We received several emails over the past few weeks regarding the puppies for sale in such stores as True Breeders (Ridgefield, CT) and Puppies of Westport (Westport, CT):
"Out of curiosity, how do they know they're coming from Puppy Mills? It doesn't say in here, and I would think that is an important piece of information. How can a consumer tell the difference?"
From our website: ABOUT PET STORES
Pet store owners, managers and salespersons are interested in your MONEY not your dog. They are businessmen/businesswomen and are often VERY SAVVY salespeople! They want you to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a puppy, and they will say ANYTHING to make it happen!
Have you ever been to a car dealership and felt pressured by the salesperson to buy a car you're not sure you want? Has a salesperson in the mall ever try to convince you into a sale with promises of discounts or warrenties? THESE PEOPLE MAKE MONEY BY CONVINCING YOU TO BUY SOMETHING WITHOUT ALL OF THE FACTS! They bank on the fact that you (and your family) will fall in love with a cute puppy and will use your emotions to suck you into a sale.
GET THE FACTS FIRST!
If you visit a pet store, you may hear the following myths from store owners and salespersons:
PET STORE MYTH #1:
"But that puppy is so cute! Shouldn't I save him/her from the store and give him/her a good home?"
FACT
It is a very sad fact that you are not saving a puppy by purchasing one from a pet store. Instead, you putting money into the pockets of puppy mill breeders and encouraging the practice of commercial dog breeding. Supply and demand fuel the puppy mill industry. By giving them your business and money, you are only perpetuating the cruel and inhumane puppy mill business.
PET STORE MYTH #2
"Our puppies come from breeders, not puppy mills."
FACT
The word "breeder" is not an exclusive term. Anyone who puts two dogs together and produces puppies is (technically) a breeder. Don't assume that a puppy from a "breeder" did not come from a puppy mill. A responsible breeder would not sell her puppies to a pet store; she would want to meet you in person.
PET STORE MYTH #3
"All our puppies come from USDA-inspected facilities, so we know they are not from puppy mills."
FACT
Being USDA-inspected does not mean that the business is not a puppy mill, any more than having a driver's license guarantees that the holder is a good driver. It is extremely rare for the USDA to revoke a commercial breeder's license or even fine a puppy mill that has repeated violations. There are hundreds of USDA-licensed puppy mills in operation that have long lists of violations and problems associated with them.
PET STORE MYTH #4
"We know our breeders are not puppy mills because we only deal with breeders we know."
FACT
If a pet store owner or manager tells you this, ask them for documentation that shows exactly where their breeders are located. In most cases, you will find out that the "known breeders" are in distant states. Their definition of "knowing" a breeder often just means that they have been receiving shipments of puppies from the same place repeatedly. The store owner or manager has never visited the breeder's facility or inspected their records.
PET STORE MYTH #5
"We don't sell puppies from local breeders because our state is not regulated, but (the state the puppies come from) is."
FACT
Commercial breeders in ALL states who sell wholesale to pet stores are required to be regulated by the USDA. Some states (such as Missouri and Pennsylvania) also require a state kennel license and state inspections. But this does not mean that puppies from these states are healthier. In fact, Missouri and Pennsylvania have two of the worst concentrations of puppy mills in the United States. This is due in part to the small number of qualified inspectors, infrequent inspections, and the fact that even facilities that are found to be substandard during the inspections process are rarely penalized.
PET STORE MYTH #6
"Our store's puppies are healthy—they come with a health certificate from a licensed veterinarian."
FACT
A health certificate only means that the puppy has had a very brief "wellness" examination by a veterinarian. This exam may not include testing for genetic disorders or diseases such as Giardia and Brucellosis, both of which are contagious to humans and frequently seen in puppy mill puppies.
PET STORE MYTH #7
"Our puppies come with a health guarantee."
FACT
Read "health guarantees" very carefully!! They are often designed to protect the store's interests and not your's. They can be full of exclusions and loopholes, and often require you to return a sick puppy to the store in order to get a refund. Furthermore, the store may use a "health certificate" as "proof" that the puppy was healthy when he or she left the store, leaving the buyer helpless if the puppy becomes sick just a few days after purchase.
PET STORE MYTH #8
"Consumers know our puppies are from good breeders because they are registered and come with papers."
