left in carrier boxes, each designed to hold one cat. The court heard that when he returned from his ferry journey, Walsh avoided police and RSPCA inspectors by hiding inside a van.
12 January 2006
A Cumbrian man has been banned from keeping dogs for ten years and ordered to pay almost £35,000 in costs, after leaving nine puppies in a car on a sweltering hot day.
55-year-old John Walsh, from Brampton, locked the dogs in his Vauxhall Astra at Weymouth Quay, in Dorset, while he travelled by ferry to meet prospective buyers, in May 2004. The car's windows had been left only slightly open.Walsh was also ordered to carry out 100-hours community work by magistrates in Blandford. The conviction has been welcomed by local RSPCA officers.
In 2001, he was jailed for illegally importing sheep infected with foot and mouth into Ireland,an act which the judge said had cost the country "tens of millions of Euros."
In this latest incident, the nine puppies had been left in carrier boxes, each designed to hold one cat. The court heard that when he returned from his ferry journey, Walsh avoided police and RSPCA inspectors by hiding inside a van.
CASE UPDATE!!
John Walsh, of Low Row, near Brampton, was ordered to pay almost £2,300 to Allana Hamilton after she won a case of unfair dismissal yesterday.Mr Walsh, who was convicted in December of animal cruelty after he left nine puppies in a car on a hot day, walked out of the Carlisle tribunal after the chair refused his request to postpone the hearing.Miss Hamilton, 22, said she worked for him from March to October under a verbal contract and looked after 50 kennels virtually by herself. She said the day before she was due to leave for a holiday, she received a text message from Mr Walsh which said: “Sorry, I have to let you go, things aren’t working out. Get in touch when you get back from holiday.”When she phoned him on her return, he said if she ever wanted to see October’s wages she would have to find herself a lawyer, the tribunal heard.Mr Walsh said he had discovered documents which would prove Miss Hamilton was overpaid.Tribunal chairman Jeremy Hargrove said there was no explanation why he had not raised this issue earlier. He said Mr Walsh “put forward no valid defence whatsoever”.Miss Hamilton’s claims of breach of contract and wrongful dismissal were well-founded, he said, and she was entitled to three weeks’ wages, one week’s holiday pay and one week’s notice. This was increased by 30 per cent as compensation for the delay in payment, amounting to £2,294.Miss Hamilton, of Barnhill, Dumfries, is now back in the job she gave up to go and work in the kennels. Mr Walsh was ordered to pay a legal bill of £35,000 after he was convicted of animal cruelty in December. Dorset magistrates heard how he left six Jack Russells, two papillons and a bichon frise in his Vauxhall Astra in sweltering heat. Mr Walsh is appealing the conviction at Dorchester Crown Court on June 26.
Source: Cumberland News - April 28, 2006
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
NOT A PRETTY PICTURE
Photos from around the World...but the story is the same..
One of immense suffering and sadness.
Everytime YOU purchase a puppy from a retail outlet this is what YOU are condoning. Puppy Farming only exists because of YOU!
Next time you enter a Pet Shop that sells puppies please do not be tempeted....think of the poor breeding bitches and the stud dogs living a life of misery. Think of ALL the poor little puppies who have died before they even reached the age of 6 months!!
THIS TRADE IS ABOUT GREED...PLEASE DO NOT KEEP IT GOING BY FEEDING IT...
One of immense suffering and sadness.
Everytime YOU purchase a puppy from a retail outlet this is what YOU are condoning. Puppy Farming only exists because of YOU!
Next time you enter a Pet Shop that sells puppies please do not be tempeted....think of the poor breeding bitches and the stud dogs living a life of misery. Think of ALL the poor little puppies who have died before they even reached the age of 6 months!!
THIS TRADE IS ABOUT GREED...PLEASE DO NOT KEEP IT GOING BY FEEDING IT...
Create your own video at One True Media
Monday, May 15, 2006
300.000 UNWANTED DOGS PTS EACH YEAR.
Although this is not new news...the figure of 500 farmers being given grants when we put to sleep over 300.000 stray/unwanted dogs each and every year here in the UK is a sad indictment of how little this 'Government cares about Animal Welfare'... it will remain to be seen if any future Government will scrap this 'grant' and actually do something to curb this unwanted - EVIL TRADE!
Tax payers money is being used to finance more puppy farmers in what is one of the most cruel trades known....
Lesley
Hope-UK
WELSH PUPPIES.....Parliament backs cruelty
In the 1980s and 1990s, illegal puppy farming was a big problem in Wales.
Puppy farms are horrific places where dogs are treated as breeding machines - females impregnated every time they are in season and discarded or destroyed when no longer economically viable.
Animals are generally kept in awful conditions, with their health never a priority. Puppies are shipped all around the UK.
The problem seemed to have been abating, but the RSPCA has warned that recently there has been an increase in the number of puppy farms - albeit mostly legal enterprises.
This increase has been encouraged by a scheme launched by the Welsh Assembly in 2001 called Farming Connect. Farmers are encouraged to diversify into horse and dog breeding and can apply to the state for funding. Over 5000 applications for grants have been received and over 500 have been approved.
Such support for breeding will cause immense animal suffering. The market is already flooded with horses and dogs. Sanctuaries and rescue centres are over-run.
An estimated 300,000 unwanted and stray dogs are put down in Britain every year.
THIS TRADE MAKES PEOPLE RICH - THE WORLD OVER
Sad little faces all pleading for the same......
END THIS TRADE AND STOP OUR SUFFERING.
The US has a massive problem with Puppy Farming...this story proves that even people who should 'know better' have bought puppies from Puppy 'Mills' (as they call them in the States...
Some of the puppies bred on Puppy Farms here in the UK are sent to the States - it's a sad vicious circle.
Lesley
Hope-UK
Sick puppies dog some online purchasers
Puppy-provider to the stars has some unhappy customers
By Greg Hunter and Pia MalbranCNN
Tucker, a Shih Tzu, was bought online and had several health problems.
PEMBROKE PINES, Florida (CNN) -- Actress Jennifer Love Hewitt, singer Jon Secada and the Osbournes, known for their hit MTV show, all have one thing in common: They bought dogs from the same place. But a CNN investigation finds the company that sold them their pets has many unhappy customers.
The Wizard of Claws, also know as Celebrity Kennels, is based in Pembroke Pines, Florida. The company is run by husband and wife team Jim and Gilda Anderson.
They've been in business about five years and offer what they describe as top-of-the-line teacup- and toy-size dogs on the Internet, for as much as $5,000 each. They advertise that their company is the nation's premier supplier of puppies to the stars and claim annual sales of up to $5 million. The company does not breed dogs, but sells them on the Internet and at its Florida location.
Jennifer Pura of California bought a Shih Tzu from the company in January of 2005.
The dog that Pura named Tucker cost $3,500. But Tucker immediately had several health problems. Vet records show Tucker had internal parasites, inflammatory bowel disease and daily seizures.
To treat Tucker, Pura had to fork out another $5,000 in vet bills over the next year. Pura says to make up for some of the costs the company sent her a second dog, a Yorkie named Romeo, free of charge.
But Romeo was even sicker and died within a month.
CNN made repeated requests to interview Jim Anderson. He agreed to a telephone interview in which he said: "There's no financial motives or gain from sending out sick dogs. Dogs get sick from shipping caused by stress." He estimated that only 8 percent of his company's 9,000 sales over the past five years have generated complaints.
