Milwaukee Pet Store Protest Group
Pet Stores, Puppy Mills, Animal Welfare
Letters from the public about their petshop purchase
Preppy Pups, formerly: Carol's Canine's; West Allis, WI
Sincerely,
Christine Wiggin
I am new to this group. I am a new Teddybear owner in Illinois. I recently bought a puppy (who is tooo cute) from Carols Canines in the Milwaukee area. Has anyone heard of them?
Anyway my puppy had some problems when I brought him home, Kennel cough, coccidia (I think that is the right spelling) and ear mites. When I called the owner of this place she SCREAMED at me that her puppies were healthy and what did I do to cause all these problems with him!
Did I do anything wrong that could have caused all this. My understanding is that earmites are caught from another animal? Also the kennel cough and cocc so how could I have prevented any of this?
We LOVE our puppy although he is pretty shy but we figure he will come around with lots of LOVE which he sure will get. Anyway I am Alisha and if anyone has suggestions please let me know.
I purchased two adorable puppies from carols canines. Both were full of parasites had and extremely bad upper respritory infection which didn't show up till I got them home on a Sunday afternoon and the place was closed till Thursday or Friday . Many trips to the vet and found out the sign on the cage said 6 wks old and they were 3 months. The vet called it like he saw it he said they were puppy mill. I just had both fixed and all four long teeth on both pulled because the overbite was so bad that they were biting into their gums. By the way they are chaninies (8 pounds of cuteness). I only have the female the male is with a friend of mine who couldn't afford a pup and I was hoping I could train better with one. Both are now healthy and sassy and loved so much. As for Tracy Inman, the owner of Carols Canines in Seymour WI. "what a piece of work!"
Carrie
Exert from Milwaukee Magazine's Puppy Hell article, Written by Mary Van de Kamp Nohl... 01/01/09
Emily Gray is a 24-year-old Milwaukee resident who heard about Carol’s Canines from one of her East Side neighbors. Its Web site promised purebred puppies that conformed to breed standards and designer dogs with “exceptional temperaments.” But the biggest selling point was the photo gallery of irresistible puppies. Gray called to inquire. A woman named Sue answered and invited Gray to her home in East Troy. She said some of the puppies Gray saw on the Web site were “still with their mothers and not ready yet” and told Gray she could only see five dogs. Gray was ushered into Sue’s living room while she went to the basement to get the puppies. “It seemed odd,” Gray says now. “I was afraid it might be a puppy mill.” But like thousands of others, she forgot her concerns when she saw the puppies. Gray fell for a 10-week-old female schnoodle (schnauzer/poodle mix). “She put out her arms and legs like Superman when we picked her up,” Gray gushes. The pup’s shyness should have set off warning bells, but it charmed her, and she paid $476 for the dog that she named Penny. Under the sales contract, Gray had three days to return Penny if her vet found something seriously wrong. Penny seemed healthy. “But the vet said Penny had had a lot more shots than they’re used to seeing,” says Gray. Today, at 18 months, Penny has “really bad, out-of-control allergies even on medication, which she will have to take the rest of her life,” Gray says. She scratches her ears until they bleed and develops “hot spots” where she chews off her fur. Her kneecaps move in and out of place – a hereditary defect avoided by careful breeding – as well as chronic runny eyes and a benign tumor on her back. Gray had to hire an animal behaviorist to help train Penny. The trainer attributed Penny’s problems to being bred in a puppy mill. Corner's Pets; Hales Corners WI
Hi, My neighbor just bought the cutest little 8 week old Havaneise purebred puppy from Hales Corners Pet Store and the puppy is sick. Gary has to feed him with a syringe and the vet said he has something intestinal wrong. How can this pet store sell a sick puppy dog that cost $800.00. Is this legal? Do they have to pay the vet bills now. My neighbor said they won't. Any info you have would be very much appreciated. The pet store said the puppy was not from a puppymill, but I have my doubts.
of the story she told me so I didn't report it. I wish i had though. I never went in there again.
7 Mile Fair Puppies; Caledonia, WI
No lie - within the first 10 minutes of puppy class an obedience instructor can pick out the puppy mill puppies from the responsible breeder pups based on behavior alone. :(
My daughter and I each bought a puppy from seven mile fair. mine was a chihuahua puppy and hers was a german shepherd mixed. After we got them home after about an hour, my daughter called me and said there was something wrong with her puppy. she told me the symptoms and I knew right away that the puppy had parvo. We took it to an emergency vet but it died. We learned a very sad thing. I was so afraid that my puppy was going to get it. He was so tiny, but lucky he did not. but my older dog at home got it. and after a lot of money in vet bills our dog made it. So please do not purchase any pet from seven mile fair. I have heard so many other stories about them. I know they are cute, but many are sick.
thank you for reading.
I purchased a pug pup on sunday aug. 30, 09 from 7 mile fair in WI. The man told me the puppy was 9 weeks old. I later found out the puppy was actually about 4 weeks and too young to be have been taken away from it's mother. I took him in to a vet and the poor dog had to be given glucose because of the drop in sugar. I finally had to take him in again to the animal hospital this time, and was told he would not make it because he was so sick and basically comatose from everything that he went through. The breeder was Cass Burnes (or Burnner) and the owner is Jim Standridge. The name of the breeder's company is Rock Hill Chihuahua's. This man lied to me about my puppy's condition and age and it is his fault for selling sick animals and at a very young age to people who want to take care of them. I loved my lil Ralphie so much even though I only had him for a couple days. I kinda new he was sick and that it might be a puppy mill but I thought I could save him. I bottle feed him and with a suringe. He had a seizure in my arms and started to go into a comma. That is my last memory of my puppy. I wanted to contact you because I would like to help make a difference. I would not anyone else to go through what I went through. I'm a graphic designer as well so if your organization ever needs anything let me know.
Lucy
PetLand Janesville
I purchased 2 dogs from Petland in Janesville and they both ended up very sick. They both had kennel cough and 3 different stomach virusus'. We have had them for 3 months now and they are still sick. I am spending ALOT of money for vet bills. I called them to let them know how unhappy I was but there was no way I was returning them for another dog. I loved them. They did not even offer a refund or a replacement. They said I should have taken them to "their" clinic and also critisized me on taking them to my own clinic.
