I have talked about Silvia Jay here on my blog before - she is a local dog trainer that our area is most blessed to have that moved here in the last couple of years from Alberta - she published a book called "Dump Dog" that is must read, and when it got mentioned in the magazine "Modern Dog" I mentioned it here in the blog.
She also has a blog - and today she chose the topic of puppy brokers and puppy mills in her post - and it's a must read.
She posited an excellent idea that I had to mention here - that anyone who has a dog website, or is a dog trainer and who has a website - is behooved to devote a section of their site on how to properly acquire their companion animals. That really - that is the only way we're going to stop people like the Benoit's and Chapmans - and the Pet's Unlimited from continuing to profit from the suffering of puppies and dogs. The people who learn the truth one by one will then tell other people and eventually the word will get out.
It's such a simple thing to do. And so important. And will make such a difference. Tell people the truth about pet stores, puppy brokers who sell dogs on the side of the road and in parking lots - where those puppies are coming from and their chances of a long life - and the truth of puppy mills and back yard breeders. And then tell them where healthy puppies and dogs are - responsible breeders and responsible rescues. Pretty simple. And all will be right with the world.
I just wrote a post to the Kijiji forums that I'm pretty sure will get deleted because I was mean to Kijiji and I also posted a link - so I thought I'd paste it here for posterity - it's on a thread that's started called "Certain puppy killers out Digby" - have I said to you, Brainiac - that I love you! haha! I love that title!
(NB - after I made my post below to KIJIJI - I was right - my post DID disappear - I guess Kijiji doesn't like having anything true about their website said on it).
"I wonder though how many people after seeing last night's news coverage of the puppy mill up in New Brunswick are now headed to that puppy mill because the woman said she had several dozen puppies left - so people are now going to go to that puppy mill hoping to get a good deal on a puppy. That's the sick thing about this whole thing - people still want cute little puppies - they don't think about the fact that these "cute little puppies" have been brought into this world with no thought to their genetic health, or what they're going to be like 2 or 5 years down the road - what are hips or knees going to be like? How are their eyes going to be? Did anyone notice the eys on those pug puppies? They were as bugged out as a pop-eye gold fish. It was so sad - and people are going to buy those puppies because they look cute as puppies - but when they're 2 years old and blind because the dog can't close their eyes and they have chronic dry eye like my Jackie does - what are they going to think then? Are they going to think they're cute then? That's the sad thing about these puppy mill puppies.
And what's going to happen - and what is happening right now at this moment to the Mom's and Dad's of those puppies? Have they ever felt grass on their feet? Have they ever gone for a walk in the woods? Have they ever gotten proper veterinary care? Can they properly breast feed the puppies that are taken away at 2 or 3 weeks old by people like Gail Benoit because of all the mammory tumours that are on their bellies? That's the problem with puppy mills - like the place we saw yesterday on CTV news.
And these places exist RIGHT HERE in NOVA SCOTIA and NEW BRUNSWICK and PEI and they use KIJIJI to sell their product
Joan
http://dogkisser.ca/gail_benoit.html
Right on sister. I believe getting the word out by any means possible is the only answer. Clearly the NS SPCA isn't doing its job -- for YEARS this couple and others have been selling puppies on the side of the road. Why aren't they hosting town hall meetings? Going into every single school in the province and telling young children that they should tell their mommies and daddies NOT to buy puppies from pet stores or backyard breeders (or out of the backs of vans). If anyone could be rallied in support of puppies, for the love of god it's got to be school-aged children.
ReplyDeleteI also believe a bit of civil disobedience may now be called for. Since Gail Benoit and her partner in crime clearly don't play by the rules -- and clearly mislead and lie to their customers -- I am going to start papering highway exits and stores where I can slip them in with their pictures and what they're up to. Hopefully bring the information right to the place where many of those sad, sad transactions take place. If they get ripped down? They can go right back up just as fast. I live close enough to the Enfield exit -- said to be one of their favourites -- that I could keep those poles pretty well covered.
It's time to at least put those two losers out of business.
Joan...you're an inspiration to the rest of us. I feel so bad for those little puppies. I also feel bad for the mother dogs. Bet they have never had the opportunity to sit on someones lap and fall sleep while being loved...unconditionally. I will try my best to get the word out also.
ReplyDeleteSpot on....as always. IMHO, any meaningful companion animal protection legislation has to include the prohibition against selling or giving away pets in printed or online ads. Reputable breeders have their own venues through breed association listings and in places like canuck dogs.
ReplyDeletequick ....stop me before i get a full head of steam and keep going on for days : ))))
Joan! YOu said it SISTER!!!
ReplyDeleteYou're so right, Joan.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to take down the whole GoodPooch.com web site when I retired, but I had too many requests to keep it up. So, instead, I left the more static articles online (the ones that didn't need constant updates with new findings and data); the ones that mostly deal with becoming a more responsible dog owner, for the benefit of all (dogs, owners, and society).
Now, the only way to start accessing the remaining articles at GoodPooch.com is by first going to the puppy buyer's guide page:
www.goodpooch.com/MyGoodPooch/newpuppy.htm
Lots of info. on what to look for in a breeder, as well as a push to adopt from reputable shelters/rescues.
(Personally, every one of my cats and dogs, throughout my life, have come from either a shelter or a rescue situation. I've never purchased from a breeder, not even a responsible one, since the need out there is so great, and my training experience has dogs offered to me all the time.
I'm certainly not against reputable breeders, as these are the folks who make my beloved Great Danes, in all their glory. And I often lament that despite all my work in rescue, and all that I have to offer a dog, I will never have that magnificently-bred, gorgeous, show-quality Great Dane that I desire, because I will always adopt a dog in need.)
If you're not part of the solution, then you're part of the problem. ;-)