The president of the Companion Animal Protection Society, Deborah Howard, suggests that instead of buying a dog on the Internet, deal directly with a reputable breeder.
"When you go to a reputable breeder, you're not going to find a lot of dogs that have kennel cough, that have giardia and coccidia [internal parasites]."
Howard claims many dogs sold online come from puppy mills, where dogs are bred in mass quantities and where conditions are often crowded and unsanitary. And, she says, there is very little oversight by any federal or local agency. The federal government licenses breeders but not pet stores.
Still, buying a dog on the Web is a growing trend. According to the trade organization American Pet Products Manufactures Association, 150,000 dogs are bought online annually.
CNN has learned Celebrity Kennel's Anderson is a convicted drug felon, and in 2003 he was slapped with six violations under the Animal Welfare Act. The violations included failing to provided proper vet care and selling animals less than 8 weeks of age, against Florida law.
The Florida attorney general has an open investigation and several dissatisfied customers have filed lawsuits against the company. A Web site started by a dissatisfied customer is called "stop-wizard-of-claws." Anderson is suing that customer for $4.4 million and wants the site shut down.
As for the celebrity customers, a spokesperson for Jennifer Love Hewitt told CNN the dog she received from Celebrity Kennels had several health issues that required costly vet care. The Osbournes, however, told CNN they had no problems with their dogs.
Singer Jon Secada and his wife Mari bought their first family dog, a Maltese named Sunshine, from Celebrity Kennels last August. The Secadas trusted they were in good hands because of the company's other famous customers.
But their $1,000 dog ended up having kennel cough for more than a month and a tooth problem that cost another $1,000 to fix. The Secadas were also told their dog came from a specialized breeder.
But CNN discovered that Celebrity Kennels actually bought their dog on an online auction. The Secadas say they'd never buy a dog from the company again.
Meanwhile, Tucker still has health problems. "Every time Tucker sneezes or is laying around too much. I'm constantly worried that something is wrong with him, which is not the way it's supposed to be," Pura said. "It's supposed to be fun and it's supposed to lighten up your life and instead it's made it sad and hard."
Puppy-provider to the stars has some unhappy customers
By Greg Hunter and Pia MalbranCNN
Tucker, a Shih Tzu, was bought online and had several health problems.
PEMBROKE PINES, Florida (CNN) -- Actress Jennifer Love Hewitt, singer Jon Secada and the Osbournes, known for their hit MTV show, all have one thing in common: They bought dogs from the same place. But a CNN investigation finds the company that sold them their pets has many unhappy customers.
The Wizard of Claws, also know as Celebrity Kennels, is based in Pembroke Pines, Florida. The company is run by husband and wife team Jim and Gilda Anderson.
They've been in business about five years and offer what they describe as top-of-the-line teacup- and toy-size dogs on the Internet, for as much as $5,000 each. They advertise that their company is the nation's premier supplier of puppies to the stars and claim annual sales of up to $5 million. The company does not breed dogs, but sells them on the Internet and at its Florida location.
Jennifer Pura of California bought a Shih Tzu from the company in January of 2005.
The dog that Pura named Tucker cost $3,500. But Tucker immediately had several health problems. Vet records show Tucker had internal parasites, inflammatory bowel disease and daily seizures.
To treat Tucker, Pura had to fork out another $5,000 in vet bills over the next year. Pura says to make up for some of the costs the company sent her a second dog, a Yorkie named Romeo, free of charge.
But Romeo was even sicker and died within a month.
CNN made repeated requests to interview Jim Anderson. He agreed to a telephone interview in which he said: "There's no financial motives or gain from sending out sick dogs. Dogs get sick from shipping caused by stress." He estimated that only 8 percent of his company's 9,000 sales over the past five years have generated complaints.
The president of the Companion Animal Protection Society, Deborah Howard, suggests that instead of buying a dog on the Internet, deal directly with a reputable breeder.
"When you go to a reputable breeder, you're not going to find a lot of dogs that have kennel cough, that have giardia and coccidia [internal parasites]."
Howard claims many dogs sold online come from puppy mills, where dogs are bred in mass quantities and where conditions are often crowded and unsanitary. And, she says, there is very little oversight by any federal or local agency. The federal government licenses breeders but not pet stores.
Still, buying a dog on the Web is a growing trend. According to the trade organization American Pet Products Manufactures Association, 150,000 dogs are bought online annually.
CNN has learned Celebrity Kennel's Anderson is a convicted drug felon, and in 2003 he was slapped with six violations under the Animal Welfare Act. The violations included failing to provided proper vet care and selling animals less than 8 weeks of age, against Florida law.
The Florida attorney general has an open investigation and several dissatisfied customers have filed lawsuits against the company. A Web site started by a dissatisfied customer is called "stop-wizard-of-claws." Anderson is suing that customer for $4.4 million and wants the site shut down.
As for the celebrity customers, a spokesperson for Jennifer Love Hewitt told CNN the dog she received from Celebrity Kennels had several health issues that required costly vet care. The Osbournes, however, told CNN they had no problems with their dogs.
Singer Jon Secada and his wife Mari bought their first family dog, a Maltese named Sunshine, from Celebrity Kennels last August. The Secadas trusted they were in good hands because of the company's other famous customers.
But their $1,000 dog ended up having kennel cough for more than a month and a tooth problem that cost another $1,000 to fix. The Secadas were also told their dog came from a specialized breeder.
But CNN discovered that Celebrity Kennels actually bought their dog on an online auction. The Secadas say they'd never buy a dog from the company again.
Meanwhile, Tucker still has health problems. "Every time Tucker sneezes or is laying around too much. I'm constantly worried that something is wrong with him, which is not the way it's supposed to be," Pura said. "It's supposed to be fun and it's supposed to lighten up your life and instead it's made it sad and hard."
WATCH PUPPY TALES OF WOE!!!
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
IRELANDS PUPPY FARM TRADE
It should be pointed out that
Ireland is one of the Puppy Farming Capitals.
At the moment there is NO legislation in Ireland to regulate breeding!
PUPPY FARMERS LOOK OUT
600 litters of dogs on average are advertised weekly in newspapers, periodicals and free adds papers here in Ireland.400 DOGS FOR SALE adds appear on average in one free adds paper alone, many of these for up to nine different breeds, the majority of which are being raised on PUPPY FARMS here in Ireland. Other adds appear on notice boards everywhere with photos of cute pups, obviously a little money spinner for people who breed their animals at home.Many people who buy a pup do not realise they are causing untold misery for the pups mother who lives her life virtually 'in pup' and many report buying the saddest, sickest pup just to save it.In reality this easy money prompts the breeder to continue.
600 litters of dogs on average are advertised weekly in newspapers, periodicals and free adds papers here in Ireland.400 DOGS FOR SALE adds appear on average in one free adds paper alone, many of these for up to nine different breeds, the majority of which are being raised on PUPPY FARMS here in Ireland. Other adds appear on notice boards everywhere with photos of cute pups, obviously a little money spinner for people who breed their animals at home.Many people who buy a pup do not realise they are causing untold misery for the pups mother who lives her life virtually 'in pup' and many report buying the saddest, sickest pup just to save it.In reality this easy money prompts the breeder
Bernie Wright
afar_ireland at yahoo dot ie
PO BOX 4734.Dublin.1 085 7371810
FILTHY ROTTEN BREEDERS
The dogs who had (freedom) such as it was in that small shed!