When we took them to "their" clinic, they said they were fine. They were not. They were throwing up and had SEVERE diarrhea. I am now taking my one dog back to the vet AGAIN for another stool sample test and hopefully they will be able to take care of it this time. They have been on meds almost every day since we brought them home. I don't think it is right for them to be able to do this. Selling sick or dying dogs to people. We paid over $2000.00 (that's right...$2000.00) for these dogs and I don't know how much more moneyI can spend. My vet said that these dogs WERE sick when I bought them and Petland knew it.
She said there was also many other cases of this come through their vet clinic.
I was able to print off a complaint to send it to them. I will let everyone know how it goes. untill then, I would love to hear from others who may have had problems with this pet store and maybe we can do something about it. Hopefully this web site will get the "legal" part of people being able to get help from some lawyer who can help us.
I also heard a woman here in my town who bought a dog from Petland and it died 3 days later !!
Nikole
Brodhead, Wisconsin
U.S.A
Puppy World
Hello,
I have had two dogs purchased from Puppy World. The first was a Rat Terrier/Beagle mix, named Midget. He was purchased for my father. Unfortunately my father passed away when Midget was only 7 months old. My mother never properly trained Midget and babied him...so I don't know if his neurotic/aggressive behaviors which led to him being euthanized when he was 8 years old were because of his lack of training, his being a puppy mill puppy or a combination of the two. I do know that my sister [who purchased the dog] was originally told Midget was a rat terrier/bull terrier mix; then two weeks later was called and told the paperwork had been mixed up and he was really a rat terrier/beagle mix.
The second dog purchased from Puppy World in Greenfield I still currently own. Mindy is an almost 4 year old German Shepherd/Aussie/Cattle Dog mix. I purchased her when she was almost 4 months old. Her energy level was high to begin with but peaked at 3 years of age as that of an ADHD dog. Besides her nonstop energy, she also has some OCD behaviors [chasing flies, eating grass while outside to the point that I can't focus her attention on play]; food aggression; other dog aggression; neurotic constant licking of people near her; still has housebreaking issues; plus she exhibits some nervous/anxious behaviors as well. I had walked her for at least an hour daily; though her behaviors became so uncontrollable on her walks that I had to walk her and my other dog separately, which meant shorter walks for both.
She is trained to walk/run on the treadmill for inclement weather days and knows a variety of "games" including hide n seek, FIND, some backyard agility[which she stopped doing in lieu of chasing flies and eating grass];and she even has gone sheepherding. No matter how much I tried; no matter how active she was; her behaviors kept escalating. I had worked with a positive/clicker/rewards based trainer...Mindy figured out more corrections meant more treats and escalated her misbehaviors. At my wit's end I began seeking out either some help or a new home for her. Fortunately I found a wonderful integrative vet who recognized Mindy's problems as not only behavioral but stemming from nutrition deficits and allergies.
Mindy is now on a natural calming agent containing L-Tryptophan an almost grain free, low protein, chicken, lamb and venison free diet. I have also been working with a new trainer who believes in Cesar Milan style training-no clickers or food based rewards. I start a new course of training in November. Through all of this, Mindy is now down to half the dosage of calming meds and can be walked with her 'brother' again. Though some of her issues will never completely be cured; she will be able to stay as part of my family-but it's been a lot of hard work, tears, and dedication. I foolishly thought only purebred dogs came from puppy mills and that if a breeder was USDA inspected and approved they must be reputable-I was WRONG!
Mindy's Mom
I highly recommend not going here. I had purchased a bichon puppy here and when I took her to my vet I was told that she had horrible skin allergies and down syndrome. Also she told me that she had been the result of over breeding and most likely came from a puppy mill. Then 3 days later she came down with kennel cough which almost killed her. weeks later I received her papers and found out that she had not come from a local breeder like I was told she came from Arkansas. So please learn from my mistake buy your puppy from a reputable breeder, rescue or humane society.
We bought a Siberian Huskie from their store. I don't remember how much it was but I do know that it was twice as much as the breeder that we purchased our second huskie from. But, within 6 months, the huskie we purchased from puppy world had to be put down because its kidneys were failing. When we requested our money back for the emotional stress, they attempted to give us the money back with dog food.
I admit I hesitated greatly to buy my new dog here. My first one we adopted from the Humane Society. But we really wanted a golden retriever. Cost=900$. WE love our dog. BUT Puppyworld has failed to provide us with the proper paperwork that he indeed is a purebred and who his parents are, where he came from. They insisted I did not pay the second payment of the 2 part installment even though the check cleared. When presented with the proof of payment from the bank all I have gotten is a runaround. That person is "not available". They have not returned my emails, phone call or messages. When I went in person they "could not find" his paperwork. I wish I would have read a similar post that another person wrote last week before I patronized their store in March.
My family purchased a puppy from Puppy World on 27th street in August. When you go to puppy world they claim that their dogs come from certified breeders. We purchased a pure bred dog from them and they claimed that his papers would be sent to us within the next few weeks. It has been months (9 to be exact) and we have made several attempts to contact them to receive papers and they still have not gotten back to us. Aside from the fact that their dogs are over heinously over priced, their employees seem like they are intoxicated when you go in there and the fact that they keep their dogs in dirty cages- I guess you might consider shopping there(for food and accessories).
Thinking about buying a pet shop pup from PUPPY WORLD in Greenfield? Take a look at these USDA insepection reports for the kennels they are using... You might think again! Puppy World will tell you they use licensed kennels. What does that really mean though? Anyone selling their puppies to pet shops for resale by LAW have to be licensed. We found that some of the kennels they are using are in fact NOT licensed, but the ones that were had some pretty UGLY violations, so what is the point of being licensed when the laws in place now do not help the suffering these dogs endure? Think about the parents of that cute little pet shop pup before you buy....Every time someone walks into the pet store to buy one of these cute little puppies, their parents are forced to stay in horrendous conditions to produce MORE puppies for the next buyers comeing through the store. Do Y
This Editorial appeared in the Marshfield News-Herald on Wednesday, October 3rd: EditorialThe cocker spaniel puppy, a tawny ball of fur, cavorted with its litter mates on the floor of the kitchen in a Mennonite family’s farm home in rural Clark County.
