Fwd: HSUS RELEASE: New Puppy Mill Task Force Formed by The Humane Society of the United States

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http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/hsus_forms_puppy_mill_/

task_force_070209.html

 

 

New Puppy Mill Task Force Formed by The Humane Society of the United States

 

July 2, 2009

 

The Humane Society of the United States is expanding its long-standing

campaign to combat abusive "puppy mills" - where suffering dogs are

held captive in cages and bred virtually nonstop to supply unscrupulous

merchants with a steady cash-crop of puppies.

 

Countless numbers of Americans are unwitting conspirators in this chain

of misery when they buy puppies from pet stores and Internet sellers.

 

The goal of the new HSUS "Wilde Puppy Mill Task Force" will be to provide

expert guidance to local law enforcement agencies and support other

HSUS experts in the investigation and execution of raids on inhumane

puppy mills wherever they exist. The task force represents a dramatic

expansion of HSUS resources and is made possible by a generous

donation from the Kenneth and Lillian Wilde Estate.

 

"This kind-hearted gift means a lasting legacy for Mrs. And Mr. Wilde -

starting right now far fewer dogs will spend their lives in misery,

without human kindness, without space to run, without decent care,"

said Stephanie Shain, The HSUS' senior director of the puppy mills

campaign. "Dogs deserve better, far better. The Wilde Estate will help

in this important campaign to see that they get it."

 

As a first-step, The Humane Society of the United States has hired

Justin Scally to act as the deputy manager of the new task force. Scally

has a background in investigating animal cruelty and animal sheltering,

and was previously director of Wayne County Animal Control in North

Carolina. He and other members of the task force, who have yet to be

hired, will work with The HSUS' emergency services and investigations

teams to expand the organization's capacity to rescue animals from

these squalid puppy mills. The task force will soon institute a

nationwide telephone "tip line" so the public can report inhumane

puppy mill abuses.

 

Lynn and John Hook, the co-trustees of the Wilde Estate, issued a

joint statement saying, "Lillian and Kenny had a deep love for puppies

and despised cruelty to pets. The Wildes would be so pleased to know

that their legacy created this worthy group."

 

Puppy Mill Facts

 

Dogs from puppy mills are sold in pet stores, online and directly to

consumers with little to no regard for the dog's health, genetic history

or future welfare. Consumers should never buy a puppy from a pet

store or Internet site; instead visit an animal shelter, breed rescue

group, or screen a breeder's facility in person.

 

Dogs at puppy mills typically receive little to no medical care, live in

squalid conditions with no exercise, socialization or human interaction

and are confined inside cramped wire cages for life.

 

Breeding dogs at puppy mills must endure constant breeding cycles

and are typically confined for years on end, without ever becoming part

of a family. There is little regard for the dogs' health or any genetic

conditions that may be passed on to the puppies.

 

The HSUS supports compassionate breeders who provide for their dog's

physical and mental well-being. Quality breeders don't sell puppies

through pet stores or over the Internet.

 

More about puppy mills: www.humanesociety.org/puppymills