Tomorrow November 2nd is your chance to dramatically improve the lives of the thousands of breeder dogs trapped in Missouri's 3000+ breeder for profit facilities, also known as puppy mills! Please take the time to read the following information, view the videos, and share this information with family and friends, urging them to take a few moments out of their day tomorrow to go to the polls to vote yes to Missouri Proposition B. You will indeed be instrumental in making a positive change in the daily lives of thousands of unfortunate Missouri breeder for profit dogs...perhaps even saving a precious life!
A tribute to Missouri's thousands of breeder dogs trapped in Missouri's inhumane breeder for profit facilities: http://tinyurl.com/2uu73x
Missouri Proposition B provides initiatives to provide basic humane care and treatment of breeder dogs who are tragically living out their lives in Missouri's puppy mills. Missouri has over 3000 puppy mills within it's borders, more than any other state in the country. It has earned the dubious distinction of being known as our country's puppy mill capital: the mass commercial production method of producing and selling puppies to the public for profit.
The 3 basic but very important changes Proposition B would bring about are as follows.
- Not withstanding any other provision of law, no person may have custody of more than fifty covered dogs for the purpose of breeding those animals and selling any offspring for use as a pet.
- Require adequate rest between breeding cycles, means, at minimum, ensuring that dogs are not bred to produce more than two litters in any 18 month period.
- Prohibit the cruel and inhumane treatment of dogs in puppy mills by requiring large-scale dog breeding operations to provide each dog under their care with basic food and water, adequate shelter from the elements, necessary veterinary care, adequate space to turn around and stretch his or her limbs, and regular exercise.
The entire text of Missouri's Proposition B initiative, in very easy to read language can be found at http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/2010petitions/2010-085.asp
Proposition B (also known as the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act) was added to Missouri's November 2nd ballot as the result of a petition prompted by the Humane Society of Missouri, Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Humane Society of the United States, with the full support of the state's city animal shelters, local humane society shelters, private rescue organizations, along with individuals and families interested in improving the tragic lives of Missouri breeder dogs kept on Missouri farms as common livestock, and legally regarded as such according to current Missouri agricultural guide lines.
Some commercial dog breeders argue that Missouri Proposition B's initiatives will prevent them from making an honest living and/or even force them to go out of business. THIS IS NOT TRUE!
Although Proposition B would force a commercial breeder to reduce their current ownership of up to 800 dogs to 50 adult breeding dogs, and prohibit the breeding of females more than twice in any 18 month period, each female breeding dog would still be capable of producing five or more puppies per litter, allowing a commercial breeder to sell roughly 200 to 400 puppies a year, with a potential income exceeding $100,000: far more than the average family income of most Missourians.
Some people argue that Missouri Proposition B will only adversely affectlicensed breeders, and allow unlicensed commercial dog breeders to freely conduct business as usual. THIS IS NOT TRUE!
In addition to Missouri animal welfare inspectors cracking down on the inhumane treatment of breeder dogs in licensed commercial breeding facilities, Missouri also has had a system in place for quite some time to track down, inspect and close down unlicensed dog breeders. This is an on line reporting system called Operation Bark Alert Since the launch of Operation Bark Alert, more than 3,700 dogs have been rescued all across Missouri. In 2009, Missouri saw a decrease of 164 commercial breeders thanks to the new Operation Bark Alert initiative. In 2010, Missouri the trend continues and more than 180 commercial breeders are no longer in business in Missouri, but more needs to be done. http://mda.mo.gov/animals/ACFA/barkalert/reportbreeder.php
The success of Operation Bark Alert is further illustrated in this video of a 2009 confiscation of breeder dogs from a Missouri unlicensed commercial dog breeding facility: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjYSh8HzSv0
Breeder dogs are owned by commercial breeders (puppy mills) for the sole purpose of profit via the mass production of puppies for sale to pet stores, puppy brokers such as the Hunte Corporation in Goodman, Missouri (more information on The Hunte Corporation is attached at the end of this message), via the Internet, Craig's List, newspaper ads, etc.