Were they the lucky one's?
This is what the breeder of these poor dogs found acceptable...how can anyone (regardless of age) leave dogs to live in these conditions.
It is also worth pointing out - that this way of keeping the dogs had been going on for some years (the Council had concerns about this breeder) but nobody did anything. It was only after she died that the dogs received the help they so badly needed.
All of the photos come from the Celia Hammond Trust.
Please if you are aware of anyone (even your own family) keeping dogs in such barbaric conditions (report them).
How many poor dogs died before help was forthcoming?
Were they the lucky one's?
This is what the breeder of these poor dogs found acceptable...how can anyone (regardless of age) leave dogs to live in these conditions.
It is also worth pointing out - that this way of keeping the dogs had been going on for some years (the Council had concerns about this breeder) but nobody did anything. It was only after she died that the dogs received the help they so badly needed.
All of the photos come from the Celia Hammond Trust.
Please if you are aware of anyone (even your own family) keeping dogs in such barbaric conditions (report them).
How many poor dogs died before help was forthcoming?
Friday, May 05, 2006
A TAIL OF TWO DOGS
LIFE is full of contrasts, but my first two patients one morning seemed, at face value at least, to be almost identical.
Harry is a two-year-old crossbreed, mainly white in colour, with a brown patch on one side of his face that makes him look like he has rolled in mud. Which he often does.
He's a happy-go-lucky wee chap, who cavorts with his owner and almost everyone else he meets. He is the apple of his owner's eye and she loves him to the core.
Weighing in at 13kg, Harry is only slightly heavier than Henry.
This fellow looks like he was designed by a dysfunctional committee. His legs are those of a Corgi, but the fact they are attached to a whippet-type body with a collie head, means they fail to impart a regal tone.
Henry shares Harry's lively, outgoing personality and, seen side by side, Harry and Henry could be brothers. Except they are not. Their stories could not be more different.
Harry was purchased from a puppy farm by a naive owner who thought she was helping animal welfare by saving this scrawny wee pup from abject misery.
In reality, she just made a space for another farmed puppy to fill.
She paid £350 for what was supposed to be a pedigree dog. Unfortunately, his Dog Lover's Pedigree wasn't worth the paper it was written on. Neither, as it turned out, were his certificates of vaccination and worming. We were in the process of dealing with his massive roundworm burden when Harry started to have diarrhoea.
Ten days later, and after considerable expenditure by his owner, Harry had survived parvovirus, but he was a shadow of his former self.
He required a considerable period of recuperation before we could operate on him.
Harry had undescended testicles and needed surgery to remove them from his abdomen so as to avoid them becoming cancerous.
Even though the condition is hereditary, it seems that puppy farmers aren't too worried about who mates who. Henry, on the other hand, was lucky. Abandoned as a week-old puppy in a cardboard box, he was taken to the Scottish SPCA Dog and Cat home in Cardonald, Glasgow, where he was bottle-fed and reared by experienced hands.
He socialised with humans and with other dogs. He was well nourished, vaccinated by a vet and de-wormed, de-fleaed and delightful.
When he was old enough, Henry was re-homed to an appropriate owner with a promise that they could return if any medical or behavioural problems occurred.
Harry is a two-year-old crossbreed, mainly white in colour, with a brown patch on one side of his face that makes him look like he has rolled in mud. Which he often does.
He's a happy-go-lucky wee chap, who cavorts with his owner and almost everyone else he meets. He is the apple of his owner's eye and she loves him to the core.
Weighing in at 13kg, Harry is only slightly heavier than Henry.
This fellow looks like he was designed by a dysfunctional committee. His legs are those of a Corgi, but the fact they are attached to a whippet-type body with a collie head, means they fail to impart a regal tone.
Henry shares Harry's lively, outgoing personality and, seen side by side, Harry and Henry could be brothers. Except they are not. Their stories could not be more different.
Harry was purchased from a puppy farm by a naive owner who thought she was helping animal welfare by saving this scrawny wee pup from abject misery.
In reality, she just made a space for another farmed puppy to fill.
She paid £350 for what was supposed to be a pedigree dog. Unfortunately, his Dog Lover's Pedigree wasn't worth the paper it was written on. Neither, as it turned out, were his certificates of vaccination and worming. We were in the process of dealing with his massive roundworm burden when Harry started to have diarrhoea.
Ten days later, and after considerable expenditure by his owner, Harry had survived parvovirus, but he was a shadow of his former self.
He required a considerable period of recuperation before we could operate on him.
Harry had undescended testicles and needed surgery to remove them from his abdomen so as to avoid them becoming cancerous.
Even though the condition is hereditary, it seems that puppy farmers aren't too worried about who mates who. Henry, on the other hand, was lucky. Abandoned as a week-old puppy in a cardboard box, he was taken to the Scottish SPCA Dog and Cat home in Cardonald, Glasgow, where he was bottle-fed and reared by experienced hands.
He socialised with humans and with other dogs. He was well nourished, vaccinated by a vet and de-wormed, de-fleaed and delightful.
When he was old enough, Henry was re-homed to an appropriate owner with a promise that they could return if any medical or behavioural problems occurred.
Henry's owner really did help animal welfare...
The Greens Want To Curb Puppy Farming
Hope-UK's comments are in red where appropriate.
GREENS PROPOSE CLAMPDOWN ON "CRUEL AND INHUMANE"
PUPPY TRADERS.
PUPPY TRADERS.
Wed., March 22, 2006. 14:20.
The Greens Want To Curb Puppy Farming
GREENS PROPOSE CLAMPDOWN ON "CRUEL AND INHUMANE"PUPPY TRADERS.
Wed., March 22, 2006. 14:20.Unscrupulous traders who abuse, neglect and/or exploit puppies now face a tough clampdown thanks to proposals put before Parliament by Green MSPsThe move coincides with the release today of pictures of puppy farms that Green MSP Mark Ruskell says reveal merely the "tip of the iceberg" on this lucrative trade. (1)The proposed amendment to the Animal Welfare Bill, to be examined today by MSPs, is backed by the charity Advocates for Animals. (2) Green MSP Mark Ruskell, deputy convener of the environment committee which is scrutinising the bill, will argue that banning such imports is the only way to prevent abuse. It will also protect those who buy such puppies under the impression that they are in good health, only to discover later that their new pet is far from healthy. The amendment does not ban all puppy imports, but seeks to ban imports from puppy farms that do not have decent welfare conditions. Hope-UK feels that is not a strong enough measure and NO puppy should be born on any commercial establishment.
Mr Ruskell said, "It's high time that Scotland took measures to stop the sale of puppies that have languished in filthy conditions, and been abused and neglected. This change to legislation will help clampdown on unscrupulous traders, within the UK and in other countries, who are concerned only with making a fast buck. These traders don't care about dogs or the buyers who often pay hundreds of pounds only to discover later that their new pet is far from healthy." Please look to UK and see what little if any 'licensing has had here? We even have unlicensed breeders in countless numbers - and they still manage to find outlets to sell their puppies...does it sound as if we have got to the bottom of Puppy Farming? Please know the trade for what it is, A HUGE MONEY MAKING MACHINE THAT WILL NEVER ALTER NOR GO AWAY UNLESS YOU MAKE IT ILLEGAL..
