Puppy Mill Action Week is observed the week before Mother’s Day. That’s fitting, as mother dogs are usually the ones treated most poorly in puppy mills. In 2022, Puppy Mill Action Week takes place from May 1st to May 7th.
The goal in observing this week is to raise awareness and fight puppy mills that keep dogs in horrific conditions, forcing them to breed so that puppies can be sold to pet stores until the mother dogs die or are discarded when they can no longer give birth.
Puppy mills treat dogs as commodities to be used, sold, and bought, rather than as friends and companions. The unwanted dogs from puppy mills are dumped, killed, or given to shelters that are already overcrowded with dogs who need homes.
If you care about dogs and puppies, please help to put an end to the brutal puppy mill industry. Take some time to share information with your friends and family. You’d be surprised at how few people even know about puppy mills.
The first step to making change is to spread knowledge. Here are some steps you can take to fight puppy mills during Puppy Mill Action Week.
Check To See What Puppy Mills Are Near You
Most people believe that there couldn’t possibly be any barbaric puppy mills near where they live. However, many people would be wrong about that.
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) releases and annual Horrible Hundred, which is a rundown of dangerous puppy mills across America based on a variety of inspections, investigations, and reports.
HSUS also says that there are an estimated 10,000 puppy mills across America, and fewer than 3,000 are regulated by the USDA.
Even one puppy mill is too many.
Knowing which puppy mills are near you will help you determine where you should put your efforts. It will also increase your awareness and the awareness of others you speak to about puppy mills. You need to know how bad the problem is before you can go about fixing it.
Do some research. If you have a problem with these facilities operating in your community, state, or country, speak out.
Contact Your Local Government Representatives
If you find that puppy mills are operating in your area, put pressure on your local government representatives to take action.
Check the local laws, and see if any bills have been introduced to curb the puppy mill problem. Voice your support of these bills. Start petitions, speak to other locals, and make sure people know what’s going on and how it affects the community.
It may seem like an impossible task to change the laws and shut down puppy mills, but you can make a difference. For example, California recently banned the sale of puppy mill animals in pet stores. Since 2019, all pets sold through pet stores in the state must be sourced from shelters.
This severely cuts off revenue to puppy mills, and hopefully it will shut at least a few of them down. If you care deeply, you can accomplish a lot where you live, too.
Raise Awareness
In order to make a change in government, you’ll need to find other people who will take up your cause and care as much as you. That starts with raising awareness about the problem.
You should make an effort to share information about puppy mills, especially during Puppy Mill Action Week, and find people who are willing to support change and fight the puppy mill industry.
Talk to your friends and family. Reach out to members of your community. Start a petition, and make sure your voices are heard.
Local officials depend on your votes, and if they see that their constituents are informed and aware of an issue, they will take notice.
Support Animal Shelters
Animal shelters can always use help. You can become a volunteer at an animal shelter, or you can host fundraisers, supply drives, and other helpful events.
Encourage others to adopt from shelters instead of shopping through pet stores or online stores, many of which source their dogs through puppy mills.
Supporting animal shelters helps cut off revenue from puppy mills and may lead to them going out of business. If everyone supported animal shelters and adopted instead of shopping, puppy mills would be a thing of the past.
Adopt A Puppy Mill Survivor
There are few better ways to celebrate Mother’s Day than giving a mama dog from a puppy mill a new chance at life.
Not everyone can adopt, and many of the survivors of puppy mills have special needs. But if you have room in your heart and home to take in a mother dog, consider adoption. Doing so will help your local animal shelter by freeing up resources and space for other dogs, and puppy mills won’t see a dime of your money.
You’ll also be sending a message to friends, family, and anyone willing to listen that shelter dogs deserve a chance at life and will be just as loyal and loving as any dog that can be bought.
Take time during Puppy Mill Action Week to think about whether you are ready for the commitment of adoption.
What other ways can people fight puppy mills during Puppy Mill Action Week? Are there puppy mills active in your community? Let us know in the comments below!