FACT
"Purebred" registration papers (from one of many "kennel clubs" or other dog registries) are only a record of a puppy's parents and/or earlier generations. Commercial breeders regularly sell puppies with papers from prestigious sounding "kennel clubs." These papers do NOT ensure an individual puppy (or parent) is healthy, free of genetic defects, or raised in a humane and sanitary environment.
PET STORE MYTH #9
"We know this is a good breeder. We've never had a problem with any of their puppies."
FACT
Even facilities with mostly healthy puppies and clean inspection reports are keeping dozens or even hundreds of breeding dogs in cages for their entire lives. These breeding dogs live behind bars from birth until death. They never feel grass under their feet, enjoy a treat or toy, have loving human contact or receive proper veterinary care. They are bred repeatedly until they can no longer reproduce, and then they are discarded.
The real tragedy of puppy mills is that keeping dogs in such a way IS legal and such grievances often slip through the cracks of decent inspections and state/federal regulations. It is ONLY when a significant number of complaints have been received that the authorities are alerted and able to take legal action. Only YOU can stop the cruel cycle of puppy mills, by refusing to buy animals from stores that keep these kinds of breeders in business. You must also make local and national action groups aware that puppy mills are NOT acceptable, and support their efforts to prosecute commercial breeders.
For more information on how YOU can help, support local and national organizations fighting the commercial breeding industry. For a detailed list, click here.
If you have not visited our website, please do so! You can find all of this information and more at http://www.againstpuppymills.org
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
NEWS - Puppy Store Opens, Prompting a Protest - Ridgefield Press, January 26
Puppy store opens, prompting a protest
Written by Macklin Reid, Press Staff
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
A store selling puppies has opened in Branchville, prompting vehement opposition from dog lovers convinced — despite protestations otherwise from the owner — that it will serve as an outlet for “puppy mills” that breed dogs under inhumane conditions.
“I’m an animal lover all the way,” said Christine DiCarlo, who opened True Breeders two weeks ago at 43-47 Ethan Allen Highway, across Route 7 from the Branchville train station.
She said that she once worked in a store that sold puppy mill dogs, and insists that’s not what she will be doing.
“I’m a certified dog trainer. I’m a veterinary technician — I’m not certified any more. I’m a certified dog groomer,” she said.
“I worked for the pet store that was supplied by the puppy mills. I watched him, with the sick dogs — he let dogs die. It was awful. It made me physically ill. It was heart-wrenching,” she said.
“So, I decided, I’d open a puppy store.”
Her goal, she said, is simple.
“I’m not looking to sell show dogs. I want to sell happy, healthy pets that people can enjoy for 15 years — or 13 or 10, it depends on the breed,” she said.
Jane Stern and Leslie Davis Kohl — dog lovers who are both volunteers at the Georgetown Fire Department — have been organizing opposition to the opening of a puppy store in Branchville since December.
Their belief is that any retail store selling puppies will be an outlet for dogs bred at puppy mills, regardless of what the people operating it might say.
“The town of Ridgefield is home to many passionate dog owners, professional dog breeders, top dog show people whose dogs have won Best of Show at The Westminster Kennel Club,” Ms. Stern wrote to The Press.
“Ridgefield also boasts the rescue organization R.O.A.R. that operates a private no-kill shelter that provides dogs for adoption, and a spectacular dog park which is a favorite place to meet for both dogs and their owners. Can a town that is so ‘dog-centric’ welcome a pet shop that sells puppies? Many citizens of Ridgefield and the surrounding towns vote ‘no’...”
Ms. Kohl, a breeder of Tipperary boxers and French bulldogs, and Ms. Stern, an author who has written books about dog breeding and dog shows, organized a protest outside the True Breeders store last weekend and say more protests are planned.
They say people should get dogs directly from breeders, or from a shelter such as R.O.A.R. — not from a store.
“Only the public can stop the cruel cycle by refusing to buy these shipments. Join us to end this cruelty,” Ms. Kohl wrote this week.
In an interview in December, the two dog lovers did not offer specific evidence about dogs to be sold at the store due to open in Branchville — which wasn’t yet open — but spoke at length against the puppy-mill industry with its breeding farms in Pennsylvania’s Amish country and in the Midwest.
“The puppies are removed from the mother at about seven weeks of age, sold to brokers who pack them into crates and transport them in trucks — this transportation is often lacking in adequate food, water or ventilation,” Ms. Kohl said.
