But Beefcake arrived at home with kennel cough, and
three weeks later he died of pneumonia. Devastated, Kibler set out to
learn more about her dog, joining a growing national movement to
educate pet buyers about where their animals come from.
Kibler learned that “Beef” had come from a federally approved breeder in
The pet store offered to replace the puppy, but
emotionally spent, Kibler refused. “They said if it wasn’t born with a
defect they didn’t want to give you a refund,” said Kibler, who
eventually got half her money back.
In
and elsewhere, animal rights activists are growing more strident in
their demands that pets be adopted from rescue centers or shelters
rather than from retailers who buy dogs from large-scale breeders.
They want retailers to reveal more information about
the breeders that produce the bouncing, irresistible puppies they offer
for sale, believing that consumers will turn away from pups from big
breeders. They use the negative term “puppy mill” to describe not only
breeders who mistreat animals but also those who run legal commercial
businesses.
“A good quality breeder breeds the dogs in their homes,” said
“When you are talking about someone who has 100 to 200 dogs, that is a
massive endeavor and there is no way to socialize those dogs.”
The critics also argue that federal standards are not tough enough.
state legislature that would require pet stores to identify breeders
who supply their cats and dogs. A companion bill would add more
restrictions to licensed kennel operators and breeders.
Some commercial breeders say the activists are going too far.
“They are trying to stir the pot, trying to get uneducated individuals seeing everything their way,” said
He raises 10 different breeds of dogs in wire cages, saying it is the
only way to keep them clean and healthy, before delivering them to
stores such as
Rauch, 40, said he employs eight workers and contracts with a
veterinarian to care for his puppies. He houses the dogs in four
prefabricated buildings off a private rural road, surrounded by farm
fields dotted by oil pumps. On Thursday, he declined a request to tour
or photograph his operation, where muffled barking could be heard.
Although he takes pride in his business, Rauch said he didn’t want to be targeted by animal activists.
“I know there are some individuals out there that
are very, very, very poor-quality breeders,” he said. “I am a
professional breeder. Our dogs are not kept like that.”
breeders that sell to pet stores, does not limit the number of dogs
kept by breeders and allows animals to be kept in wire cages, which
advocates oppose.
“Sometimes that term ‘puppy mill’ gets tossed about
and winds up incorrectly covering the vast majority of these breeders,”
said
Federal and state laws provide for minimum standards
of care, prohibiting animal cruelty or suffering, but are difficult to
enforce unless an animal is in imminent danger, experts say.
In
employs six inspectors charged with overseeing more than 1,400 pet
dealers, including 840 kennel operators and breeders, a spokesman said.
Since
342 citations for violations, including unsanitary conditions and
failure to keep required records on the dogs’ health.
“Obviously, we are in a budget crunch and do the best we can with what we are given,” said
When the state has revoked licenses, some of the breeders moved and reopened elsewhere, she said.
In March, 2008, authorities removed 49 undernourished and filthy dogs from cages stacked atop each other in an unheated barn in
“Some were in cages that were too short for them, and they could never stand up straight,” said
a former animal shelter volunteer who adopted one of the puppies. “The
pans underneath the cages would overflow with urine and feces that
would fall to the cage below.”
The owner was not a licensed breeder at the time,
but applied for and received a license, despite the problems uncovered
in the raid. The owner no longer holds a breeder’s license, officials
said.
Other cases are not so clear cut.
A veterinarian who contracts with
Cantoral said the dog was diagnosed 45 days later
with kennel cough, which turned into pneumonia. The animal continues to
suffer health problems, possibly stemming from an immune disorder, and
she blames the breeder and store.
“The pain my family has been through with this entire situation is immeasurable,” Cantoral said. While
Isaac disputes that any employee told Cantoral that her puppy came from
“We take a great deal of pride in monitoring our breeders,” he said. “We do random checks. We call the veterinarians.”
Although
Some cite room for improvement, saying past attempts
to strengthen regulations have been opposed by large and small-scale
breeders, veterinarians, pet stores, hunters and the
dog behavior consultant, said that he shares the activists’ concerns
but fears some proposed laws are over-reaching and will penalize good
breeders. Dale, also a blogger for
ChicagoNow.com, said the public can more effectively wipe out
irresponsible pet dealers by refusing to buy “designer dogs” in pet
boutiques.
In
proposed a law that would prevent breeders from having more than 20
unaltered dogs older than a year, and prohibiting anyone convicted of a
felony under animal welfare laws from getting a license.
It also would have prohibited wire flooring and
required consistent cleaning, as well as sufficient heating, cooling
and ventilation. But the bill, which would have been among the nation’s
strongest, never got out of committee, Fritchey said.
Since then, two bills have been introduced that
would require pet stores to disclose breeder information to buyers.
Both are in committee and face opposition from the same groups that
opposed Fritchey’s bill.
“One would think that there would not be a lot of
opposition to a bill requiring humane treatment of puppies,” Fritchey
said. “And one would be wrong.”
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REPUTABLE BREEDERS …
—Breed only one or two types of dog.
—Are knowledgeable about the breed, its temperament and genetic history.
—Show you the dogs’ environment, which should be clean and well-maintained.
—Will allow you to spend time with puppies’ mother and father.
—Have a strong relationship with a veterinarian and provide records on dogs.
SOURCE:
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PETS BEFORE CHILDREN?
Although activists often seem more aggressive, even
radical, in their attempts to protect animals, Americans have long held
a soft spot for pets. Nationally, there were laws that protected
animals from abuse before children were granted the same protection.
That changed in 1874, when the first child abuse case in
Prosecutors, finding no laws against child abuse, successfully argued
that a child who had been beaten by her mother was a member of the
animal kingdom and therefore entitled to the same protection from
abuse. The “
SOURCE:
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(c) 2010, Chicago Tribune.
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