Adoption Saves a Life, Purchasing a Puppy May Take a Life

Getting a new animal should be a joyous time, but what are the circumstances behind that precious puppy?

Glamorous Puppies Have a Not So Glamorous Start

Don't Shop Adopt, Your Christmas Present Could Save a Life

Glamorous Puppies Have a Not So Glamorous Start

Don't Shop Adopt Your Christmas Present

By: Krystal White

          We have all seen the ASPCA commercials with the Sarah McLachlan song chiming over pictures of caged animals, but have you really thought about what is happening to that puppy? Puppy Mills by definition are, “an establishment that breeds puppies for sale, typically on an intensive basis and in conditions regarded as inhumane,” according to Merriam Webster.

The word puppy mill is familiar in the Cobb County vocabulary, with our neighboring county being home to one of the largest puppy mill raids to date. 357 puppies were rescued from inhumane living conditions in Cherokee County, with their future market being possibly a local retailer, PetLand.

            PetLand? The place we all play with puppies when we need a stress break? While the owners of PetLand and their employees say that their puppies come from respectful breeders, that isn’t always the case.

The Conditions of a Puppy Mill

            Sadie Flesher, a former PetLand employee and sophomore at Kennesaw State, says the conditions are worse than words can explain. “The dogs are bred every single time they go into heat, living in the small cage until they are pregnant with the next litter,” Flesher remarks. “These cages are smaller than the recommended crate size and are the only home they know.”

With floors covered in feces and the dogs not being groomed properly the lavish breeds are not as glamour as expected. Many of the dogs become ill due to the conditions but are still sold off to local pet shops to be taken home.

Purebred dogs not purely healthy

            While the puppy in the window may look energetic and full of life, that little dog may be sicker than you know. With the living conditions of the pet store similar to that of the puppy mill diseases like mange and kennel cough are side effects of the tight confined space.

            “I got Olly from PetLand knowing she came from a puppy mill,” Flesher said. “This little puppy stole my heart, and I knew the problems she could have later in life.” Olly, Sadie’s now 8-month-old Australian Sheppard had kennel cough, a discovery she made shortly after bringing her home.

                             Sadie Flesh, former PetLand employee (photo by: Krystal White)

            The cost to having a sick purebred puppy holds a similar price tag to purchasing the animal. Sarah Potts, a senior at Kennesaw, too got her puppy at PetLand. “Bella had mange shortly after I brought her home, it cost me a few hundred dollars and countless months to get her healthy,” said Potts.

            Veterinary bills are a tremendous portion of owning any animal, and should always be taken into account before getting any animal. But when being promised a healthy animal from pet stores, these unforeseen medical cost can become a heavy expense.

PetLand, and why Kennesaw wants it gone.

There is currently a Facebook Group seeking to shut down PetLand due to their connection with puppy mills and the living conditions of their animals. Driving by the store on any given day presents an opportunity to see a protestor standing on the sidewalk in front of the stores shopping center.

            “We were trained what to tell the customer regarding where the puppies came from,” stated Sadie. “While working there I could never admit to knowing where the puppies come from. We would have large amounts of puppies come in sick and sell them to the public as a healthy dog. It made me feel terrible.”

            The hope behind the Facebook group is to promote enough public interest to shut down PetLand and promote other ways of getting pets.  The conditions with which PetLand contains their animals is not healthy, safe or in the best interest of the dogs. Just remember when looking for animals there are plenty of alternatives.

           

Don’t shop adopt, your Christmas present could save a life.

Atlanta is known for being home to the highest shelter kill rate in America. The euthanasia rate is approximately at 50 percent, leaving 2.7 million animals being euthanized each year nationally according to the Humane Society .  Shannon Kavanugh, a junior at Kennesaw State University, is an advocate for the “don’t shop adopt” movement and herself has rescued countless animals to date.

            “There are hundreds of animals waiting to be save, many of which can be the specific bread you want,” Kavanugh said. “ Atlanta is home to many puppy mill bust, and when these bust happen the animals enter shelters and are then ready for adoption.”

With the holiday season under way so is the search for the perfect four-legged friend. The ASPCA knows that people will be critical of the breed of puppies entering their family, to which they suggest purchasing from as AKC certified breeder.

“It’s not the bread that matters, it’s the love and personality provided by the animal that makes the apart of your family,” commented Kavanugh. “If you’re going to make them family, why not save their life?”