“Probably 50% of all shelter dogs are dogs that were dumped in shelters when they didn’t sell in pet stores,” Ms. Stern said. “...They can’t sell a dog over 10 or 12 weeks old — because it ain’t cute anymore.”
Reputable breeders, they said, will accept the return of puppies that don’t work out for families — they’re not breeding the dogs for profit.
“You don’t even break even,” Ms. Kohl said. “You lose money breeding dogs because you spend so much on the care of the dam and the puppies and veterinary bills that no responsible breeder makes money breeding dogs.”
Ms. DiCarlo of the True Breeders store did not disagree with the two women’s assessment of the puppy-mill business. She simply asserted that the store she has opened will not be a part of it.
“We’re just trying to make a good business with a good name,” she said. “...Our health guarantee will be the same as the breeder would give — not a pet store.”
She had a dozen puppies in the store at the start of this week, with prices upward of $1,100.
“I have two English mastiffs, two Chihuahuas — one being a teacup Chihuahua — two toy fox terriers, I have a Yorkie, a Pomeranian, a miniature schnauzer, a St. Bernard who’s totally adorable, and a Westie (West Highland white terrier), also one Rottweiler who’s a sweetheart of a dog,” she said.
“I’m actually getting them from Connecticut. All the puppies but the mastiffs are from Connecticut,” she said.
“Nothing is coming from a puppy mill, obviously, if I’m buying in Connecticut ... A lot of them are new breeders. I go down and I hand pick the puppies I want. They’re all raised in the house, including the St. Bernards.”
The dogs are in open-topped pens — not cages — she pointed out, with information on the pens about the breeders who provided the puppies.
“It says it right on the front where the dogs come from,” she said. “You have to have a certificate of origin that goes home with the dog. It tells where the dog has come from, the name of the breeder, what town they live in, the whole thing. They can talk to the breeder without any problem.”
Dr. Jordan R. Dann is the veterinarian working with the store.
“Dr. Dann’s our vet,” Ms. DiCarlo said. “With all puppies that are bought from our store you get five free obedience lessons, and you get a free exam from Dr. Dann.”
The obedience lessons will be provided in group sessions at the store.
“You get obedience lessons with the dogs. They’re all vet-checked before you get them. They’re on top quality food. They’re all sweethearts, they’re all well socialized,” Ms. DiCarlo said. “There’s not much else to say. People have to come in and see them.”
Written by Macklin Reid, Press Staff
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
A store selling puppies has opened in Branchville, prompting vehement opposition from dog lovers convinced — despite protestations otherwise from the owner — that it will serve as an outlet for “puppy mills” that breed dogs under inhumane conditions.
“I’m an animal lover all the way,” said Christine DiCarlo, who opened True Breeders two weeks ago at 43-47 Ethan Allen Highway, across Route 7 from the Branchville train station.
She said that she once worked in a store that sold puppy mill dogs, and insists that’s not what she will be doing.
“I’m a certified dog trainer. I’m a veterinary technician — I’m not certified any more. I’m a certified dog groomer,” she said.
“I worked for the pet store that was supplied by the puppy mills. I watched him, with the sick dogs — he let dogs die. It was awful. It made me physically ill. It was heart-wrenching,” she said.
“So, I decided, I’d open a puppy store.”
Her goal, she said, is simple.
“I’m not looking to sell show dogs. I want to sell happy, healthy pets that people can enjoy for 15 years — or 13 or 10, it depends on the breed,” she said.
Jane Stern and Leslie Davis Kohl — dog lovers who are both volunteers at the Georgetown Fire Department — have been organizing opposition to the opening of a puppy store in Branchville since December.
Their belief is that any retail store selling puppies will be an outlet for dogs bred at puppy mills, regardless of what the people operating it might say.
“The town of Ridgefield is home to many passionate dog owners, professional dog breeders, top dog show people whose dogs have won Best of Show at The Westminster Kennel Club,” Ms. Stern wrote to The Press.
“Ridgefield also boasts the rescue organization R.O.A.R. that operates a private no-kill shelter that provides dogs for adoption, and a spectacular dog park which is a favorite place to meet for both dogs and their owners. Can a town that is so ‘dog-centric’ welcome a pet shop that sells puppies? Many citizens of Ridgefield and the surrounding towns vote ‘no’...”
Ms. Kohl, a breeder of Tipperary boxers and French bulldogs, and Ms. Stern, an author who has written books about dog breeding and dog shows, organized a protest outside the True Breeders store last weekend and say more protests are planned.
