Fall is finally upon us (even if it still feels like summer here in Texas), and September is another month full of pet-centric holidays. There is one holiday that Texas Humane Heroes feels particularly strong about, and that is Puppy Mill Awareness Day on September 15.
You see, our mission is to eliminate pet homelessness. Our vision is to find a home for every pet. Unfortunately, puppy mills contribute to pet overpopulation and are breeding dogs as often as possible to create thousands of puppies that they can’t find homes for. These dogs are kept in kennels barely adhering to government regulation. They don’t get to know what love is unless they are lucky enough to get bought for an inflated price. If they don’t meet a breeder’s expectations, they are abandoned.
BestFriends.org does an amazing job at explaining the issues with puppy mills, how you can avoid contributing to the profit of puppy mills, and why adopting pets rather than buying them is so important.
Many of the dogs who make it out of puppy mills and into pet stores or Craigslist ads are likely to suffer from a variety of health conditions after being purchased due to inbreeding and the unsanitary conditions of their upbringing.
There is a surplus of articles online that explaining why puppy mills are terrible and what you can do to help stop them. The ASPCA wrote one, PetSafe wrote another, and a quick Google search of “How to stop puppy mills” will bring you hundreds of responses.
If you are looking for a purebred pooch, many find themselves looking for homes at local shelters or adoption centers. There are also breed specific rescues for every breed you can imagine! So whether you’re looking for a boxer, chihuahua, or even a Bouvier des Flanders, think adoption first!
Pets are a part of the family. If you or someone you know is looking to bring a dog into your home, make sure that dog is coming from an adoption center, shelter or rescue. If we stop supporting the “purchase” of dogs, we can stop puppy mills. If we can stop puppy mills, we will be that much closer to eliminating pet homelessness.