It captured the hearts of the three children, who had begged for a dog, their first pet.
The seller offered papers, but not a visit to the barn to see the puppy’s mother.
The family bought the puppy — it was so cute — anyway.
Over the passing months, Chino — inbred and maladjusted — turned violent, barring its teeth and snarling viciously at the slightest provocation, snapping unexpectedly and biting every child and a
The cocker spaniel puppy, a tawny ball of fur, cavorted with its litter mates on the floor of the kitchen in a Mennonite family’s farm home in rural Clark County.
It captured the hearts of the three children, who had begged for a dog, their first pet.
The seller offered papers, but not a visit to the barn to see the puppy’s mother.
The family bought the puppy — it was so cute — anyway.
Over the passing months, Chino — inbred and maladjusted — turned violent, barring its teeth and snarling viciously at the slightest provocation, snapping unexpectedly and biting every child and adult in the family. Often, it drew blood.
An animal behaviorist who came to consult with the family said he knew what he’d do if he owned Chino, and it didn’t involve a pat on the head and an “atta boy.”
When Chino bit the youngest boy in the family on the face, the dog had to go away.
Sadly, hundreds of dogs bred by puppy mills along the Highway 29 corridor in Clark County are flawed as family pets by the circumstances of their birth, in small, crowded, feces-ridden cages to unsocialized adults kept solely for their ability to turn out litter after litter, then sold at auction when they’re not productive enough.
By then, they cower, afraid of the human contact they’ve been denied.
Clark County is the epicenter of largely unregulated dog breeding operations in Wisconsin. It is home to 26 of 53 known USDA licensed pet breeding facilities, according to the Clark County Human Society.
That group organized protesters at a recent auction of more than 250 dogs at an auction at Thorp that drew the attention of television stations and newspapers. Yet, at the puppy mills it’s still business as usual.
Animal activists pin their hopes on legislation that would control animal breeding in Wisconsin, requiring inspections of facilities and record-keeping to detect abuses. It has faltered in the Legislature.
Until there’s effective oversight by the state, dogs raised in horrible conditions will continue to be a cash crop in Clark County, sold at dozens of farms that post “puppies for sale” signs out front.
But caring, compassionate people can make a difference.
The information campaign conducted by the Clark County Humane Society helps get the word out to unsuspecting buyers that the dog sale that they’re about to attend isn’t the place to purchase a family pet. And that a purebred dog advertised at a bargain price won’t be the animal you want for your kids.
The family that bought the cocker spaniel puppy was heartbroken when it had to get rid of Chino. It took several years before it was willing to open its home to a dog again.
The family’s new pet is an American Water Spaniel-Labrador mix — a mutt — adopted at a humane society shelter.
If you really want a dog with pure blood lines, get it from a reputable breeder known in the breed-specific community who supplies other buyers’ names and phone numbers. Visit the kennel. See how the dogs are kept.
On the other hand, if you just want a dog that’s a good fit in the family, maybe one that gets along with the cat as well as the kids, stop at a humane society shelter like the one in Neillsville. They’ll match you up.
Chuck Wegner, Executive Director, Clark County Humane Society
A Few Random Thoughts About the Infamous Thorp dog auction
by Chuck Wegner, Executive Director, Clark County Humane Society
First of all, you will no doubt notice that the words dog auction in the heading of this article are not capitalized as words in a title normally would be. That is by design, not oversight. The reason is that capitalization is used to lend significance or importance to a word and the Thorp dog auction is of absolutely no importance or worth to humane-minded people.....
I would like to make it clear that anything written here is my own opinion.....
Now, down to the real stuff. I attended my fourth Thorp dog auction held at Horst Stable on <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />..Sat, Sept. 22, 2007... It was a typical dog auction, not differing much from the first three they held during the past year. This time there were 250 dogs originally billed for sale and once again they had an addendum sheet for dogs that came in later. All-in-all there were a total of 270 dogs up for sale to the highest bidder. We can only estimate, but I believe that there were around 400 people in attendance.....
Among the crowd you could find people from breed rescue. These are people who are dedicated to a particular breed of dog. They are usually there to bid on and rescue as many of their particular breed as they can afford to. You will also find people from Humane Societies who are very similar to breed rescue but instead of focusing in on one breed they may intend to rescue any breed from a miserable future. Another segment of people attending will be the public in general. They may be looking for a pet for themselves or the family and figured that the large numbers of “purebred” dogs would make the prices cheap on what would normally be expensive breeds. The majority of the people in attendance seemed to be puppy millers who are looking for new breeding stock. They may also be selling some or their dogs at the auction so they are increasing the “gene pool” at their mill.....
Whatever the reason for being there, the end result is that a lot of dogs get bought and sold. The humane-minded people who are first-time attendees almost always say the same thing when asked what their thoughts are about what they saw… “I can’t believe it!”, “I am going to have nightmares about dogs and the way they are treated”. “The faces of the dogs and puppies are burned into my memory”, “All I could do was cry for them”, and on and on. ....
So many people say they can’t go there again. I feel like that a lot of the time, but you know what, I will go back every time. I have to, for the dog’s sake. There need to be witnesses to this event. We can not ignore it or avoid it. It goes on whether we are there or not. Human beings tend to be comfort-seekers. We like to eliminate from our lives the things that are uncomfortable, hard or painful for us. What we need to remember is that if each and every one of us doesn’t stand up and bear witness to the bad things in life, they will not only exist, they will grow until there is no stopping them. Instead of avoiding these events, which are difficult to view, we must be united against them. We have to go in with open eyes and be a witness and then tell what we see and what is happening there. The poor dogs suffering every day for profit and greed must be our motivation. We do it for them. If you’ve ever had a pet, you owe it to that animal. They can not help themselves so we have to help them.....
There is no question that legislation is the key to regulating puppy mills and banning dog auctions. The mills and auctions claim that it’s not illegal for them to operate the way they do. I say, “It should be!” Remember hearing “Just because it’s not illegal, doesn’t mean it’s right”? Well that’s true. We don’t have to look in law books or statutes to know that the way dogs are raised in puppy mills is just wrong. Anyone with compassion can see that. Maybe humane-minded people just have a little more compassion than your average person. I think that compassionate people are born that way. There is something extra in them that makes them empathetic. We can’t ignore someone or something in need of help and the dogs in mills need our help, all of us.....
