* The 2014-2015 senior student signature series features area senior class students – and their own “signature” outlooks on a topic of their choice. A new outlook will be posted on Cross-Counties Connect each Friday. The series opens with point of view comments by seniors from Mountain Lake Public High School. The opinions can be found by clicking on the Family & Faith link on the website’s header, and scrolling down to, and clicking on, Outlook. Their teachers are Brenda Feil, Kim Syverson and Debby Jass.
Deaunna Carter
Editorial
9/19/2014
Mrs. Feil
The Horrible Truth
Puppy mills should be banned because they are overcrowded and animals can have disease.
Some breeders seem to be regular people selling purebred animals such as large, medium and
small dogs, cats, horses, or even pot bellied pigs. When you go to a breeder you expect them to
be authentic breeders, but a lot of the time, they are running a puppy mill.
The best way to tell if it is a puppy mill is that they have too many different breeds of animals
in unsafe or unsanitary conditions. The care and socialization of the animals should be most
important to healthy animals. They may have large dogs in small cramped cages and small
breeds in small pens. Sometimes there are as many as six pups where one can barely fit. Some
breeders sell mixed breed dogs as purebreds, calling them “designer dogs” which is a scam.
Some puppy mills sell to pet shops through a broker or a middleman and market their puppies as
young as eight weeks old. They shouldn’t even leave their mothers until 10-12 weeks old.
In dogs from puppy mills, there are medical issues that are very apparent, such as weeping
eyes, dirty coat, and very sad animals. Illness and disease are very common in dogs from puppy
mills, including epilepsy, heart and kidney disease, blood disorders, and kennel cough. Puppy
mill breeders don’t care about the health and well-being of the dogs they are breeding and
selling, they just want money.
My family has rescued two Shih-Tzus from a puppy mill in Pipestone, Minnesota, although
we didn’t know that at first. Our first dog had kennel cough and dehydration. When we took her
to the vet, we found out she was about to die. Our second dog was very young, about six weeks
old. He had a scrotal hernia and the breeders were just letting him die. They didn’t want to
spend the money at the vet, so we rescued him, took him to a vet, and saved his life.
My point is that, puppy mills appear to be legitimate, but they are not and should be shut
down. Adopting a dog from a puppy mill just keeps them in business longer. A certified and
responsible breeder is the best choice. Don’t buy from a pet store or over the internet. Do your
research and find a local breeder or a licensed breeder. End the torture of dogs, cats, or other
animals in puppy mills!
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