I've mentioned this in earlier posts: my Yorkie, Chocolate, is a puppy mill dog.
It's not something I was aware of when we purchased him nine years ago from the pet shop at our local mall. Being much more of a cat person before Chocolate joined our family, I was aware of breeders, but hadn't talked to friends and family about their strategies and reasons for seeking them out when they went to look for a dog. I was aware of the shelter (every cat that has been in my family has come from the local shelter), but we wanted to raise a dog from the puppy stage, and no puppies were available. The pet store seemed so convenient, the puppies looked so cute, and the store was always crowded with other families looking to add a dog to their home. Nothing seemed out of place to us at all. Our hearts were big and open and ready to welcome this cute little guy into our home.
It was only after we purchased Chocolate that my education in puppy mill dogs began. Pretty much everyone who knew anything about dogs gave me the "talk" - what was I thinking in purchasing a dog from "that shop." I truly had no idea. I suspect the other families in the store had no idea either.
I struggled with the right thing to do. Maybe I could have returned him. I never checked, because Chocolate instantly became "our" dog. We bonded within the first 24 hours of being together and there was no way anyone, for any reason, was going to convince me to abandon this puppy now. He may be a puppy mill dog, I thought, but he was also our dog. And we needed to take care of him, regardless of his lineage, today, tomorrow, and until he takes his last breath on this earth.
Why do I tell this story now? Because I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who finds themselves with a puppy mill dog and unaware of exactly what that means. And here's the tough part. In order to illustrate the depth of mistreatment and abuse within puppy mills and dog auctions (adjuncts to the mills) you need the watch the two videos below. Dogs that live this way have no life at all. These social, loving animals live in crates and cages that are many times documented to be too small with no soft place to sit or lie down. For those at auction, water and food will be withheld, for what reason, I have no idea. And the frightening part is that many of these facilities are USDA inspected and approved.
I remember reading a story about pets at a retail store being "merchandise." I wondered why the person quoted was making this a controversial point, because, in fact, any pet for sale is "merchandise." Precious merchandise, for sure, merchandise which needs extra care so that its delivery to a waiting family is healthy, happy and respects the value of the life being cared for. In my mind, this would be the very basics for any business selling live animals. But after watching these two videos, I understand the power of the word "merchandise" - how the word reduces living and breathing entities into "things." With an astronomical $41 Billion being spent on pets in the United States this year, it isn't surprising that there are some (many?) who lose sight of the preciousness of the life within their care and only see dollar signs. The USDA needs to step up, pay attention, and hit them where it hurts, in their pocketbooks, if the industry won't clean up its act on its own. It's the least we can do for those still caught in this cycle of abuse and torture.
And yes, my next dog will be from a rescue organization.