It is not up to the Humane Societies or breed rescue. They can not change things alone. It falls onto each and every one of us to fix this horrible treatment of man’s best friend. There is no excuse for sacrificing proper care for profit.....
Please contact your state senator or representative as soon as possible. (Please go to this site, http://waml.legis.state.wi.us/, if you don't know who your legislator is. It will walk you through the steps to get their contact information.) I know that many organizations will provide you with a form letter that you can send, but your letter to them is better off being original and in your own words. Think about the issues, study the sites: nowisconsinpuppymills.com or cchs-petshelter.org. Read all you can about this issue and then write the legislators. You can’t go wrong if you speak from the heart.....
Please do this for the animals who suffer every day in the name of greed.......
Caryn Quella
Hi all dog lovers,
Here is my input on the puppy mill auction in Thorp, ....Wisconsin..... I attended as a protester and was very proud to do so. Despite telling myself over and over that I would absolutely, positively not come home with any dogs, I did come home with two dogs. Their conditions and story will be at the end of this e-mail. I can't remember when I have had such an emotionally draining day as yesterday.
Even now as I am typing this, I still can't quite comprehend the fact that there were over 200 dogs there and not one wagging tail. This pretty much sums it up doesn't it??? What I witnessed was a group of 250 dogs who were depressed and broken spirited. They were all without water, with several either standing or laying in their own feces. How I wish i could have gotten those pictures. I did manage only one before I was stopped by one of the God-fearing Mennonite or Amish men. Several also were totally covered in wood chips and even in their little eyes. I took one puppy out and tried to clean her off the best I could. It broke my heart to put her back in her metal prison which was shared by 8 others. The most depressing of all though were the two adult cockers who were so broken that they wouldn't even come to the front of their cage for a kind pat. Why should they though. They have never known human kindness and to them we are one of them.
Two other things stand out: The first being the dogs inability to even stand on the table. The girl always tried to prop them up but the majority had to be held as I am sure it was too embarrassing to them that the dogs were so weak and couldn't sustain their own weight. And those precious little ones would cringe every time that damn gavel came down. Very sad also to see the Rottweilers, Boxers and Mountain Dogs carried to the tables. Oh so tragic isn't it. I personally don't know what it will take to try to permanently ban these acutions but for the life of me I can't understand why the Amish and Menonite people can get away with this criminal activity much longer. And yes, it is CRIMINAL. If our state allows this to continue, it will be a black eye on our state forever. Action needs to be taken YESTERDAY!!!! Our state is so progressive in so many ways but way behind other states in how they react to these despicable puppy mills.
My two precious ones aren't without problems but are probably young enough to be able to handle socialization. Both came with choking collars on and my this I mean that they were so tight on their necks that they almost had to be cut off. The little cock-a-poo came with a metal chain collar. Can you even imagine that??? The ....Mountain.. ..Dog.... has a bad eye and will most likely require surgery. She is in pain with it and doesn't even want to open it at times. She will be at the vet in the morning. Neither dog will eat out of a dog bowl. They are afraid of them. So for two days I have had to put their food on the floor. Hopefully this will change in time with patience and understanding that the bowl won't hurt them. To see both of them run in the grass yesterday for the first time in their lives was worth every penny I spent. So this is pretty much what I want to share at this time. The words despicable and abhorrent don't begin to cover what I saw. I hope to never have to attend again.
Thanks for listening and hopefully our state can get something done even if it means the re-call of legislators who don't comply with what we want. We can be a huge voice for those who can't speak.
Caryn Quella
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Chuck Wegner, Executive Director, Clark County Humane Society
A Few Random Thoughts About the Infamous Thorp dog auction
by Chuck Wegner, Executive Director, Clark County Humane Society
First of all, you will no doubt notice that the words dog auction in the heading of this article are not capitalized as words in a title normally would be. That is by design, not oversight. The reason is that capitalization is used to lend significance or importance to a word and the Thorp dog auction is of absolutely no importance or worth to humane-minded people.....
I would like to make it clear that anything written here is my own opinion.....
Now, down to the real stuff. I attended my fourth Thorp dog auction held at Horst Stable on <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />..Sat, Sept. 22, 2007... It was a typical dog auction, not differing much from the first three they held during the past year. This time there were 250 dogs originally billed for sale and once again they had an addendum sheet for dogs that came in later. All-in-all there were a total of 270 dogs up for sale to the highest bidder. We can only estimate, but I believe that there were around 400 people in attendance.....
Among the crowd you could find people from breed rescue. These are people who are dedicated to a particular breed of dog. They are usually there to bid on and rescue as many of their particular breed as they can afford to. You will also find people from Humane Societies who are very similar to breed rescue but instead of focusing in on one breed they may intend to rescue any breed from a miserable future. Another segment of people attending will be the public in general. They may be looking for a pet for themselves or the family and figured that the large numbers of “purebred” dogs would make the prices cheap on what would normally be expensive breeds. The majority of the people in attendance seemed to be puppy millers who are looking for new breeding stock. They may also be selling some or their dogs at the auction so they are increasing the “gene pool” at their mill.....
Whatever the reason for being there, the end result is that a lot of dogs get bought and sold. The humane-minded people who are first-time attendees almost always say the same thing when asked what their thoughts are about what they saw… “I can’t believe it!”, “I am going to have nightmares about dogs and the way they are treated”. “The faces of the dogs and puppies are burned into my memory”, “All I could do was cry for them”, and on and on. ....
So many people say they can’t go there again. I feel like that a lot of the time, but you know what, I will go back every time. I have to, for the dog’s sake. There need to be witnesses to this event. We can not ignore it or avoid it. It goes on whether we are there or not. Human beings tend to be comfort-seekers. We like to eliminate from our lives the things that are uncomfortable, hard or painful for us. What we need to remember is that if each and every one of us doesn’t stand up and bear witness to the bad things in life, they will not only exist, they will grow until there is no stopping them. Instead of avoiding these events, which are difficult to view, we must be united against them. We have to go in with open eyes and be a witness and then tell what we see and what is happening there. The poor dogs suffering every day for profit and greed must be our motivation. We do it for them. If you’ve ever had a pet, you owe it to that animal. They can not help themselves so we have to help them.....
