By Janet McAfee
Notorious puppy mills (large breeding facilities keeping dogs in squalid inhumane conditions to profit from selling “pure breed” animals) continue to operate in many communities, often undetected in remote locations. They frequently advertise cute puppies for sale online, collect exorbitant fees in advance, and ship them by public transport without the chance for adopters to visit their site. No vaccinations or veterinary care is provided, and when someone calls about a sick or even dead puppy there is no response. Animals suffer trapped in small cages often exposed to extreme hot or cold weather.
Did you know that over 25% of the animals in California’s public shelter appear to be pure breeds? My beautiful pup Jolie appears to be a Coton de Tulear, a rare French breed with lovely fluffy white cotton fur. These dogs sell for over $10,000 online, while my cost at the San Bernardino County shelter at Devore was approximately $85 which included vaccinations, rabies, spaying and microchipping. Our 4 Riverside County shelters are currently at 238% overcapacity with beautiful adoptable dogs, puppies, cats and kittens. These facilities have private visiting areas where you can meet the pet and get some information about their personality.
- ADOPT YOUR NEXT PET! In addition to our local Riverside County shelter in Thousand Palms, the Coachella Valley Animal Campus, there are numerous private shelters and rescues where you can meet and select your new best fur friend. Most of them have foster homes where the pets receive socialization and behavior training. The foster parent can tell you great information about the animal’s traits. The City of Palm Springs operates another large public animal shelter. If you seek a particular breed, you can also go online at www.petfinder.com and find animals of that type. The joy of watching the personality of your rescue pet unfold over the next few weeks is incredible!
- SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT REGULATES AND REDUCES BREEDING OF ANIMALS. To help change your city, county and state laws, sign up to receive alerts from Best Friends’ Voices for No More Homeless Pets. Best Friends operates the largest animal shelter in the country in Utah and does outreach throughout. Go to yourvoice.bestfriends.org to sign up. Check your local government websites for information on domestic animal breeding restrictions. Find out and support those elected officials who support animal welfare issues.
- LEARN ABOUT EXISTING LAWS – California’s law AB485 which prohibits the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in commercial pet stores unless they are from shelters or rescue organizations took effect in 2019. This was the first state to pass this type of legislations which also provided that pet stores provide adopters information about where the animal came from. Other states followed, but some still lag behind.
- SPREAD THE WORD TO FAMILY & FRIENDS – Educate your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers about the cruelty of puppy mills and the joys of adopting a rescue pet. Share adoption websites such as www.Petfinder.com and specific breed rescue organizations for those looking for a pure breed animal. Share the list of local shelters and rescues on the next page with people seeking to adopt. Offer to accompany a senior or friend who lives alone to a shelter to help them select a special animal. Post photos of homeless animals on social media.
- VOLUNTEER AT A LOCAL SHELTER OR RESCUE – Contact one of the organizations on the next page to find out what volunteer opportunities they have. You can take part in off site adoption events, transport animals to vet appointments, help them learn leash walking and command training. The FIDO WALKERS at the county Coachella Valley Animal Campus take the medium and large dogs wearing adoption vests for outings to parks, malls, and other public venues to meet prospective adopters. These volunteers showcase these beautiful friendly rescue animals while they educate the public.
- DON’T GIVE UP – The fight against puppy mills and bad breeders has been going on for decades. They are now able to advertise online and sometimes even fraudulently advertise animals that don’t exist. Today during my shift at Loving All Animals shelter, a distraught woman came in seeking a puppy. This morning she sent a large deposit for a Yorkshire puppy pictured online only to have the advertiser suddenly quit communication. If you can educate just one person about the horrors of puppy mills and bad breeders or convince just one person to adopt rather than buy a pet, you’ve made a difference.
Pay a visit to the largest shelter in our region, the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms, located just off the Bob Hope exit from the 10 freeway. When you see a dog or cat you like, ask the staff to take it to one of their private visiting rooms and see their personality unfold. Check out their adoptable dogs and cats on www.rcdas.org . Save a life and experience the love!
