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| Stephanie Shain carries some of the Montreal dogs to safety. ©Riley/The HSUS |
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The future looked bleak for 110 dogs who were trapped at a horrendous puppy mill outside of Montreal, Quebec, until members of Humane Society International were called in to intervene on Sept. 26. HSI Canada contacted The HSUS's Stop Puppy Mills Campaign for expert assistance in conducting this groundbreaking raid—Quebec's largest in the past decade (see video here).
"This bust is just the beginning of our work to eradicate puppy mills on an international level," said Stephanie Shain, director of the Stop Puppy Mills Campaign. "The cruelty of puppy mills knows no boundaries, and we will not turn away from dogs in need simply because they are stuck in a mill outside U.S. borders."
Solid Record
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has been battling to shut down puppy mills for decades, but more recently, we've had successes on several fronts, from Tennessee to Pennsylvania, and from Beverly Hills to Capitol Hill.
Tennessee
In the months following The HSUS's raid at the Tennessee's Pine Bluff puppy mill in June, dogs who previously spent their lives living in deplorable conditions found the safe homes they deserved. Nearly 700 dogs and a myriad of other animals were rescued from the puppy mill and were later put up for adoption.
West Virginia
In August, The HSUS and other animal care organizations removed 927 dogs from their squalid hutches at Whispering Oaks Kennel in West Virginia. The raid was believed to be the largest puppy mill raid in W. Va. history.
Virginia and Louisiana
In April, Virginia became the first state to limit the size of puppy mills by making it illegal to maintain more than 50 dogs over the age of one year. Louisiana lawmakers approved a bill in May to restrict mega-mills by limiting breeding operations to no more than 75 adult dogs.
Beverly Hills
The HSUS recently addressed the issue of puppy mills and Chihuahuas. "Beverly Hills Chihuahua," opening Oct. 3, may make moviegoers fall in love with the pint-size pooches and want one of their own. This concerns The HSUS because, as history has shown, when a particular breed is featured in film or television, demand goes up and puppy mills are only too happy to breed more dogs to cash in on the craze.
While The HSUS applauds Disney's on-screen and online warning that pet ownership is a big responsibility—entailing a lifetime commitment and adoption—there's an equally critical message viewers should receive: whenever you get a dog, make sure you aren't supporting puppy mills.
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Pennsylvanians rallied to pass the "Doggy Bill." ©Riley/The HSUS |
Pennsylvania and Beyond
A day after hundreds attended a successful rally at the state Capitol, lawmakers in the Pennsylvania House passed two bills Sept. 17 that would overhaul the state's dog law and crack down on puppy mills.
The same day, federal lawmakers introduced bills to crack down on abusive puppy mills in the United States. The legislation will close a loophole in the Animal Welfare Act that currently allows thousands of large, commercial breeders who sell puppies online and directly to the public to escape licensing and regulation.
The legislation—known as the "Puppy Uniform Protection Statute" (PUPS), or "Baby's Bill" in honor of rescued puppy mill survivor Baby who is the subject of Jana Kohl's new book, "A Rare Breed of Love"—was introduced in the House of Representatives in September as H.R. 6949 by Reps. Sam Farr (D-Calif.), Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.), Lois Capps (D-Calif.) and Terry Everett (R-Ala.). A companion bill was also introduced in the Senate by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.).
Far From Over
Despite this progress, our work is far from over—thousands of puppy mills are still in operation, and we need your help to stop them. Visit humanesociety.org/puppymills to find out how you can help.