There is no question that legislation is the key to regulating puppy mills and banning dog auctions. The mills and auctions claim that it’s not illegal for them to operate the way they do. I say, “It should be!” Remember hearing “Just because it’s not illegal, doesn’t mean it’s right”? Well that’s true. We don’t have to look in law books or statutes to know that the way dogs are raised in puppy mills is just wrong. Anyone with compassion can see that. Maybe humane-minded people just have a little more compassion than your average person. I think that compassionate people are born that way. There is something extra in them that makes them empathetic. We can’t ignore someone or something in need of help and the dogs in mills need our help, all of us.....
It is not up to the Humane Societies or breed rescue. They can not change things alone. It falls onto each and every one of us to fix this horrible treatment of man’s best friend. There is no excuse for sacrificing proper care for profit.....
Please contact your state senator or representative as soon as possible. (Please go to this site, http://waml.legis.state.wi.us/, if you don't know who your legislator is. It will walk you through the steps to get their contact information.) I know that many organizations will provide you with a form letter that you can send, but your letter to them is better off being original and in your own words. Think about the issues, study the sites: nowisconsinpuppymills.com or cchs-petshelter.org. Read all you can about this issue and then write the legislators. You can’t go wrong if you speak from the heart.....
Please do this for the animals who suffer every day in the name of greed.......
This "Letter to the Editor" appeared in the Marshfield News-Herald on September 29, 2007:
Puppymills irresponsible, inhumane
Editor: Last Saturday I attended the Horst Dog Auction in Thorp. Over 250 dogs and puppies were auctioned off to the highest bidders. These were dogs that local puppy millers bred continually until they slowed production. They no longer earned their owners big money.
Many were stoic, having given up all hope. Others crawled over each other trying to get into the farthest corner of their packed cages. Two of the adult Rottweilers needed to be carried up to the auction table and then cowered, making themselves as small as possible. Many of the normally longer-haired breeds, like Westies, Cocker Spaniels and Bichons were shaved and barely recognizable as their respective breeds.
It's hard to keep them looking nice when they live their lives in their own, and their neighbors' urine and feces. Deformed feet from walking on the wire floor and untrimmed nails is not unusual. Neither is severe dental disease from general ill health being fed cheap, low quality food.
Puppymills sell their products to pet stores and through advertisements in the newspapers usually naming several breeds including the latest trendy mix breeds. These puppies are not bred and raised by people who love the breed and insure their health and well-being. They are shipped in airplanes or trucks like regular cargo with as many in a crate as possible. It's hard to believe, but these people are operating within the law.
Don't buy puppies from pet stores or advertisements listing multiple breeds without seriously researching them. Check out local shelters or reputable breeders who breed responsibly and humanely. Spread the word about puppymills. Many people don't know Tell your legislators you are concerned about the inhumane conditions of these breeding factories and want laws to address these problems.
For more information about puppymills go to www.nowisconsinpuppymills.com or www.cchs-petshelter.org.
CARLA NOWACK
Hewitt
This Editorial appeared in the Marshfield News-Herald on Wednesday, October 3rd: Editorial
The cocker spaniel puppy, a tawny ball of fur, cavorted with its litter mates on the floor of the kitchen in a Mennonite family’s farm home in rural Clark County.
It captured the hearts of the three children, who had begged for a dog, their first pet.
The seller offered papers, but not a visit to the barn to see the puppy’s mother.
The family bought the puppy — it was so cute — anyway.
Over the passing months, Chino — inbred and maladjusted — turned violent, barring its teeth and snarling viciously at the slightest provocation, snapping unexpectedly and biting every child and adult in the family. Often, it drew blood.
An animal behaviorist who came to consult with the family said he knew what he’d do if he owned Chino, and it didn’t involve a pat on the head and an “atta boy.”
When Chino bit the youngest boy in the family on the face, the dog had to go away.
Sadly, hundreds of dogs bred by puppy mills along the Highway 29 corridor in Clark County are flawed as family pets by the circumstances of their birth, in small, crowded, feces-ridden cages to unsocialized adults kept solely for their ability to turn out litter after litter, then sold at auction when they’re not productive enough.
By then, they cower, afraid of the human contact they’ve been denied.
Clark County is the epicenter of largely unregulated dog breeding operations in Wisconsin. It is home to 26 of 53 known USDA licensed pet breeding facilities, according to the Clark County Human Society.
That group organized protesters at a recent auction of more than 250 dogs at an auction at Thorp that drew the attention of television stations and newspapers. Yet, at the puppy mills it’s still business as usual.
Animal activists pin their hopes on legislation that would control animal breeding in Wisconsin, requiring inspections of facilities and record-keeping to detect abuses. It has faltered in the Legislature.
Until there’s effective oversight by the state, dogs raised in horrible conditions will continue to be a cash crop in Clark County, sold at dozens of farms that post “puppies for sale” signs out front.
But caring, compassionate people can make a difference.
The information campaign conducted by the Clark County Humane Society helps get the word out to unsuspecting buyers that the dog sale that they’re about to attend isn’t the place to purchase a family pet. And that a purebred dog advertised at a bargain price won’t be the animal you want for your kids.
The family that bought the cocker spaniel puppy was heartbroken when it had to get rid of Chino. It took several years before it was willing to open its home to a dog again.
The family’s new pet is an American Water Spaniel-Labrador mix — a mutt — adopted at a humane society shelter.
If you really want a dog with pure blood lines, get it from a reputable breeder known in the breed-specific community who supplies other buyers’ names and phone numbers. Visit the kennel. See how the dogs are kept.
On the other hand, if you just want a dog that’s a good fit in the family, maybe one that gets along with the cat as well as the kids, stop at a humane society shelter like the one in Neillsville. They’ll match you up.
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The cocker spaniel puppy, a tawny ball of fur, cavorted with its litter mates on the floor of the kitchen in a Mennonite family’s farm home in rural Clark County. The cocker spaniel puppy, a tawny ball of fur, cavorted with its litter mates on the floor of the kitchen in a Mennonite family’s farm home in rural Clark County.