On Greens' proposals to ban wild animals in circuses, something already underway in England & Wales with UK government backing, Mr Ruskell said:"Using wild animals in circuses is medieval practice that is thankfully going to be banned south of the border. It's now time for the Scotland to follow to grab this opportunity to do the same. There is a case for domestic animals to continue to play a role in circuses with suitable regulation, but research shows that over 80% of people want to see wild animals banned and now is the time to deliver that ban."Daniel Turner, spokesperson for the Born Free Foundation, said, "There is a clear consensus from animal welfare scientists, politician and the public that the frequent travelling and restrictive environments in circuses mean that they cannot provide for the basic needs of wild animals. We welcome indications from Westminster that the use of wild animals in circuses will be prohibited, and hope similar measures will be adopted in Scotland under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Bill to ensure a timely and compassionate end to the exploitation of wild animals in British circuses."Greens are also opposing moves for ministers to have unlimited powers to slaughter animals in the case of outbreak of a disease, though last Wednesday Labour and LibDem MSPs threw out amendments designed to ensure plans in the event of an outbreak of disease were well managed and co-ordinated in liaison with relevant experts.It's hoped that Green proposals for a complete ban on tail-docking will go through, despite efforts by some campaign groups to secure an exemption for working dogs.ENDSFor further information call the Green MSP press office on 0131 348 6360/0771 761 8771.Notes1.
Background information on puppy trade from
Advocates for Animals.
Background information on puppy trade from
Advocates for Animals.
For pictures, call Advocates on 0131 225 6039.Puppies from puppy farms in Ireland are regularly imported into Scotland, then either sold in Scotland or taken to England for sale. The puppy farms supplying the Scottish market are mainly in the Republic of Ireland, but also in Northern Ireland.An estimated 200-300 puppies are imported each week into Scotland from Ireland. Most arrive in the port of Cairn Ryan. In a short pre-Christmas period 2005 the Ulster SPCA stopped vehicles at Larne Harbour carrying over 300 pups to the Scottish and English markets.This is a highly lucrative trade.
The animals involved are pedigree puppies, which can fetch high prices - £800 for a pedigree Bull Mastiff, £600 for a pedigree St Bernard and £250-£300 for a pedigree West Highland terrier.The Ulster SPCA states that in the Republic of Ireland a bitch in a puppy farm will produce two litters a year, i.e. around 16 puppies capable of retailing in the UK at a minimum of £300 each. Thus one solitary animal confined in a shed, never seeing daylight or receiving veterinary care can generate around £4500 a year. The Irish SPCA is aware of individual farms in the Republic with 200 breeding bitches generating a turnover of £1 million a year.
The appalling conditions in which the dogs are kept include blacked out sheds and scrap cars. In some cases the animals are forced to live in their own excrement and drink from filthy containers. In a recent raid the Ulster SPCA found bitches being fed on the maggot infected carcases of bull calves.On puppy farms some of the pups born on the farm are often kept to form new breeding stock. This inbreeding leads to congenital deformity and reduced disease resistance.The puppies are generally transported in extremely poor conditions, often crammed into cages for the long journey to Scotland.
The long journeys are so stressful that some of the puppies fail to survive and die en route.Many of the puppies are diseased; they may have severe parasite infections, parvo virus, distemper or gastroenteritis. People who buy them face the financial burden of extensive veterinary care and the heartache of loosing their new puppy should it ultimately have to be put to sleep.
The dealers who import the puppies sell them either through newspaper/website adverts or to pet shops – buyers cannot know if a puppy sold in one of these ways comes from a puppy farm or not. Sometimes dealers sell them in car parks or motorway service stations; the public should avoid animals sold in this way as they may well come from puppy farms.The Executive states that the trade will not be prohibited, but will be regulated by its secondary legislation which will provide that the trade can only be conducted by people licensed by local authorities. We have licensed breeders here in the UK - with so called legislation to adhere to. Sadly, although these breeders are inspected once a year before their new licensed is granted - many of these places are still not fit for the purpose of breeding dogs. We have people contact Hope-UK who tell us that the 'inspections' are only a formality and that licenses being reissued is a certainty. Is this what is envisaged for Scotland and deemed to be an improvement. We have licensed premises here in the UK with 100's of breeding bitches...is this considered good for the dogs living on these places. These poor breeding bitches are still subjected to breeding when they come into season (every season) and their puppies taken and sold from them before they are even weaned. I simply cannot understand the reasoning for keeping any type of commercial dog breeding establishment. We are destroying thousands and thousands of dogs week after week here in the UK (I imagine the same is as true of Scotland). Please end commercial breeding and end the suffering of the dogs caught in this Trade! You know as well as I, that there is not the money nor the man power to 'Police' this trade and make sure that 'licensed breeders adhere to their licensing code...Puppy Farming (dogs in general are given very low priority when it comes down to enforcing the LAW! There is also corruption and intimidation in the World of PF. The breeders, but mainly the dealers are also caught up in other illegal activities...
The animals involved are pedigree puppies, which can fetch high prices - £800 for a pedigree Bull Mastiff, £600 for a pedigree St Bernard and £250-£300 for a pedigree West Highland terrier.The Ulster SPCA states that in the Republic of Ireland a bitch in a puppy farm will produce two litters a year, i.e. around 16 puppies capable of retailing in the UK at a minimum of £300 each. Thus one solitary animal confined in a shed, never seeing daylight or receiving veterinary care can generate around £4500 a year. The Irish SPCA is aware of individual farms in the Republic with 200 breeding bitches generating a turnover of £1 million a year.
The appalling conditions in which the dogs are kept include blacked out sheds and scrap cars. In some cases the animals are forced to live in their own excrement and drink from filthy containers. In a recent raid the Ulster SPCA found bitches being fed on the maggot infected carcases of bull calves.On puppy farms some of the pups born on the farm are often kept to form new breeding stock. This inbreeding leads to congenital deformity and reduced disease resistance.The puppies are generally transported in extremely poor conditions, often crammed into cages for the long journey to Scotland.
The long journeys are so stressful that some of the puppies fail to survive and die en route.Many of the puppies are diseased; they may have severe parasite infections, parvo virus, distemper or gastroenteritis. People who buy them face the financial burden of extensive veterinary care and the heartache of loosing their new puppy should it ultimately have to be put to sleep.
The dealers who import the puppies sell them either through newspaper/website adverts or to pet shops – buyers cannot know if a puppy sold in one of these ways comes from a puppy farm or not. Sometimes dealers sell them in car parks or motorway service stations; the public should avoid animals sold in this way as they may well come from puppy farms.The Executive states that the trade will not be prohibited, but will be regulated by its secondary legislation which will provide that the trade can only be conducted by people licensed by local authorities. We have licensed breeders here in the UK - with so called legislation to adhere to. Sadly, although these breeders are inspected once a year before their new licensed is granted - many of these places are still not fit for the purpose of breeding dogs. We have people contact Hope-UK who tell us that the 'inspections' are only a formality and that licenses being reissued is a certainty. Is this what is envisaged for Scotland and deemed to be an improvement. We have licensed premises here in the UK with 100's of breeding bitches...is this considered good for the dogs living on these places. These poor breeding bitches are still subjected to breeding when they come into season (every season) and their puppies taken and sold from them before they are even weaned. I simply cannot understand the reasoning for keeping any type of commercial dog breeding establishment. We are destroying thousands and thousands of dogs week after week here in the UK (I imagine the same is as true of Scotland). Please end commercial breeding and end the suffering of the dogs caught in this Trade! You know as well as I, that there is not the money nor the man power to 'Police' this trade and make sure that 'licensed breeders adhere to their licensing code...Puppy Farming (dogs in general are given very low priority when it comes down to enforcing the LAW! There is also corruption and intimidation in the World of PF. The breeders, but mainly the dealers are also caught up in other illegal activities...