Breeder dogs are not owned by commercial breeders aka puppy mills as family pets. They are housed in crude, filthy and crowded structures similar to rabbit hutches, stacked one on top of the other, with wire flooring where they eat, defecate, breed and produce puppies. Most do not receive even minimal veterinary care. It is not unusual for a female with difficulty whelping to be given a c-section by the commercial breeder without anesthesia. Many breeders rid themselves of loud, incessant barking and whining by debarking their dogs via the cruel method of crudely jamming a metal sharp metal tool down their throats to sever their vocal cords. Many breeder dogs have never felt grass beneath their feet, nor can they expect to at any time during their lives. The following 2 videos graphically show the living conditions and the physical condition of breeder dogs living in one of many Missouri commercial breeding facilities.
(Video #1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60LiJE-CmAk
(Video #2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhbp7Jz0lmo
These puppy mill survivors are a few of the lucky ones when they were confiscated by the State of Missouri in 2009 after their deplorable living conditions and treatment were discovered and deemed inhumane by even the most basic animal husbandry guidelines. Sadly, the images you will see in these videos are all too common place, and is why the passage of Missouri Proposition B is so very important!
Some people say Missouri Proposition B will adversely affect responsible and ethical breeders. THIS IS NOT TRUE.
In fact, responsible and ethical breeders actually support Missouri Proposition B because they care about the humane treatment of dogs irregardless of their position in life!Responsible and ethical breeders are in the profession simply for their love of the breed(s) and the betterment of the breed(s) they represent. Many are involved in expensive medical research to eradicate genetic, medical and temperament issues. Unlike commercial breeders for profit, they spay/neuter any dog or puppy found to have these traits to assure poor genetics are not passed down to future generations of puppies. It is extremely rare to find a responsible and ethical breeder who owns more than 50 dogs (most own far fewer), and all give their breeding females adequate rest between breeding cycles to assure their continued health. Most responsible and ethical breeders regard their dogs as family pets, and are very focused on early and consistant socialization (something commercial breeding dogs never receive).
Responsible and ethical breeders never sell their puppies to wholesale brokers, pet stores, via the Internet, Craig's List, newspaper ads, etc.They instead very carefully screen individuals/families interested in purchasing their puppies to assure the placement is right for the puppy and the family to assure a happy outcome in contrast to commercial breeders who sell to anyone who has the money to purchase a puppy. Responsible and ethical breeders either spay/neuter the puppies before releasing them or release them on a spay/neuter contract to assure irresponsible breeding does not take place after the purchase of one of their puppies, versus commercial breeders who do not take these precautions. Responsible breeders usually require a very detailed purchase contract to be signed with the purchaser agreeing to certain standards of veterinary care, nutrition, exercising, housing, socialization, etc. They also normally require that the dog or puppy be returned to the breeder should the placement not work out for any reason. Commercial dog breeders never require such a contract.
Missouri also has the secondary and very dubious distinction of being home to The Hunte Corporation based in Goodman, Missouri, which is currently the largest puppy broker in the United States. http://www.petstorecruelty.org/Hunte Corp.htm. It buys puppies from puppy mills in Missouri and several Midwestern states and then sells them to pet stores all over the country, including many Petlands. Breeders either drop the puppies off at the Hunte building or a Hunte truck goes out to pick them up. The puppies are checked over by Hunte employees. The breeders expect to receive a certain price from Hunte depending on the breed of dog, butHunterunte decides the puppies are not very healthy, they may offer the breeder less money. The breeders usually accept the lower price, as they have no use for the puppies.
Hunte's Grade A puppies, the supposedly healthier ones, are sent to pet stores. The Grade B puppies, the sicklier ones, are sold in other ways. We understand that some are sold to people who sell dogs over the Internet or through newspaper ads. Others were formerly sold at Missouri flea markets and in Canada, but now they are apparently often ending up at the huge Canton Flea Market in Texas, which sells dogs, cats and other animals by the hundreds. Puppies that are rejected by pet stores and sent back to Hunte also fall into this Grade B category and are disposed of in the same way.The Canton Animal Shelter describes its situation as urgent (see www.petfinder.org/shelters/TX256.html)
Thank you for taking the time to read this important information and viewing the videos. I hope it will encourage to go the the polls tomorrow and vote yes for Missouri Proposition B.
Please help improve the living conditions for Missouri's unfortunuate puppy mill breeder dogs and their babies by voting yes for Proposition B on November 2nd!
Please watch Hope for dogs in puppy mills and VOTE YES for PROP B.
"Never, never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way." Martin Luther King Jr.
