The recent proposal by Athens City Council members to implement a spay and neuter plan has sparked discussion about where pet stores get their animals.
Some animal activists in Athens have argued that pet stores get their dogs from puppy mills and have protested the opening of a new pet store in Athens.
Puppy mills, which can be defined as breeding facilities with substandard conditions, are a problem across the United States, said Bill Long, an animal activist affiliated with the organization Protect Our Earth's Treasures.
Many of the dogs coming from these facilities are malnourished or suffer from genetic disorders, said Stephanie Shain, director of Outreach for Companion Animals for the Humane Society of the United States.
In addition, facilities that might be considered puppy mills are not always regulated or inspected, but often sell directly to the public or to pet stores.
Many people have varying classifications of what constitutes a puppy mill. The conditions at a facility licensed and regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture could be considered a puppy mill to some, while others might disagree. The same goes for a smaller facility run by a local breeder, Shain said.
Despite varying definitions, Shain said that many breeding facilities have poor conditions.
Most people who love dogs and saw the conditions these animals were living in would be horrified
she said. Many of these animals are in dilapidated unclean cages with bad food. Animals that are usually social are locked up in cages and forced to breed for a majority of their life.
Rescued puppies
Four years ago, Massachusetts's resident Donna McIlrath, a former resident of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, adopted two dogs from the Geauga Humane Society. Humane society workers rescued 130 dogs from a puppy mill in Newberry, Ohio, that violated health and safety regulations.
After the rescue, the Humane Society advertised for foster homes for the rescued dogs through local newspapers and McIlrath and her family chose to adopt, she said.
McIlrath's dogs, Tootsie and Taffy, both poodles, shy away from strangers and sometimes shake uncontrollably. Tootsie has trouble jumping onto the couch and has a small limp. Tootsie had hip surgery soon after McIlrath's family adopted her, for which the family paid.
Wholesale breeders
There are two types of commercial breeders: breeders who sell wholesale to a middleman, often pet stores, and breeders who sell directly to the public. The U.S. Department of Agriculture licenses commercial breeders who use a middleman. These commercial breeders are breeding animals for profit and some see these facilities as puppy mills.
Many animal activists protested when Petland Inc. came to 977 E. State St. on May 1, claiming the store gets its puppies from puppy mills.
Commercial stores most definitely get their puppies from puppy mills Long said. It is just easier for them.
However, Petland officials said they inspect the facilities they buy from to ensure they meet Petland's standards.
Athens Petland General Manager Cassie Whittle said she personally goes to breeders that her store might buy from to examine the facility. Petland provides specific guidelines that she follows when looking at the facility. Whittle declined to give the specific guidelines.
While Whittle said she has not bought from local breeders because none have dogs old enough, she is working to form relationships with them and said she hopes to buy from them in the future.
In a May 24 interview, Whittle said the last group of puppies, about 10, was obtained from Hunt Corporation in Missouri, a USDA inspected and licensed distributor. Last week, six dogs were dropped off at Petland, and its Adopt-A-Pet program found three of them homes. The program finds homes for unwanted litters in the area.
The USDA inspects its licensed facilities once a year, but with only 100 inspectors for about 3,000 facilities in the United States, the numbers just don't match up
Shain said. If a facility is cited for a violation, the inspector often is unable to go back for months, if at all.
Some of the USDA requirements include having adequate veterinary care, food and water, being free of rodents and meeting cage size requirements.
Despite inspections and regulations, many of the facilities do not have high standards, Shain said.
Kennel breeders
Other commercial breeders selling directly to the public do not have to be registered or licensed with the USDA. Most kennels in the United States are registered and licensed with the American Kennel Club, which has regulations similar to the USDA. These types of breeders can be breeding anywhere from 20-100 dogs at a time, Shain said.
Inspectors from the AKC are knowledgeable about dogs and their care, said Carol Jameson, a cocker spaniel breeder and owner of Jameson Lexington Cockers Kennel in Lexington, Ohio. Inspectors randomly visit every 18 months to inspect how the owners identify their dogs and to make sure the cages are clean and the dogs have adequate veterinary care.
If cited by the AKC for violations, a breeder often loses their breeding rights. Jameson said she knew someone who was fined $2,000 and was not allowed to register to breed for 10 years.
There are some people out there who will do anything for a dollar
she said.
Jameson said she advertises through the Internet because it is cheaper and reaches a larger audience. When potential customers come to look at the dogs, Jameson said she is picky about who she will allow to buy her dogs.
If they have a pool in their backyard
I will ask if they have a fence
she said. I also ask if they have small children and if they own any other animals. If they have previously owned a cocker spaniel
then I feel more comfortable about selling to them.
These breeders also create new breeds and breed dogs that are in demand. Often, the dogs they breed are dogs that are popular at the moment. These breeders often advertise through the Internet and newspapers, Shain said.
State laws
Each state has different rules and regulations about licensing and animal abuse.
In Ohio, breeders do not need to be registered with the USDA, said Patty Jeffers, a representative at the Athens County Auditor's Office.
Breeders need kennel licenses, which are $10 a dog and $1 a dog after five dogs, said Lana Planisek, the Athens City Animal Control Officer.
When Planisek receives a complaint, she will inspect the facility and if there are obvious violations, such as dirty cages or lack of food and water, and the owners of the facility do not comply immediately, then she can press charges under Ohio Revised Code 959.13, titled Cruelty to Animals. The charge is a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $750 fine.
Planisek said she always goes back after a violation is found to make sure the owners correct their violations. The amount of time before she returns depends on what animals were involved and the severity of the situation.
In Wisconsin, no breeding facilities are licensed, said Donna Gilson, a spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection in Wisconsin. Animal activists are working to get legislation passed that would make it mandatory for wholesale breeders and pet care facilities to be licensed.
Right now it is a buyer-beware situation
Gilson said.
If animal abuse is occurring, citizens can alert local law enforcement officials and, if there is a case of clear-cut abuse, health and safety regulations would be enforced, Gilson said.
Overpopulation
Shain said people are supporting puppy mills when they buy from pet stores. Because people often buy new animals instead of supporting animal shelters, they are contributing to the euthanasia of animals in shelters.
Last year, 1,068 dogs were euthanized and, as of May 12, 370 dogs and puppies have been euthanized in the Athens County Dog Shelter.
Before Petland places animals in its Adopt-A-Pet program, all male animals are neutered and new owners are given a certificate to get females spayed, Whittle said. Petland supports the spaying and neutering of all animals.
However, animal activists say the only way to stop puppy mills is to support animal shelters.
The only way to stop the industry is to stop purchasing animals from pet stores
Shain said. Every time you buy a puppy from a pet store
you leave room for another puppy and it is guaranteed that another puppy is on the way.
