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Pet Safety Advice

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Pet Safety Advice From the Experts

Pet Safety Advice From the Experts

Editor: Information from SPCA International/ Global Animal Rescue. PO Box 96222-Washington, D.C. 20077/ spcai.org/ Please, donate as often as you can-SAVE A LIFE.

By D.S. Mitchell

  • Avoid feeding your pets human food. It is not healthy for them and is a primary cause of significant weight gain, which is not good for our fur babies. The food can also contain allergens that you may be unaware of and will increase the danger to your pets.
  • Be sure to avoid giving your pet any food that contains Xylitol (an artificial sweetener). This chemical is extremely harmful to animals. Yummy human treats like ice cream can be bad news for pets. Most adult pets are lactose intolerant, and as we all know ice cream has a milk base. Furthermore, ice cream contains high levels of sugar and fat that can cause severe stomach upset, obesity, or painful pancreatitis. Certain flavors and sugar-free options also contain fatal toxins.
  • Changing seasons is a great time to check your pet’s ID tags and microchip. Just take five minutes to make sure all your pet’s information is current and in proper order.
  • Be sure to check you pet’s collar frequently, ensuring that it is not too tight causing pain and discomfort for the animal. Just as important, make sure the collar is not loose, which could cause your pet to lose the collar and possibly escape with no identification.
  • When walking or hiking with your dog be aware of wildlife, for your safety as well as your pet’s.
  • Adult deer ticks are prevalent in the late summer and fall. Deer ticks are responsible for spreading Lyme disease-which can be a danger for you and your pet. Use a tick and flea preventative spray to keep the bugs away. Ticks live in long grass, so mow your lawn regularly and confine your pets to help keep your tick problem under control.
  • Whether it is summer or winter don’t leave your pets outside for prolonged periods of time. It doesn’t take long for a pet to become overheated or too cold; particularly puppies, kittens, senior pets and smaller breeds.
  • Abandoned animals are, sadly, a part of our culture. Go to a rescue shelter and adopt an animal-SAVE A LIFE.

Policing Problematic Puppy Mills

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Policing Problematic Puppy Mills

By Wes Hessel

 Producing Pets For Pure Profit

 By definition a “puppy mill” is problematic.  These breeders raise animals purely for profit.  At best,  conditions barely meet legal minimum standards.  Most often there is flagrant disregard of laws and the animals’ welfare, subjecting animals to horrendous conditions.

Per Wikipedia

Per Wikipedia, a codified uniform legal characterization has not yet been made.  A case law definition was established in 1984 by Avenson v. Zegart, as “a dog breeding operation in which the health of the dogs is disregarded in order to maintain a low overhead and maximize profits”.   “Emphasis on quantity over quality, indiscriminate breeding, continuous confinement, lack of human contact and environmental enrichment, poor husbandry, and minimal to no veterinary care”, is how The Humane Society of the United States’ (HSUS)  Veterinary Medical Association describes the practice.

Make It Stop..

Senior director John Goodwin of The Humane Society of the United States is spearheading a stop puppy mills campaign.  The goal of the campaign is to activate the average citizen. Goodwin believes it is imperative that citizens report puppy mills and then refuse to  patronize stores who sell animals that come from these suppliers.  Some Mennonite and Amish communities have concentrations of puppy mills, particularly in Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.  The Midwest has a large percentage of the offenders: the animal protection organization’s “Horrible 100” has five Indiana dog breeders on the list, for example, one of which is tied for the seventh worst.  Missouri, who has the highest number of puppy mills in the U.S., reported two breeders with significant numbers of emaciated dogs and abhorrent conditions.

It Gets Worse…

An Iowa  puppy mill with 650 dogs had more than 50 that were ill or injured.  Some of these operations have over a thousand canines in their charge.  Circumstances at smaller breeders aren’t necessarily better.  The Attorney General of Michigan is pursuing action against an AKC breeder for allegedly deceiving customers, euthanizing unwanted puppies, and selling sick animals.  A Kansas puppy miller admitted to shooting and killing over two dozen dogs.  Some others have been known to drown animals rather than go to the expense of humane euthanasia.

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