LETTERS: BREEDING PETS

To the editor:

I am writing in response to the recent exposure of the allegedly horrible conditions at the puppy mill in Missouri and the criminal behavior that continues around the country.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, 90 percent of more than half a million puppies sold every year in pet shops come from about 5,000 puppy mills located in Illinois, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and South Dakota. Conditions in these puppy mills are so hideous that only one out of two dogs survive. Robert Baker, the Humane Society's chief investigator, states, "Half the puppies that survive the mill breeding process suffer from parvovirus, parasites, respiratory infections and other diseases including genetic and emotional ailments." Beyond the immediate neglect, there is inbreeding and severe over-breading. While a responsible breeder breeds a dog once and then skips two heats, puppy-mill bitches are bred routinely every six months starting with their first estrus. These bitches endure life constantly whelping and lactating, dehydrated, diseased, crammed into filthy wire-floored cages until they burn-out, usually by age five. Most are then sold to research laboratories or killed.

The most unsettling aspect of the multimillion-dollar puppy mill industry is the laxity of institutions expected to fight the abuse. Puppies bought in pet stores usually come with American Kennel Club papers intended to reassure buyers that dogs are purebred. Although the AKC collects a fee for each dog it registers, it never guarantees the health or the quality of it's upbringing. They simply rely on breeders to be honest about the dog's lineage. Breeders sell to brokers who transport hundreds of just-weaned pups (5 or 6 weeks) to stores countrywide. Store owners use the AKC label to mark up its "product" -- a typical puppy mill dog costs the broker $35, the retail outlet $75, and the consumer $500.

In addition, the notion that puppy mills are licensed by the U. S. Department of Agriculture is misleading. The Office of the Inspector General recently audited the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and found that "inspections of animal dealer facilities were not performed in a timely manner ... and APHIS does not enforce timely corrections of violations. Therefore, APHIS cannot ensure humane care and treatment of animals at all facilities covered by the Animal Welfare Act." The Animal Welfare Act sets minimum standards for housing and care, yet it often fails to serve those whom it is intended to protect. In addition to more than 3,500 licensed breeding kennels, there are more than 1,500 kennels operating without federal licenses that do not come under even minimal scrutiny. This does not include Class B dealers who provide randomly acquired animals for research laboratories and are responsible for a lucrative pet-theft industry 2.5 million per year.

For these animals broken laws mean suffering or death. Many are forced to live in small, dark cages with dead carcasses. Food is often withheld or is so rotten it is infested with maggots. Cages lack proper shelter and ventilation, feces and urine are every where. Severe heat and extreme cold only compound the suffering. This is a bleak picture but it is real.

In light of these atrocities, we must focus on the basic concept of supply and demand. As long as there is a market for puppies, there will be a profit-oriented industry ready to supply them. As there are more than 18 million cats and dogs killed at shelters and pounds in the U.S. every year, the whole idea of buying and selling living beings like merchandise is outrageous. Avoiding purchasing animals from department stores and pet shops is our number one weapon against the severe suffering inflicted by the puppy-mill industry.

If you must buy a dog from a breeder, ask your veterinarian for information on responsible breeders. Be sure to ask lots of questions and to see where the puppy lives. Meet the pup's parents (mother) and litter mates. Notice if the animals are healthy and social. Get the dog's medical history and a warranty that covers veterinary costs. A caring, responsible breeder will ask you questions too.

The best place to go for a dog is the local animal shelter. By doing so you are rescuing an abandoned animal and saving money.

ANDREA BAUCH

Makanda, Ill.