One black labrador looks pretty much the same as another (as do many other breeds) to the uninitiated? How can these people possibly say which bitch had one litter and which one was has been mated continually. Who really knows the age of these dogs? It is beyond belief to think that any PF will adhere to breeding ages....and numbers of litters. Look at the poor dogs who come into Rescue here in the UK from PF. Some of these dogs are from licensed premises. Does it look as if the 1999 Welfare Act is working for them?
Dealers will be required to have suitable premises for the animals before any licence would be issued. Dealers should not be allowed to collect the dogs..and then sell them far and wide. The licensing will not work...and puppies who are ill will be placed with healthy puppies. The mass collection of puppies is barbaric and should not even be considered. There should be NO other party involved. Once a puppy is born (NOT FROM ANY COMMERCIAL PUPPY BREEDING ESTABLISHMENT) its only next place of residence should be its home, not a dealers car, van etc etc - nor a PET SHOP/COMMERCIAL OUTLET.
Greens want to prevent imported puppies coming from puppy farms in Ireland that have extremely poor welfare standards for both the puppies and the bitches.Current legislation in UKPuppy farming is not defined by legislation. However, the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973 (as amended by the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999) applies in Scotland, England and Wales and seeks to prohibit the worst aspects of puppy farming. Section 1(4) provides that, when granting a licence for a dog breeding establishment, a local authority must include conditions in the licence for securing certain specified objects; these objects include (among other things) that:· Dogs are kept in accommodation that is suitable as regards size, exercising facilities, temperature, ventilation and cleanliness; · Dogs are adequately supplied with suitable food, drink and bedding material; · Dogs are adequately exercised; · Bitches under one year of age are not mated; · Bitches do not give birth to more than 6 litters; and · Bitches do not give birth more than once a year. This is cloud cuckoo land...these animals are a money making machine there is NO love or sentiment attached to them from the PF! Again I ask, have you seen the photos of the bitches from Puppy Farms here in the UK (some of them licensed) they cannot even walk, have had NO real contact from humans and are in more cases than not, a walking case of ailments so bad - that pain must be their constant companion.
Dogs are companion animals - and to read that they should be given adequate, food water and bedding (like cattle) does not make me feel this Bill is for the betterment of the animals concerned.
IF YOU REALLY CARE - END THE TRADE
Mark Russell's amendment seeks to ensure that puppies are not brought into Scotland for sale if they come from establishments outwith Scotland that fail to comply with the key provisions (listed above) of section 1(4) of the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973 (as amended).The amendment prohibits the import of puppies from puppy farms. Because the word “import” is not appropriate to puppies coming from Northern Ireland, the amendment also prohibits the sale in Scotland of a puppy that was born or reared in an establishment outside Scotland that does not meet the standards specified in section 1(4) of the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973 (as amended).2. Amendment is:163 After section 20, insert—Contact the Scottish Greens' press team on
0771 761 8771 or 0790 9933 074.
Content & Design © 2004 The Scottish Green Party (Imprint).This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License, unless otherwise noted.
Dealers will be required to have suitable premises for the animals before any licence would be issued. Dealers should not be allowed to collect the dogs..and then sell them far and wide. The licensing will not work...and puppies who are ill will be placed with healthy puppies. The mass collection of puppies is barbaric and should not even be considered. There should be NO other party involved. Once a puppy is born (NOT FROM ANY COMMERCIAL PUPPY BREEDING ESTABLISHMENT) its only next place of residence should be its home, not a dealers car, van etc etc - nor a PET SHOP/COMMERCIAL OUTLET.
Greens want to prevent imported puppies coming from puppy farms in Ireland that have extremely poor welfare standards for both the puppies and the bitches.Current legislation in UKPuppy farming is not defined by legislation. However, the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973 (as amended by the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999) applies in Scotland, England and Wales and seeks to prohibit the worst aspects of puppy farming. Section 1(4) provides that, when granting a licence for a dog breeding establishment, a local authority must include conditions in the licence for securing certain specified objects; these objects include (among other things) that:· Dogs are kept in accommodation that is suitable as regards size, exercising facilities, temperature, ventilation and cleanliness; · Dogs are adequately supplied with suitable food, drink and bedding material; · Dogs are adequately exercised; · Bitches under one year of age are not mated; · Bitches do not give birth to more than 6 litters; and · Bitches do not give birth more than once a year. This is cloud cuckoo land...these animals are a money making machine there is NO love or sentiment attached to them from the PF! Again I ask, have you seen the photos of the bitches from Puppy Farms here in the UK (some of them licensed) they cannot even walk, have had NO real contact from humans and are in more cases than not, a walking case of ailments so bad - that pain must be their constant companion.
Dogs are companion animals - and to read that they should be given adequate, food water and bedding (like cattle) does not make me feel this Bill is for the betterment of the animals concerned.
IF YOU REALLY CARE - END THE TRADE
Mark Russell's amendment seeks to ensure that puppies are not brought into Scotland for sale if they come from establishments outwith Scotland that fail to comply with the key provisions (listed above) of section 1(4) of the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973 (as amended).The amendment prohibits the import of puppies from puppy farms. Because the word “import” is not appropriate to puppies coming from Northern Ireland, the amendment also prohibits the sale in Scotland of a puppy that was born or reared in an establishment outside Scotland that does not meet the standards specified in section 1(4) of the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973 (as amended).2. Amendment is:163 After section 20, insert—Contact the Scottish Greens' press team on
0771 761 8771 or 0790 9933 074.
Content & Design © 2004 The Scottish Green Party (Imprint).This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License, unless otherwise noted.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Pet Trade (someone else's views)
It is always encouraging to read someone else's views on puppy farming - especially when they reflect your own...
I have taken this from http://www.londonpunks.co.uk/
The Pet Trade
Many animals die due to the pet trade industry. And when I Say Pet Trade Industry, I don't just mean exotic animals. But Dogs, Cats, Rabbits and manyother pets suffer because of the Pet Trade, in the UK and every other
country
Behind the Scenes of a Sickening Business If consumers know what went on behind the scenes of today's pet industry, they would think twice about bringing home that cute puppy or kitten in the window. Indifferent to animal suffering, the pet industry is a cruel business that treatment of animals unconscionable -more common than you think. So common in fact there's a good chance your neighbourhood pet shop is a little shop of horrors.The animals may sometimes look like they are in good condition in the pet shop, and in most cases they probably will be, but think about the animals who didn't make the pet shop, who died before they got their. Or that animals who are bred over and over again until they become very ill and weak and often die
"Puppy farm" is a derogative term generally used for somebody who is breeding dogs solely for money and with no care for the dogs or puppies in their care. The dogs are kept and bred in atrocious conditions – usually an old barn, stable or shed, in filthy conditions and often with very little light. The barns are never cleaned out, there is no clean water and very little food. The dogs, both adults and puppies, are in poor health, often emaciated, ridden with fleas and worms. Their coats are filthy and matted and they often have terrible skin problems, causing them great distress. They are packed into small spaces, sometimes cages where they barely have enough room to turn around.