They say people should get dogs directly from breeders, or from a shelter such as R.O.A.R. — not from a store.
“Only the public can stop the cruel cycle by refusing to buy these shipments. Join us to end this cruelty,” Ms. Kohl wrote this week.
In an interview in December, the two dog lovers did not offer specific evidence about dogs to be sold at the store due to open in Branchville — which wasn’t yet open — but spoke at length against the puppy-mill industry with its breeding farms in Pennsylvania’s Amish country and in the Midwest.
“The puppies are removed from the mother at about seven weeks of age, sold to brokers who pack them into crates and transport them in trucks — this transportation is often lacking in adequate food, water or ventilation,” Ms. Kohl said.
“Probably 50% of all shelter dogs are dogs that were dumped in shelters when they didn’t sell in pet stores,” Ms. Stern said. “...They can’t sell a dog over 10 or 12 weeks old — because it ain’t cute anymore.”
Reputable breeders, they said, will accept the return of puppies that don’t work out for families — they’re not breeding the dogs for profit.
“You don’t even break even,” Ms. Kohl said. “You lose money breeding dogs because you spend so much on the care of the dam and the puppies and veterinary bills that no responsible breeder makes money breeding dogs.”
Ms. DiCarlo of the True Breeders store did not disagree with the two women’s assessment of the puppy-mill business. She simply asserted that the store she has opened will not be a part of it.
“We’re just trying to make a good business with a good name,” she said. “...Our health guarantee will be the same as the breeder would give — not a pet store.”
She had a dozen puppies in the store at the start of this week, with prices upward of $1,100.
“I have two English mastiffs, two Chihuahuas — one being a teacup Chihuahua — two toy fox terriers, I have a Yorkie, a Pomeranian, a miniature schnauzer, a St. Bernard who’s totally adorable, and a Westie (West Highland white terrier), also one Rottweiler who’s a sweetheart of a dog,” she said.
“I’m actually getting them from Connecticut. All the puppies but the mastiffs are from Connecticut,” she said.
“Nothing is coming from a puppy mill, obviously, if I’m buying in Connecticut ... A lot of them are new breeders. I go down and I hand pick the puppies I want. They’re all raised in the house, including the St. Bernards.”
The dogs are in open-topped pens — not cages — she pointed out, with information on the pens about the breeders who provided the puppies.
“It says it right on the front where the dogs come from,” she said. “You have to have a certificate of origin that goes home with the dog. It tells where the dog has come from, the name of the breeder, what town they live in, the whole thing. They can talk to the breeder without any problem.”
Dr. Jordan R. Dann is the veterinarian working with the store.
“Dr. Dann’s our vet,” Ms. DiCarlo said. “With all puppies that are bought from our store you get five free obedience lessons, and you get a free exam from Dr. Dann.”
The obedience lessons will be provided in group sessions at the store.
“You get obedience lessons with the dogs. They’re all vet-checked before you get them. They’re on top quality food. They’re all sweethearts, they’re all well socialized,” Ms. DiCarlo said. “There’s not much else to say. People have to come in and see them.”
Monday, January 25, 2010
NEWS - Ridgefield Press, January 25
Puppy store lacks documents
Letters to the Editor
I attended a meeting the first selectman had with True Breeder store owner, Christine DiCarlo. It was to learn from where her puppies would come, and other particulars. It was clearly stated that no one at the meeting had the desire, intent nor standing to interfere with the legitimate right to run the business and lease the property. Ms. DiCarlo said all the puppies would come from New York, New Jersey or Connecticut. She would personally pick them up from breeders she knew.
On a visit to the place just after opening, and, after the meeting, all four puppies there came from an Oklahoma puppy mill which, in April '09, had its recognition by the AKC revoked. Very rare - the AKC seems to "recognize" any breeder with a pulse. So, to have such recognition rescinded, the place must have been worse than awful.
Ms. DiCarlo was unable to produce any documentation for registration of either of the English mastiff puppies, nor for the Miniature Doxy on premises. For the Doxy she said she had documentation but could not produce it. Nor could she produce sign-off by the state, which she claimed had just been there and said she was in compliance with the Oct. 1, 2009 statute requiring, within 10 feet of their housing, data as to name, location and contact information for the breeder from which the puppies came. She clearly was not in compliance. She claimed, too, that the puppies not AKC registered were "CKC" registered, whatever that is, but could produce no documentation.
