Why You Shouldn't buy that Doggy in the Window
By Michael Greener
Have you ever looked into a pet store’s window and seen those adorable puppies with big eyes? You may think they’re cute, but the truth is, they came from a very ugly place. Almost all pet store puppies are from puppy mills.
Puppy mills are commercialized farms for breeding dogs, and they operate for the sole purpose of making a profit. The puppy mill industry is a major moneymaker for everyone from the operator to the pet shop owner. The health and welfare of the puppies are rarely taken into account. Often the puppies aren’t cared for correctly. They can be malnourished and kept in cages with no space to play or exercise for a majority of their lives. Their water and food can be infested with bugs. Often their paws are bleeding or inflamed, they have terrible tooth decay or ear infections, they are dehydrated, and they have lesions on their eyes, which could cause them to go blind. Many puppy mills have no veterinary care or protection from the weather and climate. Sometimes puppies will be living in their own waste because there are no regulations or enforcements.
Puppy mills can also create many issues in the environment. Some problems include solid waste dumping, water pollution, and air pollution. One of the largest environmental issues caused by many puppy mills is waste dumping, which causes an increase in the spread of diseases and sicknesses. In Missouri in 2010, a study by the Protection of Dogs showed various instances of dog sellers illegally dumping dog carcasses. One mill even disposed of about 200 pounds of dead animals a month. The issue of dumping solid wastes illegally is that harmful pathogens from the waste can easily be transferred to the soil, making it more likely for animals and humans to be infected. Soil is the best habitat for pathogens to thrive in. Plus runoff from areas of improper disposal of waste can cause pathogens to seep into the water tables or nearby streams, which can threaten the organisms living around it and our public drinking water. Just like the pathogens in the soil, the pathogens in the drinking water can be harmful and even fatal to humans also the ammonia from dog feces can sometimes cause algae blooms in the waters it runs into. In addition to feces being transported by water runoff air current can pick up pathogen and other substances that can harm the environment. The buildup of feces from puppy mills can produce a large amount of methane, a greenhouse gas.
If we stop buying from pet stores, we can decrease the profit of puppy mills and make them go out of business, which would be better for both the puppies and the environment. If you want a puppy, go to a private breeder and make sure the puppies are being raised in a healthy environment. The best way to adopt a pet is to go to your local animal shelter. Those are the dogs who are in the most need of a home.
[photo, pound puppy, by Natalia licensed by CC BY-NC-ND 2.0]
By Michael Greener
Have you ever looked into a pet store’s window and seen those adorable puppies with big eyes? You may think they’re cute, but the truth is, they came from a very ugly place. Almost all pet store puppies are from puppy mills.
Puppy mills are commercialized farms for breeding dogs, and they operate for the sole purpose of making a profit. The puppy mill industry is a major moneymaker for everyone from the operator to the pet shop owner. The health and welfare of the puppies are rarely taken into account. Often the puppies aren’t cared for correctly. They can be malnourished and kept in cages with no space to play or exercise for a majority of their lives. Their water and food can be infested with bugs. Often their paws are bleeding or inflamed, they have terrible tooth decay or ear infections, they are dehydrated, and they have lesions on their eyes, which could cause them to go blind. Many puppy mills have no veterinary care or protection from the weather and climate. Sometimes puppies will be living in their own waste because there are no regulations or enforcements.
Puppy mills can also create many issues in the environment. Some problems include solid waste dumping, water pollution, and air pollution. One of the largest environmental issues caused by many puppy mills is waste dumping, which causes an increase in the spread of diseases and sicknesses. In Missouri in 2010, a study by the Protection of Dogs showed various instances of dog sellers illegally dumping dog carcasses. One mill even disposed of about 200 pounds of dead animals a month. The issue of dumping solid wastes illegally is that harmful pathogens from the waste can easily be transferred to the soil, making it more likely for animals and humans to be infected. Soil is the best habitat for pathogens to thrive in. Plus runoff from areas of improper disposal of waste can cause pathogens to seep into the water tables or nearby streams, which can threaten the organisms living around it and our public drinking water. Just like the pathogens in the soil, the pathogens in the drinking water can be harmful and even fatal to humans also the ammonia from dog feces can sometimes cause algae blooms in the waters it runs into. In addition to feces being transported by water runoff air current can pick up pathogen and other substances that can harm the environment. The buildup of feces from puppy mills can produce a large amount of methane, a greenhouse gas.
If we stop buying from pet stores, we can decrease the profit of puppy mills and make them go out of business, which would be better for both the puppies and the environment. If you want a puppy, go to a private breeder and make sure the puppies are being raised in a healthy environment. The best way to adopt a pet is to go to your local animal shelter. Those are the dogs who are in the most need of a home.
[photo, pound puppy, by Natalia licensed by CC BY-NC-ND 2.0]