Never being cleaned out the bitches have their puppies lying on weeks worth of faeces. Usually fed and watered only enough to keep them alive means that they don't get the necessary nutrients in order to produce good strong healthy puppies. The bitches are bred time and time again, with no break to recover and build up strength and stamina before having the next litter.
Then the puppies are sent away to be sold. They are taken away from their mother far too early, sometimes barely weaned, and sent on a long journey along with many other puppies – all cold, hungry and frightened.
All this means that puppies produced are very unlikely to be good, strong, healthy puppies. They will be poor, weak and sickly, costing the new owner not only a lot of money with expensive vet bills, but also heartache to watch so helplessly their beloved pet suffer in bad health, and often die at a very young age.
Most people know about these sort of people – there have been many programmes on the tv about them and stories in the newspapers. But most people do not know about the other type of irresponsible breeder, who can be just as bad.
There is a new type of "puppy farmer" growing up – one who is listening to all the advice given out, telling puppy buyers to beware of puppy farmers, and they act in accordance with that advice. They clean up their kennels so their dogs LOOK healthy and happy, they talk as though they care about their dogs. But the reality is that they still breed from bitches every single season, they don't care about nutrition or hereditary problems, they don't care about socialising their dogs or puppies, they falsify pedigrees. The results are still the same – the buyer ends up with a puppy who is not in good health, perhaps has hereditary problems such as hip dysplasia or PRA, or perhaps they have a bad temperament through not being socialised correctly.
Then there is the other irresponsible type of breeder – the so-called backyard breeder. They have a bitch and think it a good idea to let her have puppies. There are many different reasons – sometimes it's for some extra money, or perhaps they want another one just like their "Fifi", or they just simply think it would be nice. Sometimes these people are lucky and produce a lovely litter of puppies and all goes well. But most of the time once again they don't do their homework, and there are problems. Perhaps, through sheer ignorance, they do not feed the mother or the pups correctly, do not realise they must be wormed, and taken care of. These "breeders" do not know or understand about hereditary problems and do not check to ensure their bitch and the dog they choose to mate her to are health and free from problems. Once again the pups end up with poor health and often poor bones and ligaments creating problems later on in their lives.
The same thing above happens with kittens and also other types of animals including rabbits and guinea pigs
The more you buy from a breeder, the more the breeder will breed.
The Answer to this problem above is simple -
Get your animal from a rescue centre. there will be one not far from where you live. There are millions and millions of cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, fish, birds and many more types of animals in rescue centres all around the world which need homes. Often, if they are not re-homed they are put to sleep.
Good Sound Advise. My only wish is that people would listen and not keep Puppy Farming in Business...
Lesley
I have taken this from http://www.londonpunks.co.uk/
The Pet Trade
Many animals die due to the pet trade industry. And when I Say Pet Trade Industry, I don't just mean exotic animals. But Dogs, Cats, Rabbits and manyother pets suffer because of the Pet Trade, in the UK and every other
country
Behind the Scenes of a Sickening Business If consumers know what went on behind the scenes of today's pet industry, they would think twice about bringing home that cute puppy or kitten in the window. Indifferent to animal suffering, the pet industry is a cruel business that treatment of animals unconscionable -more common than you think. So common in fact there's a good chance your neighbourhood pet shop is a little shop of horrors.The animals may sometimes look like they are in good condition in the pet shop, and in most cases they probably will be, but think about the animals who didn't make the pet shop, who died before they got their. Or that animals who are bred over and over again until they become very ill and weak and often die
"Puppy farm" is a derogative term generally used for somebody who is breeding dogs solely for money and with no care for the dogs or puppies in their care. The dogs are kept and bred in atrocious conditions – usually an old barn, stable or shed, in filthy conditions and often with very little light. The barns are never cleaned out, there is no clean water and very little food. The dogs, both adults and puppies, are in poor health, often emaciated, ridden with fleas and worms. Their coats are filthy and matted and they often have terrible skin problems, causing them great distress. They are packed into small spaces, sometimes cages where they barely have enough room to turn around.
Never being cleaned out the bitches have their puppies lying on weeks worth of faeces. Usually fed and watered only enough to keep them alive means that they don't get the necessary nutrients in order to produce good strong healthy puppies. The bitches are bred time and time again, with no break to recover and build up strength and stamina before having the next litter.
Then the puppies are sent away to be sold. They are taken away from their mother far too early, sometimes barely weaned, and sent on a long journey along with many other puppies – all cold, hungry and frightened.
All this means that puppies produced are very unlikely to be good, strong, healthy puppies. They will be poor, weak and sickly, costing the new owner not only a lot of money with expensive vet bills, but also heartache to watch so helplessly their beloved pet suffer in bad health, and often die at a very young age.
Most people know about these sort of people – there have been many programmes on the tv about them and stories in the newspapers. But most people do not know about the other type of irresponsible breeder, who can be just as bad.
There is a new type of "puppy farmer" growing up – one who is listening to all the advice given out, telling puppy buyers to beware of puppy farmers, and they act in accordance with that advice. They clean up their kennels so their dogs LOOK healthy and happy, they talk as though they care about their dogs. But the reality is that they still breed from bitches every single season, they don't care about nutrition or hereditary problems, they don't care about socialising their dogs or puppies, they falsify pedigrees. The results are still the same – the buyer ends up with a puppy who is not in good health, perhaps has hereditary problems such as hip dysplasia or PRA, or perhaps they have a bad temperament through not being socialised correctly.
Then there is the other irresponsible type of breeder – the so-called backyard breeder. They have a bitch and think it a good idea to let her have puppies. There are many different reasons – sometimes it's for some extra money, or perhaps they want another one just like their "Fifi", or they just simply think it would be nice. Sometimes these people are lucky and produce a lovely litter of puppies and all goes well. But most of the time once again they don't do their homework, and there are problems. Perhaps, through sheer ignorance, they do not feed the mother or the pups correctly, do not realise they must be wormed, and taken care of. These "breeders" do not know or understand about hereditary problems and do not check to ensure their bitch and the dog they choose to mate her to are health and free from problems. Once again the pups end up with poor health and often poor bones and ligaments creating problems later on in their lives.
The same thing above happens with kittens and also other types of animals including rabbits and guinea pigs
The more you buy from a breeder, the more the breeder will breed.
The Answer to this problem above is simple -
Get your animal from a rescue centre. there will be one not far from where you live. There are millions and millions of cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, fish, birds and many more types of animals in rescue centres all around the world which need homes. Often, if they are not re-homed they are put to sleep.
Good Sound Advise. My only wish is that people would listen and not keep Puppy Farming in Business...
Lesley
Saturday, April 29, 2006
There are no laws against animal cruelty in China. The only prohibition is against killing endangered species. Torture is not even an issue. The following articles will give you an idea of the kind of disregard the Chinese authorities have for animal welfare. After you have read some of them, please sign our pledge book.