In 25 years as a New York state special agent for the SPCA, I have never found a puppy store, the stock of which did not come from a puppy mill. True Breeders seems to be true to that finding.
John Katz
Ridgfield, Jan. 25
Letters to the Editor
I attended a meeting the first selectman had with True Breeder store owner, Christine DiCarlo. It was to learn from where her puppies would come, and other particulars. It was clearly stated that no one at the meeting had the desire, intent nor standing to interfere with the legitimate right to run the business and lease the property. Ms. DiCarlo said all the puppies would come from New York, New Jersey or Connecticut. She would personally pick them up from breeders she knew.
On a visit to the place just after opening, and, after the meeting, all four puppies there came from an Oklahoma puppy mill which, in April '09, had its recognition by the AKC revoked. Very rare - the AKC seems to "recognize" any breeder with a pulse. So, to have such recognition rescinded, the place must have been worse than awful.
Ms. DiCarlo was unable to produce any documentation for registration of either of the English mastiff puppies, nor for the Miniature Doxy on premises. For the Doxy she said she had documentation but could not produce it. Nor could she produce sign-off by the state, which she claimed had just been there and said she was in compliance with the Oct. 1, 2009 statute requiring, within 10 feet of their housing, data as to name, location and contact information for the breeder from which the puppies came. She clearly was not in compliance. She claimed, too, that the puppies not AKC registered were "CKC" registered, whatever that is, but could produce no documentation.
In 25 years as a New York state special agent for the SPCA, I have never found a puppy store, the stock of which did not come from a puppy mill. True Breeders seems to be true to that finding.
John Katz
Ridgfield, Jan. 25
NEWS - Redding Pilot, January 25
Learn more about protest at new puppy store
Letters to the Editor
To the Editor:
The Pilot hasn’t reported on a local controversy of interest to dog lovers, probably because it’s being played out on Route 7 in Branchville. The puppy store that recently opened there was easy to find on Saturday because of the placard-waving protesters parading outside, with support from passing motorists. With so many local shelter dogs up for adoption, it’s hard to believe people will pay well over $1,000 for a puppy from a store. But because they will, a dark market has developed, including the puppy mills that were the focus of the protest.
The Branchville store says their supply comes mostly from Connecticut, as if that made it better. The co-owner’s response to the protesters included being overheard to yell “get the &%*$ out of my face” followed by a sneering, “I’ll deny I said that.”
More protests are planned, and information can be found at www.againstpuppymills.org. Come and see what the fuss is about.
Ok, we’re biased, having adopted Rosie from a family that bought her from a local mall store and apparently couldn’t deal with her mistakes; she came from a Kansas puppy mill. Marigold was rescued in Alabama, where she was so drained and sick that most of the puppies she was forced to have died. Finnegan was rescued from a Tennessee kill-shelter, and is still haunted by whatever traumatized him. Fiona had lived much of her previous life in an airline carry-on box. Binky came from under cars on a busy highway. Their many predecessors also had come from traumatic situations, but all found a happy place in our pack and fill our home with immeasurable love. Try adoption first.
Mia and Bill Rossiter
Redding, Jan. 25
Letters to the Editor
To the Editor:
The Pilot hasn’t reported on a local controversy of interest to dog lovers, probably because it’s being played out on Route 7 in Branchville. The puppy store that recently opened there was easy to find on Saturday because of the placard-waving protesters parading outside, with support from passing motorists. With so many local shelter dogs up for adoption, it’s hard to believe people will pay well over $1,000 for a puppy from a store. But because they will, a dark market has developed, including the puppy mills that were the focus of the protest.
The Branchville store says their supply comes mostly from Connecticut, as if that made it better. The co-owner’s response to the protesters included being overheard to yell “get the &%*$ out of my face” followed by a sneering, “I’ll deny I said that.”
More protests are planned, and information can be found at www.againstpuppymills.org. Come and see what the fuss is about.
Ok, we’re biased, having adopted Rosie from a family that bought her from a local mall store and apparently couldn’t deal with her mistakes; she came from a Kansas puppy mill. Marigold was rescued in Alabama, where she was so drained and sick that most of the puppies she was forced to have died. Finnegan was rescued from a Tennessee kill-shelter, and is still haunted by whatever traumatized him. Fiona had lived much of her previous life in an airline carry-on box. Binky came from under cars on a busy highway. Their many predecessors also had come from traumatic situations, but all found a happy place in our pack and fill our home with immeasurable love. Try adoption first.