It captured the hearts of the three children, who had begged for a dog, their first pet.
The seller offered papers, but not a visit to the barn to see the puppy’s mother.
The family bought the puppy — it was so cute — anyway.
Over the passing months, Chino — inbred and maladjusted — turned violent, barring its teeth and snarling viciously at the slightest provocation, snapping unexpectedly and biting every child and a
It captured the hearts of the three children, who had begged for a dog, their first pet.
The seller offered papers, but not a visit to the barn to see the puppy’s mother.
The family bought the puppy — it was so cute — anyway.
Over the passing months, Chino — inbred and maladjusted — turned violent, barring its teeth and snarling viciously at the slightest provocation, snapping unexpectedly and biting every child and adult in the family. Often, it drew blood.
An animal behaviorist who came to consult with the family said he knew what he’d do if he owned Chino, and it didn’t involve a pat on the head and an “atta boy.”
When Chino bit the youngest boy in the family on the face, the dog had to go away.
Sadly, hundreds of dogs bred by puppy mills along the Highway 29 corridor in Clark County are flawed as family pets by the circumstances of their birth, in small, crowded, feces-ridden cages to unsocialized adults kept solely for their ability to turn out litter after litter, then sold at auction when they’re not productive enough.
By then, they cower, afraid of the human contact they’ve been denied.
Clark County is the epicenter of largely unregulated dog breeding operations in Wisconsin. It is home to 26 of 53 known USDA licensed pet breeding facilities, according to the Clark County Human Society.
That group organized protesters at a recent auction of more than 250 dogs at an auction at Thorp that drew the attention of television stations and newspapers. Yet, at the puppy mills it’s still business as usual.
Animal activists pin their hopes on legislation that would control animal breeding in Wisconsin, requiring inspections of facilities and record-keeping to detect abuses. It has faltered in the Legislature.
Until there’s effective oversight by the state, dogs raised in horrible conditions will continue to be a cash crop in Clark County, sold at dozens of farms that post “puppies for sale” signs out front.
But caring, compassionate people can make a difference.
The information campaign conducted by the Clark County Humane Society helps get the word out to unsuspecting buyers that the dog sale that they’re about to attend isn’t the place to purchase a family pet. And that a purebred dog advertised at a bargain price won’t be the animal you want for your kids.
The family that bought the cocker spaniel puppy was heartbroken when it had to get rid of Chino. It took several years before it was willing to open its home to a dog again.
The family’s new pet is an American Water Spaniel-Labrador mix — a mutt — adopted at a humane society shelter.
If you really want a dog with pure blood lines, get it from a reputable breeder known in the breed-specific community who supplies other buyers’ names and phone numbers. Visit the kennel. See how the dogs are kept.
On the other hand, if you just want a dog that’s a good fit in the family, maybe one that gets along with the cat as well as the kids, stop at a humane society shelter like the one in Neillsville. They’ll match you up.
Chuck Wegner, Executive Director, Clark County Humane Society
A Few Random Thoughts About the Infamous Thorp dog auction
by Chuck Wegner, Executive Director, Clark County Humane Society
First of all, you will no doubt notice that the words dog auction in the heading of this article are not capitalized as words in a title normally would be. That is by design, not oversight. The reason is that capitalization is used to lend significance or importance to a word and the Thorp dog auction is of absolutely no importance or worth to humane-minded people.....
I would like to make it clear that anything written here is my own opinion.....
Now, down to the real stuff. I attended my fourth Thorp dog auction held at Horst Stable on <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />..Sat, Sept. 22, 2007... It was a typical dog auction, not differing much from the first three they held during the past year. This time there were 250 dogs originally billed for sale and once again they had an addendum sheet for dogs that came in later. All-in-all there were a total of 270 dogs up for sale to the highest bidder. We can only estimate, but I believe that there were around 400 people in attendance.....
Among the crowd you could find people from breed rescue. These are people who are dedicated to a particular breed of dog. They are usually there to bid on and rescue as many of their particular breed as they can afford to. You will also find people from Humane Societies who are very similar to breed rescue but instead of focusing in on one breed they may intend to rescue any breed from a miserable future. Another segment of people attending will be the public in general. They may be looking for a pet for themselves or the family and figured that the large numbers of “purebred” dogs would make the prices cheap on what would normally be expensive breeds. The majority of the people in attendance seemed to be puppy millers who are looking for new breeding stock. They may also be selling some or their dogs at the auction so they are increasing the “gene pool” at their mill.....
Whatever the reason for being there, the end result is that a lot of dogs get bought and sold. The humane-minded people who are first-time attendees almost always say the same thing when asked what their thoughts are about what they saw… “I can’t believe it!”, “I am going to have nightmares about dogs and the way they are treated”. “The faces of the dogs and puppies are burned into my memory”, “All I could do was cry for them”, and on and on. ....
So many people say they can’t go there again. I feel like that a lot of the time, but you know what, I will go back every time. I have to, for the dog’s sake. There need to be witnesses to this event. We can not ignore it or avoid it. It goes on whether we are there or not. Human beings tend to be comfort-seekers. We like to eliminate from our lives the things that are uncomfortable, hard or painful for us. What we need to remember is that if each and every one of us doesn’t stand up and bear witness to the bad things in life, they will not only exist, they will grow until there is no stopping them. Instead of avoiding these events, which are difficult to view, we must be united against them. We have to go in with open eyes and be a witness and then tell what we see and what is happening there. The poor dogs suffering every day for profit and greed must be our motivation. We do it for them. If you’ve ever had a pet, you owe it to that animal. They can not help themselves so we have to help them.....
There is no question that legislation is the key to regulating puppy mills and banning dog auctions. The mills and auctions claim that it’s not illegal for them to operate the way they do. I say, “It should be!” Remember hearing “Just because it’s not illegal, doesn’t mean it’s right”? Well that’s true. We don’t have to look in law books or statutes to know that the way dogs are raised in puppy mills is just wrong. Anyone with compassion can see that. Maybe humane-minded people just have a little more compassion than your average person. I think that compassionate people are born that way. There is something extra in them that makes them empathetic. We can’t ignore someone or something in need of help and the dogs in mills need our help, all of us.....