Animal Cruelty
Read this site - and find out what cruelty man is capable off !
Read this site - and find out what cruelty man is capable off !
Toys like this - can be made from real dog and cat hair! 
Rounded up - and off to the meat and fur markets. 
DOGS TORTURED BY THE FUR TRADEPlease sign the petition to end the fur trade...there is also a video.
Video.... (very upsetting and distressing)
Friday, April 28, 2006
West Sussex Horror Story
19 April 2006
EVIL AT THE PUPPY FARM
206 dogs kept in filthy shed
By Victoria Bone
ANIMAL rescuers were appalled to find 206 dogs crammed in a windowless garden shed after a 73-year-old animal breeder died.
RESCUED: Puppies
The animals, mostly Yorkshire terriers, were in tiny boxes and caked in their own excrement and urine.
Six puppies were already dead when discovered by rescuers, who also found 39 cats at the property in Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex.
Lisa Gooch, of Brighton Animal Action, said: "The dogs were starving and thirsty. I've seen some awful things in my time, but that was the worst."
Animal charities were called in after breeder Elizabeth Stevens died.
Mid-Sussex District Council issued her with a breeder's licence, which expired in 1998. A spokesman said: "A licence is required if an establishment is used for breeding for commercial gain. Officers were satisfied that she did not fall into this category."
The Celia Hammond Animal Trust said: "If the lady had been alive, she would almost certainly have been prosecuted."
A SEVEN-week-old puppy was rescued after being thrown from a van outside the National Trust's Wimpole Hall estate near Cambridge.
Voice of the Mirror:
Victoria.Bone@mgn.co.uk
PLEASE ADD A LINK TO
HOPE-UK
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Welcome to the World of Puppy Farming...
Such caring owners and breeders!
If you buy a puppy from a retail outlet - then this is what you are condoning - the MASS cruelty to breeding bitches and their puppies.
Photos belong to Animal Liberation Victoria
If you buy a puppy from a retail outlet - then this is what you are condoning - the MASS cruelty to breeding bitches and their puppies.
Photos belong to Animal Liberation Victoria
WHAT PEOPLE WILL DO FOR MONEY
These photos are sad beyond words...This happens here - only we hide the fact and seldom talk about Puppy Farming. For every neglected, sad and dead dog shown here - the same will be true on Puppy Farms in the UK!
Lets continue turning a 'blind eye' and ignoring the thousands and thousands of dogs caught up in this nasty trade!
This story and the horrific photos are from Australia.
Prisoners for Profit (some graphic photos)
Now that you have read prisoners for profit read how long it took and how they eventually closed this place of death down.
Please think about what is happening on the thousands of Puppy Farms here in the UK!
Do you still want to support petshops that 'buy in puppies to sell'?
Lesley
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
CAN PETSHOPS SELL PUPPIES?
Question..... Is it illegal to sell puppies from a petshop?
Answer..... NO, so long as the petshop concerned has a 'petshop license' and buys the puppies from a licensed breeder - then sadly they are NOT breaking any law!
There will be stipulations ie number of puppies allowed etc...
Check with your local Environmental Health or the Dog Warden if you have any concerns.
Remember every little you do might help save a dog/puppy from suffering.
Lesley
DOGS TRUST NEUTERING CAMPAIGN
Many countless lovely dogs (pedigrees also) are destroyed every year in Ireland..this has to be good news. The more that can be neutered then the better. There is a very high 'latch key' mentality to owning dogs in Ireland. So dogs left out all day will most certainly be 'fathers' many times over..Celebrities back charity's drive to tackle stray dog problem.
Cork success leads to roll-out of Dogs Trust neutering campaign across Ireland.
Celebrities Shayne Ward, Linda Martin, Rosanna Davison, Louis Walsh, Pat Kenny, Gerry Ryan, Chris Parker and Pete Wedderburn are supporting the charity Dogs Trust by helping them launch a subsidised neutering campaign throughout Ireland. The campaign, launching on 2nd May 2006, offers neutering for dogs at 14 euros for people on means tested benefits. It has been launched in order to reduce the number of stray and abandoned dogs throughout Ireland. In 2004 approximately 24,572 stray and abandoned dogs were collected or handed into Local Authorities in Ireland, with 16,598 of these healthy stray and abandoned dogs needlessly destroyed – the equivalent of 45 dogs a day*. While local authorities make every effort to reunite stray dogs with their owners, take dogs to rescue shelters, or find new homes, dogs are still being destroyed for want of a home. Dogs Trust never destroys a healthy dog. The charity believes that prevention is better than cure and that neutering is the most effective and humane way of reducing the numbers of stray dogs.
The decision to launch the campaign nationwide follows a successful pilot that ran in Cork at the end of 2005. Over 900 dogs have already been neutered through the campaign, with the charity being inundated with calls from areas outside Cork from people who were keen to have their dogs neutered.
Neutering is a simple procedure that also has great health benefits for dogs. Neutering can help protect against certain types of cancer, such as womb cancer in bitches and testicular cancer in males. Having a bitch spayed will also put an end to packs of dogs following her around while she is in season and it can stop male dogs from wandering off looking for romance! Most importantly it prevents unwanted litters of puppies.
The animal-loving stars backing the campaign feel very strongly about the importance of this campaign.
Shayne Ward says:
“I am very happy to be helping Dogs Trust launch this important campaign. The number of stray and abandoned dogs collected is quite staggering and Dogs Trust neutering campaign will hopefully make a real difference to this number.”
Linda Martin comments:
“We are supposed to be a nation of animal lovers, but with such a high number of our stray and unwanted dogs destroyed every year, there are a lot of dogs needlessly suffering due to our inability to look after them. I very much welcome and support the work of Dogs Trust in helping us tackle this problem.” Dogs Trust Campaigns Manager Iris Denieffe comments:
“We are thrilled that the pilot scheme has been such a success and that we are now able to offer this service nationwide. We already have had over 200 responses from vets keen to take part.
By tackling the issue of stray dogs, we are working towards the day when all dogs can enjoy a happy life, free from the threat of unnecessary destruction.”
The neutering campaign offers people on means tested benefits the opportunity to neuter their dog for just 14 euros. Anyone interested is invited to call the Dogs Trust National Neuter Hotline on 1890 946 336. The campaign is being run through participating veterinary surgeries.
For further information on the neutering campaign, please contact Iris Denieffe on 00353 1 2109426 or email dogstrust@eircom.net
* Figures published by Ireland’s Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, 2004.
-ENDS-
LINDA MARTIN, ROSANNA DAVISON, GERRY RYAN, PETE WEDDERBURN AND IRIS DENIEFFE ARE AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT THE PRESS OFFICE ON (+44) 020 7833 7616.
For more information, please contact Dogs Trust:Claire Duke, Press Officer, Dogs Trust (+44) 20 7833 7616 email: claire.duke@dogstrust.org.uk
Iris Denieffe, Campaigns Manager, Dogs Trust 00353 1 2109426 or email dogstrust@eircom.net
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Behind Closed Doors...
I often wonder why more people do not get upset about Puppy Farming. I think the answer lies in the fact that Puppy Farming is a very 'well hidden' business carried out away from the eyes of most people.
I am sure if the public has access to the often dirty, squalid and cruel conditions that these poor dogs are kept and bred in - there would be more of a general outcry to end this trade once and for all.