Mia and Bill Rossiter
Redding, Jan. 25
Friday, January 22, 2010
NEWS - Ridgefield Press, January 22
Don’t buy puppies from a pet store
Letters to the Editor
I am saddened by the uninformed coverage of the protest directed at True Breeders Pet Shop in Ridgefield. Despite the hour long interview Leslie Kohl and I gave Mr. Reid and the ream of information about the pet shop/puppy mill connection, The Ridgefield Press simply took the word of the store’s owners about where the puppies came from without any investigation about the truth of their statement.
Since the article did not mention any of the impeccable sources we provided Mr. Reid with, perhaps you will print a snippet here.
1. The Humane Society of America has asked all pet shop owners in Fairfield County to sign a pledge that they will not sell puppies to “prove it is not necessary to support the cruel puppy mill trade to run a pet shop.”
2. On their Web site, the ASPCA boldly states, “Do not buy a puppy from a pet store, in fact, do not buy a puppy from any place that does not let you meet the mother dog.”
3. From Friends of Animals: “Virtually all of the puppies sold in pet shops come from puppy mills.”
4. From North Shore Animal League: “One hundred percent of puppies sold in pet shops come from puppy mills.”
In closing, True Breeders say their dogs are from Connecticut, but they do not say our state has puppy mills in it as do Pennsylvania and Missouri and many more. From CNN’s report in 1997 of a truck on I-84 crammed with 100 dead and dying puppies, to last month’s news that a puppy mill in Milford was closed down, it happens here, too. It would be nice if we dog lovers could change the circumstances for puppies everywhere, but at least the compassionate citizens of Ridgefield can say, “Not in my town”!
Jane Stern, Ridgefield, Jan. 22
Letters to the Editor
I am saddened by the uninformed coverage of the protest directed at True Breeders Pet Shop in Ridgefield. Despite the hour long interview Leslie Kohl and I gave Mr. Reid and the ream of information about the pet shop/puppy mill connection, The Ridgefield Press simply took the word of the store’s owners about where the puppies came from without any investigation about the truth of their statement.
Since the article did not mention any of the impeccable sources we provided Mr. Reid with, perhaps you will print a snippet here.
1. The Humane Society of America has asked all pet shop owners in Fairfield County to sign a pledge that they will not sell puppies to “prove it is not necessary to support the cruel puppy mill trade to run a pet shop.”
2. On their Web site, the ASPCA boldly states, “Do not buy a puppy from a pet store, in fact, do not buy a puppy from any place that does not let you meet the mother dog.”
3. From Friends of Animals: “Virtually all of the puppies sold in pet shops come from puppy mills.”
4. From North Shore Animal League: “One hundred percent of puppies sold in pet shops come from puppy mills.”
In closing, True Breeders say their dogs are from Connecticut, but they do not say our state has puppy mills in it as do Pennsylvania and Missouri and many more. From CNN’s report in 1997 of a truck on I-84 crammed with 100 dead and dying puppies, to last month’s news that a puppy mill in Milford was closed down, it happens here, too. It would be nice if we dog lovers could change the circumstances for puppies everywhere, but at least the compassionate citizens of Ridgefield can say, “Not in my town”!
Jane Stern, Ridgefield, Jan. 22
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Our First Protest!!!!!
OUR FIRST PROTEST!!
Saturday, January 16th was our first protest of True Breeders in Ridgefield!!
True Breeders were obviously not happy to have us there, but thanks to the advice and guidance of the Ridgefield Police Department, we held a successful and legal protest! We had about a ½ dozen members protesting from 12noon until 3:30pm. The weather was good for a January afternoon, and the honks and support from passersby kept everyone warm inside!
Our group members stood on both the north and southbound sides of Route 7 and held signs in protest of puppy mills. Several pedestrians and drivers stopped to ask for information and were given our 2 brochures (one about puppy mill and pet store “realities” and the other about the new CT Lemon Law).
To our knowledge, no puppies were purchased while the protest was occurring, and unfortunately a few people (typically families with children) did enter the store. Despite the occasional wind and unkind comments from the True Breeders staff, it was a great afternoon and very successful!!