It is not up to the Humane Societies or breed rescue. They can not change things alone. It falls onto each and every one of us to fix this horrible treatment of man’s best friend. There is no excuse for sacrificing proper care for profit.....
Please contact your state senator or representative as soon as possible. (Please go to this site, http://waml.legis.state.wi.us/, if you don't know who your legislator is. It will walk you through the steps to get their contact information.) I know that many organizations will provide you with a form letter that you can send, but your letter to them is better off being original and in your own words. Think about the issues, study the sites: nowisconsinpuppymills.com or cchs-petshelter.org. Read all you can about this issue and then write the legislators. You can’t go wrong if you speak from the heart.....
Please do this for the animals who suffer every day in the name of greed.......
Caryn Quella
Hi all dog lovers,
Here is my input on the puppy mill auction in Thorp, ....Wisconsin..... I attended as a protester and was very proud to do so. Despite telling myself over and over that I would absolutely, positively not come home with any dogs, I did come home with two dogs. Their conditions and story will be at the end of this e-mail. I can't remember when I have had such an emotionally draining day as yesterday.
Even now as I am typing this, I still can't quite comprehend the fact that there were over 200 dogs there and not one wagging tail. This pretty much sums it up doesn't it??? What I witnessed was a group of 250 dogs who were depressed and broken spirited. They were all without water, with several either standing or laying in their own feces. How I wish i could have gotten those pictures. I did manage only one before I was stopped by one of the God-fearing Mennonite or Amish men. Several also were totally covered in wood chips and even in their little eyes. I took one puppy out and tried to clean her off the best I could. It broke my heart to put her back in her metal prison which was shared by 8 others. The most depressing of all though were the two adult cockers who were so broken that they wouldn't even come to the front of their cage for a kind pat. Why should they though. They have never known human kindness and to them we are one of them.
Two other things stand out: The first being the dogs inability to even stand on the table. The girl always tried to prop them up but the majority had to be held as I am sure it was too embarrassing to them that the dogs were so weak and couldn't sustain their own weight. And those precious little ones would cringe every time that damn gavel came down. Very sad also to see the Rottweilers, Boxers and Mountain Dogs carried to the tables. Oh so tragic isn't it. I personally don't know what it will take to try to permanently ban these acutions but for the life of me I can't understand why the Amish and Menonite people can get away with this criminal activity much longer. And yes, it is CRIMINAL. If our state allows this to continue, it will be a black eye on our state forever. Action needs to be taken YESTERDAY!!!! Our state is so progressive in so many ways but way behind other states in how they react to these despicable puppy mills.
My two precious ones aren't without problems but are probably young enough to be able to handle socialization. Both came with choking collars on and my this I mean that they were so tight on their necks that they almost had to be cut off. The little cock-a-poo came with a metal chain collar. Can you even imagine that??? The ....Mountain.. ..Dog.... has a bad eye and will most likely require surgery. She is in pain with it and doesn't even want to open it at times. She will be at the vet in the morning. Neither dog will eat out of a dog bowl. They are afraid of them. So for two days I have had to put their food on the floor. Hopefully this will change in time with patience and understanding that the bowl won't hurt them. To see both of them run in the grass yesterday for the first time in their lives was worth every penny I spent. So this is pretty much what I want to share at this time. The words despicable and abhorrent don't begin to cover what I saw. I hope to never have to attend again.
Thanks for listening and hopefully our state can get something done even if it means the re-call of legislators who don't comply with what we want. We can be a huge voice for those who can't speak.
Caryn Quella
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Caryn Quella
Hi all dog lovers,
Here is my input on the puppy mill auction in Thorp, ....Wisconsin..... I attended as a protester and was very proud to do so. Despite telling myself over and over that I would absolutely, positively not come home with any dogs, I did come home with two dogs. Their conditions and story will be at the end of this e-mail. I can't remember when I have had such an emotionally draining day as yesterday.
Even now as I am typing this, I still can't quite comprehend the fact that there were over 200 dogs there and not one wagging tail. This pretty much sums it up doesn't it??? What I witnessed was a group of 250 dogs who were depressed and broken spirited. They were all without water, with several either standing or laying in their own feces. How I wish i could have gotten those pictures. I did manage only one before I was stopped by one of the God-fearing Mennonite or Amish men. Several also were totally covered in wood chips and even in their little eyes. I took one puppy out and tried to clean her off the best I could. It broke my heart to put her back in her metal prison which was shared by 8 others. The most depressing of all though were the two adult cockers who were so broken that they wouldn't even come to the front of their cage for a kind pat. Why should they though. They have never known human kindness and to them we are one of them.
Two other things stand out: The first being the dogs inability to even stand on the table. The girl always tried to prop them up but the majority had to be held as I am sure it was too embarrassing to them that the dogs were so weak and couldn't sustain their own weight. And those precious little ones would cringe every time that damn gavel came down. Very sad also to see the Rottweilers, Boxers and Mountain Dogs carried to the tables. Oh so tragic isn't it. I personally don't know what it will take to try to permanently ban these acutions but for the life of me I can't understand why the Amish and Menonite people can get away with this criminal activity much longer. And yes, it is CRIMINAL. If our state allows this to continue, it will be a black eye on our state forever. Action needs to be taken YESTERDAY!!!! Our state is so progressive in so many ways but way behind other states in how they react to these despicable puppy mills.
My two precious ones aren't without problems but are probably young enough to be able to handle socialization. Both came with choking collars on and my this I mean that they were so tight on their necks that they almost had to be cut off. The little cock-a-poo came with a metal chain collar. Can you even imagine that??? The ....Mountain.. ..Dog.... has a bad eye and will most likely require surgery. She is in pain with it and doesn't even want to open it at times. She will be at the vet in the morning. Neither dog will eat out of a dog bowl. They are afraid of them. So for two days I have had to put their food on the floor. Hopefully this will change in time with patience and understanding that the bowl won't hurt them. To see both of them run in the grass yesterday for the first time in their lives was worth every penny I spent. So this is pretty much what I want to share at this time. The words despicable and abhorrent don't begin to cover what I saw. I hope to never have to attend again.