Perhaps if someone could give the 'real' figure of puppies born each year into this trade - it might go some way to helping more people see just how bad Puppy Farming really is. It might also make someone who has the 'power' do something, to end this trade.
I find it dispicable that anyone can keep x amount of breeding bitches and stud dogs, in whatever conditions they see fit, and make money (lots of money) from the puppies of these sad bitches and dogs! How can that be right? Why should anyone be allowed to live off the earnings from keeping and breeding animals?
Poor innocent pupppies packed off to the pets shops, some as young as 4/5 weeks old. How many die on route or in the place of sale? Yet another question we cannot answer. If we do not know how many puppies are born - how can we say how many never make it?
What about the breeding bitches - what happens to them? Another question we cannot answer...
Does anyone else really feel that it is about time these questions could be answered - and should be being answered...
What about the lovely dogs we PTS (put to sleep) here in the UK week after week year after year. Why do we do this? Well this question we can answer. There are just too many dogs and not enough homes.
As I sit here writing this, then countless more puppies are either being born, or travelling the length and breadth of our roads, and seas on their way to be sold...poor innocent little puppies who's only crime is to have been born!
Makes no mistake Puppy Farming is pure evil.
Lesley...
Perhaps if someone could give the 'real' figure of puppies born each year into this trade - it might go some way to helping more people see just how bad Puppy Farming really is. It might also make someone who has the 'power' do something, to end this trade.
I find it dispicable that anyone can keep x amount of breeding bitches and stud dogs, in whatever conditions they see fit, and make money (lots of money) from the puppies of these sad bitches and dogs! How can that be right? Why should anyone be allowed to live off the earnings from keeping and breeding animals?
Poor innocent pupppies packed off to the pets shops, some as young as 4/5 weeks old. How many die on route or in the place of sale? Yet another question we cannot answer. If we do not know how many puppies are born - how can we say how many never make it?
What about the breeding bitches - what happens to them? Another question we cannot answer...
Does anyone else really feel that it is about time these questions could be answered - and should be being answered...
What about the lovely dogs we PTS (put to sleep) here in the UK week after week year after year. Why do we do this? Well this question we can answer. There are just too many dogs and not enough homes.
As I sit here writing this, then countless more puppies are either being born, or travelling the length and breadth of our roads, and seas on their way to be sold...poor innocent little puppies who's only crime is to have been born!
Makes no mistake Puppy Farming is pure evil.
Lesley...
One of the emails received last week was from someone who had placed several 'wanted' ads on various message boards.
She was looking for a Cocker Spaniel puppy. She was contacted by a company who said they were based in the US, although the emailer thought it was far more likely to be someone here in the UK (which proved to be correct).
They wanted $1000 to (send the puppy over to the UK). They did, though, make a mistake in the conversation and mentioned the North West of England as not having many good breeders of Golden Cocker Spaniels. The caller thought this was a very strange comment from someone who was meant to be calling from the States...
She got them chatting and discovered that in fact they were based in Manchester! Even though she was at this point in time pulling away from purchasing the puppy (because she wanted to see it) they never made any offer for her to go and collect the puppy.
She could find NO further information from them. After the call she did 1471
the number was witheld!
This is very worrying. It comes as no surpise that puppy farmers and perhaps dealers are scanning message boards for people placing 'wanted ads'. Why the need to pretend they were in the States is the baffling part. $1000 is roughly about £600 an awful lot of money for a puppy born on a puppy farm.
Have you been contacted in relation to anything like this? If so please let us know.
Hope-uk@tiscali.co.uk
This lady has since learnt not to place ads on message boards. If you want a puppy then 'do your research properly'. No caring, honest breeder is going to place their puppies in this way! And never ever agree to meet someone or have someone bring the puppy to you..
Lesley..
She was looking for a Cocker Spaniel puppy. She was contacted by a company who said they were based in the US, although the emailer thought it was far more likely to be someone here in the UK (which proved to be correct).
They wanted $1000 to (send the puppy over to the UK). They did, though, make a mistake in the conversation and mentioned the North West of England as not having many good breeders of Golden Cocker Spaniels. The caller thought this was a very strange comment from someone who was meant to be calling from the States...
She got them chatting and discovered that in fact they were based in Manchester! Even though she was at this point in time pulling away from purchasing the puppy (because she wanted to see it) they never made any offer for her to go and collect the puppy.
She could find NO further information from them. After the call she did 1471
the number was witheld!
This is very worrying. It comes as no surpise that puppy farmers and perhaps dealers are scanning message boards for people placing 'wanted ads'. Why the need to pretend they were in the States is the baffling part. $1000 is roughly about £600 an awful lot of money for a puppy born on a puppy farm.
Have you been contacted in relation to anything like this? If so please let us know.
Hope-uk@tiscali.co.uk
This lady has since learnt not to place ads on message boards. If you want a puppy then 'do your research properly'. No caring, honest breeder is going to place their puppies in this way! And never ever agree to meet someone or have someone bring the puppy to you..
Lesley..
A matted mess...that hides
a poor dog!
(photo used with kind permission of)
MANY TEARS
MANY TEARS
How many litters has this poor
girl been made to have?
(photo thanks to)
MANY TEARS
The Never Ending Misery
It is April 2006. The Hope-UK inbox had several emails this morning...sad emails from people who had purchased puppies from retail outlets.
Although the breeds were different in all cases - the stories were the same.
All but one of the cases (a Labrador) had subsequently died. More sad, sick puppies to add to the daily statistics of sorrow and pain that is associated with ALL dogs born/kept on Puppy Farms.
At the moment there is NO legislation to stop people from MASS breeding...you the public are the only ones that can bring about any such change.
If you stopped buying from ANY retail outlet ie petshops and outlets with a pet shop license (who can legally buy in puppies to sell) then the trade would have NO room to flourish! CAN YOU DO THAT? As tempting as walking into any outlet full of cute puppies is - you are only condemming more puppies to die (just like the emails I received this morning).
Please when you are looking to buy a puppy...do your research and make sure you purchase your new family member from a reputable breeder. Why not visit your local Rescue Shelter...and see what puppies they have in need of a good home. You might be surprised!
Please spread the word...to your dog friends. These puppies and the breeding bitches need ALL the help they can get. Be a friend to them and help save lives...
Thank You
Lesley
Although the breeds were different in all cases - the stories were the same.
All but one of the cases (a Labrador) had subsequently died. More sad, sick puppies to add to the daily statistics of sorrow and pain that is associated with ALL dogs born/kept on Puppy Farms.
At the moment there is NO legislation to stop people from MASS breeding...you the public are the only ones that can bring about any such change.
If you stopped buying from ANY retail outlet ie petshops and outlets with a pet shop license (who can legally buy in puppies to sell) then the trade would have NO room to flourish! CAN YOU DO THAT? As tempting as walking into any outlet full of cute puppies is - you are only condemming more puppies to die (just like the emails I received this morning).
Please when you are looking to buy a puppy...do your research and make sure you purchase your new family member from a reputable breeder. Why not visit your local Rescue Shelter...and see what puppies they have in need of a good home. You might be surprised!
Please spread the word...to your dog friends. These puppies and the breeding bitches need ALL the help they can get. Be a friend to them and help save lives...
Thank You
Lesley
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