SAY NO TO ANIMAL SALES IN PET SHOPS!

I received a phone call from another rescuer last week giving me the contact details of a critical care rescue group who had just raided a "puppy mill" and rescued several dogs and cats. Could I help? she asked.

"What is a puppy mill or puppy farm?" I'm glad you asked.

A puppy mill/farm is a place where a huge number of dogs (and cats) are kept as breeding machines, often in horrendous conditions, to produce litter after litter of puppies. These puppies are then sold either wholesale (to pet shops or "pet warehouses") or retail straight to the general public.

Mostly, the animals are kept in tiny cages, lying in their own excrement, often malnourished and flea ridden and suffering terrible neglect and even illness. They are often also badly interbred and we all know what interbreeding does. That puppy may become a medical nightmare.

Have you ever wondered where all those cute little puppies in some of these so called "pet warehouses" and pet shops come from? The ones that have a sign saying "Poodle x Shitzu $650.00" or "Pure bred Maltese $850.00"? Probably not because like me, you probably thought Rover dug under the fence, got together with Fluffy, had a little romance and BINGO!! Suddenly Fluffy's owner finds themselves with puppies they weren't prepared for so sold them to the local pet shop.

Well think again.

Many of these puppies and kittens, and other ones such as ones you see advertised in the local paper or the internet come from puppy mills or farms. If those cute little guys could talk they'd have a lot to tell.

How could anybody do this, you ask? Simple. It's called greed.

A few years ago many of these dogs would have been called mongrels. Nowadays they are "designer dogs" which have a huge price tag attached to them. The people who run puppy mills or sell dogs and cats which were produced in these mills are unscrupulous and greedy and have absolutely no compassion for other living things. All they care about is making money, and lots of it, usually from the unsuspecting public who purchase the pets from them.

And what do you get for this $650.00 dog?

It would probably make more sense to tell you what you don't get. You don't get pedigree papers, you don't get de-sexing, you don't get vaccinations and until a short time ago you didn't get a micro chip (until it became mandatory)

.........And anyway, since when did putting an animal in a glass shopfront on a 40 degree day with half a dozen other dogs become acceptable? I bet the pet shop owner wouldn't want to trade places!!

This is not some sensationalist garbage meant to make you want to buy a dog from Chihuahua and Pomeranian Safe House. This is really happening all over the country.

This information is meant to inform you of the kind of horrors that are taking place right now. If you love animals it is also a plea for you not to support pet shops and similar establishments (such as markets) that sell puppies and kittens. If there is no demand then the supply will dwindle and there would be less and less puppy farmers as time goes by.

Pass this information to your friends and family so that they may also boycott these establisments. There are also petitions you can sign http://www.saynotoanimalsinpetshops.com/ to outlaw the sale of these animals in shops. If there is enough demand for this kind of action it will become law. Type "say no to animals in pet shops" into your search engine and you will find hundreds of articles on the topic. These articles also cover other critical topics, such as the number of companion animals euthenased in Australia each year, which I did not cover in this post.

If you are considering a new pet, do some research first. There are several animal welfare organisations and rescue groups out there, usually with a puppy or dog to suit every taste. And for a fraction of the price of the store bought ones (and yes they are desexed, microchipped, vaccinated, de flead, wormed, etc).

Sue Fedrizzi

LIDDIE HAS FOUND A HOME!

Liddie is a sweet natured girl, however very timid with people. She is however very comfortable around other dogs. Her new owner would have to be very loving and patient and let Liddie slowly get to know and trust you on her terms.

Liddie is around 3 years of age. She is a tri colour - black, white and tan pure Chihuahua around 2.8kg in weight. She has small, dark eyes which give her face the appearance of a little black bear. She has an overbite of her top jaw however has no problem eating and has a good appetite.

Liddie would not be suitable for a bustling household and definitely no children. She is probably more suited to an elderly person (like her previous owner who sadly passed away) who can sit with her and quietly gain her confidence. She is very good inside the house and will sit quietly in her place. She is not however the type of dog who will jump onto your lap (due to being so timid), however in the time she has been with us she now lets me pick her up and cuddle her and will approach me especially if I have one of her favourite treats in hand.

Liddie is desexed, microchipped, vaccinated, de-flead and wormed.

Her price is $300

CUJO

Look at that handsome face!!

Cujo is an absolutely gorgeous young dog aged 8 months of age. He is quite an over-active dog - very playful and affectionate, showering your face with kisses when he is picked up. Unfortunately Cujo is still in that "silly stage" that many puppies go through and needs a new owner who is firm but patient. He has shown that he is capable of learning quite quickly.

He is sable in colour, has a muscular body with long legs and weighs around 3kg. He is a very handsome dog with an expressive face and eyes. He moves very gracefully.

His nature is friendly but wary when he doesn't know a face. He is quiet but will bark if a stranger approaches in the yard. He would suit an active young family who can keep him busy playing and running around. If he is to be company for another dog, that dog should have boundless energy as Cujo is fairly full on. He gets along well with all the other dogs here and also likes cats.

UPDATE

Cujo has first degree subluxating patellas in both legs. For the present, surgery is not required as he is able to correct this on his own. However, surgery may be required in future to repair this condition.

Cujo is desexed, microchipped, vaccinated, wormed and de-flead.

His price is $300

BOOF HAS FOUND A NEW HOME

Boof is a very affectionate and cuddly dog. He is quite active and likes to get involved in whatever is happening.

He is around 2 years old, tan and white in colour with white sox and boots, solid little dog weighing around 3.5kg with big eyes and a pug-like appearance. He has a curly tail.

Boof has a very pleasant and playful nature and is constantly playing with his little mate Cujo (also looking for a home). They chase eachother around the yard and jostle then he is very quick to jump up on your lap the moment you sit down.

Boof is desexed, microchipped and vaccinated, wormed and de-flead.

His price is $300

TAZ IS TRYING OUT HIS NEW HOME

Taz is named so for an obvious reason - he looks like a Tassie Devil, particularly the one on the Bugs Bunny show

He is a Chihuahua X, around 2 years old, small dog with a solid build and weighs 3.8kg. He is tan in colour with very expressive red eyes and a coffee coloured nose. He has a very loveable face.

Tas is a sweet natured, affectionate dog who is well behaved and gets along well with all the other dogs and also likes cats. He is desexed, microchipped, vaccinated, de-flead and wormed.

His price is $300.