MANY THANKS to EVERYONE who came to protest, helped make signs, print/copy fliers and show support! Photos coming soon! PLEASE JOIN US NEXT WEEKEND! Saturday, Jan 23rd, from 12noon – 4pm.
WEBSITE UPDATE
Our website has become very popular! We have had 216 hits to our home page since the site launch last week, including 88 hits YESTERDAY thanks to our protesters!!
Please visit our site and browse around – if you have any questions, comments, edits, or ideas, please email info@againstpuppymills.org and share! Also, our blog is up and running! Please email any updates or information and tell your friends to check us out!!
WHAT’S NEW?
We are in the process of ordering items to show support – bumper stickers, hats, t-shirts, etc. They will hopefully be available online soon! We have an opportunity to order “MY DOG DIGS” stickers (http://diguntilyoufindit.com) so if you have an idea for our sticker, PLEASE SHARE! Let’s all show support and help stop the sale of puppy mill puppies in Ridgefield!
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION!
Saturday, January 16th was our first protest of True Breeders in Ridgefield!!
True Breeders were obviously not happy to have us there, but thanks to the advice and guidance of the Ridgefield Police Department, we held a successful and legal protest! We had about a ½ dozen members protesting from 12noon until 3:30pm. The weather was good for a January afternoon, and the honks and support from passersby kept everyone warm inside!
Our group members stood on both the north and southbound sides of Route 7 and held signs in protest of puppy mills. Several pedestrians and drivers stopped to ask for information and were given our 2 brochures (one about puppy mill and pet store “realities” and the other about the new CT Lemon Law).
To our knowledge, no puppies were purchased while the protest was occurring, and unfortunately a few people (typically families with children) did enter the store. Despite the occasional wind and unkind comments from the True Breeders staff, it was a great afternoon and very successful!!
MANY THANKS to EVERYONE who came to protest, helped make signs, print/copy fliers and show support! Photos coming soon! PLEASE JOIN US NEXT WEEKEND! Saturday, Jan 23rd, from 12noon – 4pm.
WEBSITE UPDATE
Our website has become very popular! We have had 216 hits to our home page since the site launch last week, including 88 hits YESTERDAY thanks to our protesters!!
Please visit our site and browse around – if you have any questions, comments, edits, or ideas, please email info@againstpuppymills.org and share! Also, our blog is up and running! Please email any updates or information and tell your friends to check us out!!
WHAT’S NEW?
We are in the process of ordering items to show support – bumper stickers, hats, t-shirts, etc. They will hopefully be available online soon! We have an opportunity to order “MY DOG DIGS” stickers (http://diguntilyoufindit.com) so if you have an idea for our sticker, PLEASE SHARE! Let’s all show support and help stop the sale of puppy mill puppies in Ridgefield!
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION!
Friday, January 15, 2010
PROTEST TOMORROW!
TRUE BREEDERS STORE PROTEST TOMORROW!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
TIME: 11am - 3pm
LOCATION: In front of/across street from Georgetown Travel Agency
41 Ethan Allen Highway (Route 7)
Ridgefield, CT 06877-6206
PARKING:
Please park in the commuter lot of the Branchville Train Station. It is about a 100 yards from the store on the right hand side. Please do NOT park in front of the store or in the store lot.
PLEASE USE CAUTION WALKING FROM THE TRAIN STATION TO THE PROTEST SITE! IT IS ONLY A FEW YARDS, BUT ROUTE 7 CAN BE A BUSY INTERSECTION.
Visit www.againstpuppymills.org for information, or email us info@againstpuppymills.org
Saturday, January 16, 2010
TIME: 11am - 3pm
LOCATION: In front of/across street from Georgetown Travel Agency
41 Ethan Allen Highway (Route 7)
Ridgefield, CT 06877-6206
PARKING:
Please park in the commuter lot of the Branchville Train Station. It is about a 100 yards from the store on the right hand side. Please do NOT park in front of the store or in the store lot.
PLEASE USE CAUTION WALKING FROM THE TRAIN STATION TO THE PROTEST SITE! IT IS ONLY A FEW YARDS, BUT ROUTE 7 CAN BE A BUSY INTERSECTION.
Visit www.againstpuppymills.org for information, or email us info@againstpuppymills.org
Sunday, January 10, 2010
BREEDERS SUSPENDED BY AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB
2 of the puppies for sale in True Breeders are "English mastiffs" - their store identification card states they were bred by Stephen and Teresa Holsey in Oklahoma (see previous post about Oklahoma breeders!!!)
