My Pet World: Movement keeps building to the ban puppy mills
"I don't understand how in a country of animal lovers, puppy mills can be tolerated," says Chicago veterinarian Dr. Scott Rovner. "Now, we've finally begun to speak up and do something about it; we need to."
Rovner and a Chicago colleague, Dr. Jane Lohmar (with this reporter) recently founded a loosely-knit organization called Veterinary Professionals Against Puppy Mills. The first effort is a Facebook fan page: www.facebook.com/vpapmusa.
"Obviously, puppy mills are flat out wrong and something needs to be done," Lohmar said.
The two veterinarians are hardly alone in their campaign. A grassroots movement to close down puppy mills started on the Internet several years ago. Around the same time, in 2009, Chicago animal welfare advocate Cari Meyers created the non-profit Puppy Mill Project. Her mission is to educate the public about the atrocities of puppy mills.
Since then, thousands of animal lovers have joined the movement, pushing for laws and ordinances to prevent pet stores from selling dogs or cats (and in some places, rabbits). The problem lies with where the animals sold at pet stores are sourced -- from puppy mills and large-scale commercial facilities.
Today, over 60 communities in the U.S. and Canada have passed laws banning sales of dogs or cats (and in some cities, also rabbits) at pet stores, including San Diego, Laguna Beach and Los Angeles, CA; Miami Beach and North Miami Beach, FL; Phoenix, AZ; Albuquerque, NM, and Toronto, Canada. In 2014, Chicago passed an ordinance to prevent pet stores from selling dogs, cats or rabbits, but that legislation may now be challenged in court.
"I've repeatedly seen the results of what happens to puppy mill dogs," says Lohmar. One example was Lilly, a puppy mill breeding Dachshund who had dental disease so bad that a hole had formed from her palate through to her nose (an oral nasal fistula). Lilly also had a giant hernia, mammary cancer and heartworm disease.
"Luckily, we were able to help this dog," Lohmar said.
"It's disappointing that organized veterinary medicine has done little to support these laws to limit pet store sales," Rovner adds. Although, now there's one considerable exception: Veterinary technicians have now taken a stand.
The National Association of Veterinary Technicians of America (NAVTA) are solidly behind the effort of veterinary professionals to speak up and speak out against puppy mills.
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