Puppy Mills in South Western Missouri? (apartment, new home, buy)

[Joe_Linux]

Originally Posted by Hillman

Well years ago I raised Dogs.I had some for Hunting and Pets but most were Livestock the same as was my Hogs and Cows.But I took care of my animals.

hillman

That's good to hear.

[firebll31]

I have known some reputable puppy mill owners who kept the animals in runs, where they were free to move about, not overcrowded. The runs were cleaned regularly and the animals had fresh food and water. Then again I knew of a place (shut down a long time ago) where the dogs were kept in stacked cages-the feces and urine from the top cage ran down onto the ones below. The animals did not have clean water and many suffered from health problems like open sores. They were also overcrowded in the cages with little room to move. So you see, the quality of puppy mills runs the gamut. Personally, if I wanted a pure-bred puppy, I would seek out an owner who only had a couple breeding dogs that were family pets. I won't buy from a pet store. Our current dog is a mutt from the Humane Society. I couldn't ask for a better family friend!

[Hillman]

I have a Jack Russell I got from a Puppy Mill.I got him cheap because he had health problems.Trip to the Vet,problem taken care of,he has been my Buddy for years.

hillman

[latetotheparty]

puppy mills are a huge problem in missouri .... i work in rescue and have transported dogs rescued from mills.... heartbreaking..... unsocialized, blind, frightened to the point of being completely shut down...... NO IDEA at all how a dog is supposed to be treated..... i could go on, but i won't ..... this is a HUGE burr under my saddle.......
oh ... and no offense meant to fireball .... but there is no such thing as a "reputable" puppy mill.....there may be reputable breeders.... but they are few and far between..... any purebred puppy you see advertised for sale in the newspaper or craig's list or for sale in a pet store is GUARANTEED to be a mill puppy or from a backyard breeder..... just out to make a buck on the backs of these dogs...... reputable breeders have waiting lists for their puppies and never have to advertise..... because they breed carefully and selectively and rarely..... and in the interest of improving the breed...... not to make a buck off of innocent animals.......

[Joe_Linux]

Originally Posted by Hillman

I have a Jack Russell I got from a Puppy Mill.I got him cheap because he had health problems.Trip to the Vet,problem taken care of,he has been my Buddy for years.

hillman

I like Jack Russels. Is yours small? I see two every morning on my morning walk. They always walk along right on course. Is yours able to go along with you without a leash?

[Joe_Linux]

Originally Posted by latetotheparty

puppy mills are a huge problem in missouri .... i work in rescue and have transported dogs rescued from mills.... heartbreaking..... unsocialized, blind, frightened to the point of being completely shut down...... NO IDEA at all how a dog is supposed to be treated..... i could go on, but i won't ..... this is a HUGE burr under my saddle.......
oh ... and no offense meant to fireball .... but there is no such thing as a "reputable" puppy mill.....there may be reputable breeders.... but they are few and far between..... any purebred puppy you see advertised for sale in the newspaper or craig's list or for sale in a pet store is GUARANTEED to be a mill puppy or from a backyard breeder..... just out to make a buck on the backs of these dogs...... reputable breeders have waiting lists for their puppies and never have to advertise..... because they breed carefully and selectively and rarely..... and in the interest of improving the breed...... not to make a buck off of innocent animals.......

Is there actually a solution to the Puppy Mill problem or has it become like raising, chickens, and feed lot cattle?

[Nu2pomona]

There is legislation pending in our state right now that will put tighter regulation in place for those "breeders" who have more than 10 female dogs and have intent to breed them. You can read more about it at SOS, Missouri - Elections: 2010 Approved Initiative Petitions. The vote on the complete bill won't happen until November of 2010 so you certainly have time to contact your legislator and voice your opinion.

I, too, have seen the results of unregulated breeding. That said, I have two pure-bred, AKC registered male dogs. One is an AKC Show Champion, and both have outstanding blood lines with literally dozens of champions both in show and field behind them. We've been approached about breeding them several times and our answer is the same. If you are looking for family pets, go to your local animal shelter and adopt. If you want a puppy to compete, check the American Kennel web site for a list of reputable breeders. Above all, read, read, read - know everything you can about the breed you choose before committing to a puppy. Having a dog is not a short term commitment. It is a long-term relationship involving your entire "human" pack.

[Hillman]

Originally Posted by Joe_Linux

I like Jack Russels. Is yours small? I see two every morning on my morning walk. They always walk along right on course. Is yours able to go along with you without a leash?

We are like glue











hillman

[latetotheparty]

Originally Posted by Joe_Linux

Is there actually a solution to the Puppy Mill problem or has it become like raising, chickens, and feed lot cattle?

probably not an easy solution.... particularly with SO MANY people willing to continue to buy the designer dog or fashion statement dog of the month from pet stores and through advertisements..... if they had one iota of a clue about how those dogs came to be, MAYBE they would think twice..... but i doubt it...... pet stores and backyard breeders always claim the pups were born and raised in a home environment.... well yeah, because the miller has the mill on the property where his home sits...... heck, a lot of people can't even be bothered to spay or neuter their pets..... how in the sam hill do you think they will care where the pets came from and how they got here??
it is somewhat similar to factory farming methods in some respects.... except mill dogs (if they are lucky) will live 10-15 years or better.... many have serious or even fatal genetic issues because of poor breeding practices ...... the backyard breeder and the miller don't care though.... just keep churning those pups out for the $$$$.........

[latetotheparty]

just got this in an email this afternoon.......


I just wanted to share some great news! There are now 140 fewer commercial breeders in the State of Missouri than there were this time last year!

This is a direct result of the rescue community taking large numbers of mill survivors into their rescue programs, sharing their stories with the new adoptive families, who then go on to share their dog's story with friends and family, and many of those people will go on to consider adopting a rescued dog versus buying a puppy from a commercial breeder (aka puppy mill).

In addition, the rescue community has been very instrumental in educating the general public of the plight of dogs in breeding programs and where pet store, Internet, Craig's list, newspaper ad, etc., puppies come from. The end result is increasing numbers of people are turning to rescue when considering adoption of a family pet.

AND with increasing pressure from the public, our legislators are beginning to enact more stringent guidelines for commercial breeders along with enforcing stricter penalties for those who do not follow the guidlines. Previously, the record for enforcement of existing guidelines has been extremely poor. Much work in this area still needs to be done, but very positive progress is being made!

Keep up the good work everyone! Despite the good news, the State of Missouri continues to have the dubious distinction of being know as the Puppy Mill Capital with more commercial breeders within it's borders than any state in the country. However, if we continue publicizing the plight of the mill dogs, sharing the stories of our mill survivors, and when ever possible fostering a mill survivor, not only will you be saving the life of the dog you foster, but when you share your stories, you will be saving the lives of the breeder dogs left behind. The result will be fewer people purchasing puppies born in commercial breeding facilities, and we will continue to see declining numbers of commercial breeders nationwide!

Remember: If the market for commercially bred puppies continues to decline, commercial breeders will evenutally go out of business!

it's baby steps..... but baby steps in the right direction.....