As a member of Maine Citizens Against Puppy Mills, I write concerning legislative bill LD 335, “An Act To Prohibit the Sales of Dogs and Cats in Pet Shops.”
According to evidence collected by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, puppy mills do exist. These “mills” have male and female dogs producing litter after litter. The ASPCA has found evidence of dogs’ broken and diseased bodies, covered with tumors and with broken spirits in such places.
The puppies are American Kennel Club-registered and sold to many pet shops. There are reports that the AKC supports large-scale breeding facilities and it lobbies lawmakers to vote against changes concerning puppy mill facilities.
The USDA has failed to protect puppy mill dogs. According to the ASPCA, the breed dogs are kept in wire cages barely large enough to live in for as long as they can survive and are never let out of their cages. The cages, with wire flooring, are sometimes stacked on top of each other. Other dogs are kept in wooden boxes.
When the breeding dogs are no longer useful, they are killed or sold at dog auctions, as was the case with Lily, an Italian greyhound, rescued by Theresa Strader.
It is hard to fight the puppy mill industry because powerful groups lobby and influence legislatures. It is all about money.
Carol Hartley, Sabattus
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