Dear Editor,
Hundred of thousands of pure breed dogs and cats suffer each year at the hands of massive, commercial breeding operations in the U.S. and Canada where animals are treated like machines that produce rather than creatures with intelligence and feelings.
In these terrible places it’s routine to cut vocal cords
to render noiseless the animals trapped into producing until their
reproductive capacity wanes when they are permanently silenced
and disposed of like obsolete machinery.
At least 406,000 Americans have bought animals over the Internet completely unaware of the unhealthy and torturous conditions these animals in which their pets are produced nor the fact that these animals are tremendously inbred nor how much this contributes to pet overpopulation.
In addition to how inhumane this is to the animals, it constitutes unfair business practice that leads to selling animals rife with congenital sicknesses so their veterinary expenses will far exceed the cost of their purchase.
Thousands of other animals are sold across state lines unmonitored by the Animal Welfare Act law to unsuspecting consumers who have no opportunity to assess the conditions in which their new pet was bred. Puppy mill dogs are even imported to U.S. pet stores from other countries where many freeze to death in cargo holds of freighters and airplanes!
Each of us can help in the battle to close down breeding mills that treat animals as little more than inventory and ensure the safety and humane treatment of animals trapped in commercial kennels. Adopt pets from animal shelters, animal rescue groups (including www.StopPuppyMills.org) and humane societies rather than buying them from pet stores, over the Internet or newspaper ads and urge others to do the same.
Call 202-224-3121 to our legislators. Ask Senators Byrd and Rockefeller
to co-sponsor S. 1139 and Representative Capito to co-sponsor H.R.
2669 and to use their influence to move the “Pet Animal Welfare Statute”(PAWS)
out of the senate and house sub-committees is which this legislation
has been held since 2005.
In addition to strengthening the Animal Welfare Act through passage of the Pet Animal Welfare Statute, ask legislators to demand that existing laws be more stringently enforced to protect animals from such ruthless exploitation.
Stand up for the animals. They are depending on us to be their voice, especially those that are suffering in silence in breeding mills!
Susan Kemenyas