The Holsey's were fined and suspended in 2009 by the American Kennel Club Management Disciplinary Committee. On April 13, 2009, the Holsey's were fined $2500 for:
- non-compliance with AKC record keeping and dog identification
- non-compliance with the AKC’s Care and Conditions Policy (which includes unacceptable conditions, dogs and/or facility)
Their AKC privileges were suspended for 5 years (effective April 13, 2009 through April 13, 2014)
In addition to Mastiffs, the Holsey's are listed by the AKC as "breeders" of Wire Fox Terriers and Miniature Schnauzers.
NOTICE:
The AKC's Management Disciplinary Committee has suspended the following individuals from all AKC privileges for five years, effective April 13, 2009, and imposed a $2500 fine for non-compliance with AKC's record keeping and dog identification requirements, and non-compliance with the AKC's Care and Conditions Policy (unacceptable conditions, dogs and/or facility:
Mr. Steve Hosley (Tulsa, OK) Mastiff
Ms. Teresa Holsey (Tulsa, OK) Wire Fox Terrier, Mastiff and Miniature Schnauzer
You can read the entire AKC suspension report here http://www.akc.org/pdfs/about/secretary_page/0509.pdf
Teresa Holsey ALSO sells her dogs on the internet (perhaps to individuals OR puppy stores??) and has a listing for a mastiff here
http://www.petsunlimited.com/local_pet_adoptions.cfm/id/19067
MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION BEFORE BUYING A PUPPY FROM A PET STORE!!!!
The Holsey's were fined and suspended in 2009 by the American Kennel Club Management Disciplinary Committee. On April 13, 2009, the Holsey's were fined $2500 for:
- non-compliance with AKC record keeping and dog identification
- non-compliance with the AKC’s Care and Conditions Policy (which includes unacceptable conditions, dogs and/or facility)
Their AKC privileges were suspended for 5 years (effective April 13, 2009 through April 13, 2014)
In addition to Mastiffs, the Holsey's are listed by the AKC as "breeders" of Wire Fox Terriers and Miniature Schnauzers.
NOTICE:
The AKC's Management Disciplinary Committee has suspended the following individuals from all AKC privileges for five years, effective April 13, 2009, and imposed a $2500 fine for non-compliance with AKC's record keeping and dog identification requirements, and non-compliance with the AKC's Care and Conditions Policy (unacceptable conditions, dogs and/or facility:
Mr. Steve Hosley (Tulsa, OK) Mastiff
Ms. Teresa Holsey (Tulsa, OK) Wire Fox Terrier, Mastiff and Miniature Schnauzer
You can read the entire AKC suspension report here http://www.akc.org/pdfs/about/secretary_page/0509.pdf
Teresa Holsey ALSO sells her dogs on the internet (perhaps to individuals OR puppy stores??) and has a listing for a mastiff here
http://www.petsunlimited.com/local_pet_adoptions.cfm/id/19067
MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION BEFORE BUYING A PUPPY FROM A PET STORE!!!!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Ridgefield Store Opening
A new pet store opened in Ridgefield, CT this week - True Breeders, located on Rt 7 near the Branchville train station.
There are currently 5 puppies available for sale in the store. The information cards on display say the puppies are from 2 different breeders - one located in Bridgeport, CT and the other in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma is one of several midwest states known to have puppy mills - please CLICK HERE to read about puppy mills in that state.
Did you know?
Before you visit ANY pet store, learn about where those dogs come from! Please visit our site for more information here
There are currently 5 puppies available for sale in the store. The information cards on display say the puppies are from 2 different breeders - one located in Bridgeport, CT and the other in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma is one of several midwest states known to have puppy mills - please CLICK HERE to read about puppy mills in that state.
Did you know?
- 12.3% of all USDA licensed dog dealers in the US are located in Oklahoma
- The number of licensed facilities in our state has increased by over 70% since 2000
- Of all states with a high volume of puppy producers, only Oklahoma and Arkansas have no state regulations (Oklahoma has roughly double the number of facilities as in Arkansas)
- USDA regulations mandate that a dog have its’ length plus six inches times, that same length, for cage space. They must have six inches of headroom. Food is only mandatory one time per day and water twice a day, no matter what the outdoor temperature is. (Source: http://www.okpuppymilltruth.org)
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