Did you know that there are dog moms all across the country who are trapped in cages for years and years who will never know a happy Mother's Day? These moms live in puppy mills, mass-breeding facilities that raise dogs in shockingly poor conditions with little hope of ever becoming part of a family.
This Mother's Day weekend, we're rallying for these moms, with the goal of creating better futures for all dogs like them. We hope you'll join us at a Petland near you.
Rally For Moms
Animal protection advocates will assemble for the third time this year at Petland retail stores across the country Saturday, May 9 to call for the nation's largest chain of puppy selling pet stores to stop supporting puppy mills.
Stop Selling Puppies!
Advocates will urge Petland to stop supporting the cruel puppy mill industry through the chain's puppy sales, and instead create an adoption program similar to other large pet supply retailers like PETCO and PetSmart.
In March, demonstraters crowded the sidewalks in front of 30 different Petland stores from coast to coast to tell the comapny to stop selling puppies.
The Investigation
In November, The Humane Society of the United States revealed the results of an eight-month investigation of Petland Inc. The HSUS investigation revealed that Petland is the nation's largest retail chain purchasing dogs from puppy mills.
Our March demonstrations were followed by a nationwide class-action consumer lawsuit filed against Petland and the Hunte Corporation by HSUS members and other consumers.
Good News
In late April, life got better for dogs in Indiana when the state passed new legislation (H.E.A. 1468) that provides upgraded penalties for animal abuse, and basic care standards for dogs at puppy mills.
The new legislation requires that dogs in puppy mills be let out of their cages at least once per day for exercise and increases the minimum cage size and bans painful wire cage flooring. These protections will curb some of the worst abuses at large-scale puppy mills and do not affect responsible home breeders who already raise dogs humanely.
Bills relating to puppy mills and to bettering the lives of dogs who live in them have been introduced in 33 states this year.
