Reliving the Holocaust :: Through a Dog's Eyes

For many, just hearing "holocaust" brings up horrifying images of torture and death. Corpses are strewn about, some missing arms or legs, others are headless. Fortunately, that is the past, and it is now behind us. Or so we thought...
The current issue being addressed is a holocaust of a different sort. Death camps for dogs. Millions of dogs are killed every year because of these horrible places, who are, ironically, masquerading as breeding kennels. Every time a female dog goes into heat, they are force bred, which is extremely unhealthy for both the soon-to-be mother, and the puppies being born. Pictures of the horrors committed at these false-kennels include groups of puppies stacked on top of each other, dogs shoved cruelly inside cages smeared with feces and urine, poor puppies covered in cuts, bruises, and open sores. These are the deeds and injustices committed in the puppy mills. These are what we need to stop.

From the very beginning, this article just got me mad. The fact that in our lust for cute puppies and loyal dogs to cuddle and play with, we have created a horrible market for the greedy. This market is the mass-production of dogs. I couldn't believe that so many people were accepting of this, and that it had stayed hidden for so long. The mere thought that some poor puppy was being mistreated just because someone didn't want to adopt from a shelter just made me want to yell and rage. But then I saw the part of the article that told me what I could do to help. And that is to be a smart buyer, and make sure that the breeders that I buy from don't support the puppy mills. Some things to look for are:

• Ask to see the mother of the puppy(ies). If they say no, the puppies are most likely from a puppy mill.
• Breeders who do not provide a certificate of vaccination.
• Breeders who have several popular breeds and many litters.

Evidence

• In Tennessee, 150 puppies overheated and died traveling from a Missouri puppy mill to pet stores on the East Coast simply because the driver didn't turn on the air conditioning.
• Breeders, brokers, and pet stores ensure maximum profits by not spending money for proper food, housing, or veterinary care.
• The USDA has 70 inspector who are supposed to monitor and inspect 8,300 kennels each year.
  

Questions

• Why don't people just go to adoption homes for their dogs?
• If they did, the puppy mill business would die almost immediately.

Source:
Downing, Ann. "Death Camps for Dogs" Suite101.com. 1 May, 2000
"Puppy Mills: Dogs Abused for the Pet Trade" PETA.