PUPPY MILLS-----A NATIONAL DISGRACE

Hi -
There was an article written in People Magazine recently which described the disgusting conditions in which dogs were being bred for sale at some farms in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Oddly, these “Puppy Mills” were reportedly located on land owned by Amish and Mennonite people---folks usually associated with their industrious, hardworking and clean living styles. According to this article, dogs were kept confined in cages, deprived of both exercise, and devoid of human touch. They were subsequently sold to various pet stores for sale to the public. The canines that displayed behavioral problems, or had physical limitations were summarily shot by the farmer/breeder! To me this was another example of the gross indifference exhibited by the population in general toward the torturous and cruel treatment of animals.

The odious smell of the recent Vick case still lingers as a testimonial example to the lack of compassion that some people display toward dogs, cats, and other pets in general. Albert Schweitzer stated “Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing.” Have we become a society that so tacitly accepts the mechanical everyday mistreatment of dogs, cats and other domestic pets? There is a plethora of examples of exotic animals being stolen from their native areas, or of endangered animals being hunted for their skins or tusks, of animals being slaughtered to satisfy insane cult rites. Puppy mills are but one other example of covert cruelty that continues to exist today. It is a sonorous reminder of the dark side of humanity. But unlike other lamentable conditions, this is something that can be actively impeded by not purchasing animals from pet stores that obtain their stock from these unethical and cruel puppy mills.

 - The Clutterman #26

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