Thanks for listening and hopefully our state can get something done even if it means the re-call of legislators who don't comply with what we want. We can be a huge voice for those who can't speak.
Caryn Quella
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Chuck Wegner, Executive Director, Clark County Humane Society
A Few Random Thoughts About the Infamous Thorp dog auction
by Chuck Wegner, Executive Director, Clark County Humane Society
First of all, you will no doubt notice that the words dog auction in the heading of this article are not capitalized as words in a title normally would be. That is by design, not oversight. The reason is that capitalization is used to lend significance or importance to a word and the Thorp dog auction is of absolutely no importance or worth to humane-minded people.....
I would like to make it clear that anything written here is my own opinion.....
Now, down to the real stuff. I attended my fourth Thorp dog auction held at Horst Stable on <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />..Sat, Sept. 22, 2007... It was a typical dog auction, not differing much from the first three they held during the past year. This time there were 250 dogs originally billed for sale and once again they had an addendum sheet for dogs that came in later. All-in-all there were a total of 270 dogs up for sale to the highest bidder. We can only estimate, but I believe that there were around 400 people in attendance.....
Among the crowd you could find people from breed rescue. These are people who are dedicated to a particular breed of dog. They are usually there to bid on and rescue as many of their particular breed as they can afford to. You will also find people from Humane Societies who are very similar to breed rescue but instead of focusing in on one breed they may intend to rescue any breed from a miserable future. Another segment of people attending will be the public in general. They may be looking for a pet for themselves or the family and figured that the large numbers of “purebred” dogs would make the prices cheap on what would normally be expensive breeds. The majority of the people in attendance seemed to be puppy millers who are looking for new breeding stock. They may also be selling some or their dogs at the auction so they are increasing the “gene pool” at their mill.....
Whatever the reason for being there, the end result is that a lot of dogs get bought and sold. The humane-minded people who are first-time attendees almost always say the same thing when asked what their thoughts are about what they saw… “I can’t believe it!”, “I am going to have nightmares about dogs and the way they are treated”. “The faces of the dogs and puppies are burned into my memory”, “All I could do was cry for them”, and on and on. ....
So many people say they can’t go there again. I feel like that a lot of the time, but you know what, I will go back every time. I have to, for the dog’s sake. There need to be witnesses to this event. We can not ignore it or avoid it. It goes on whether we are there or not. Human beings tend to be comfort-seekers. We like to eliminate from our lives the things that are uncomfortable, hard or painful for us. What we need to remember is that if each and every one of us doesn’t stand up and bear witness to the bad things in life, they will not only exist, they will grow until there is no stopping them. Instead of avoiding these events, which are difficult to view, we must be united against them. We have to go in with open eyes and be a witness and then tell what we see and what is happening there. The poor dogs suffering every day for profit and greed must be our motivation. We do it for them. If you’ve ever had a pet, you owe it to that animal. They can not help themselves so we have to help them.....
There is no question that legislation is the key to regulating puppy mills and banning dog auctions. The mills and auctions claim that it’s not illegal for them to operate the way they do. I say, “It should be!” Remember hearing “Just because it’s not illegal, doesn’t mean it’s right”? Well that’s true. We don’t have to look in law books or statutes to know that the way dogs are raised in puppy mills is just wrong. Anyone with compassion can see that. Maybe humane-minded people just have a little more compassion than your average person. I think that compassionate people are born that way. There is something extra in them that makes them empathetic. We can’t ignore someone or something in need of help and the dogs in mills need our help, all of us.....
It is not up to the Humane Societies or breed rescue. They can not change things alone. It falls onto each and every one of us to fix this horrible treatment of man’s best friend. There is no excuse for sacrificing proper care for profit.....
Please contact your state senator or representative as soon as possible. (Please go to this site, http://waml.legis.state.wi.us/, if you don't know who your legislator is. It will walk you through the steps to get their contact information.) I know that many organizations will provide you with a form letter that you can send, but your letter to them is better off being original and in your own words. Think about the issues, study the sites: nowisconsinpuppymills.com or cchs-petshelter.org. Read all you can about this issue and then write the legislators. You can’t go wrong if you speak from the heart.....
Please do this for the animals who suffer every day in the name of greed.......
This "Letter to the Editor" appeared in the Marshfield News-Herald on September 29, 2007:
Puppymills irresponsible, inhumane
Editor: Last Saturday I attended the Horst Dog Auction in Thorp. Over 250 dogs and puppies were auctioned off to the highest bidders. These were dogs that local puppy millers bred continually until they slowed production. They no longer earned their owners big money.
Many were stoic, having given up all hope. Others crawled over each other trying to get into the farthest corner of their packed cages. Two of the adult Rottweilers needed to be carried up to the auction table and then cowered, making themselves as small as possible. Many of the normally longer-haired breeds, like Westies, Cocker Spaniels and Bichons were shaved and barely recognizable as their respective breeds.
It's hard to keep them looking nice when they live their lives in their own, and their neighbors' urine and feces. Deformed feet from walking on the wire floor and untrimmed nails is not unusual. Neither is severe dental disease from general ill health being fed cheap, low quality food.
Puppymills sell their products to pet stores and through advertisements in the newspapers usually naming several breeds including the latest trendy mix breeds. These puppies are not bred and raised by people who love the breed and insure their health and well-being. They are shipped in airplanes or trucks like regular cargo with as many in a crate as possible. It's hard to believe, but these people are operating within the law.
Don't buy puppies from pet stores or advertisements listing multiple breeds without seriously researching them. Check out local shelters or reputable breeders who breed responsibly and humanely. Spread the word about puppymills. Many people don't know Tell your legislators you are concerned about the inhumane conditions of these breeding factories and want laws to address these problems.
For more information about puppymills go to www.nowisconsinpuppymills.com or www.cchs-petshelter.org.
CARLA NOWACK
Hewitt
This Editorial appeared in the Marshfield News-Herald on Wednesday, October 3rd: Editorial
The cocker spaniel puppy, a tawny ball of fur, cavorted with its litter mates on the floor of the kitchen in a Mennonite family’s farm home in rural Clark County.
It captured the hearts of the three children, who had begged for a dog, their first pet.
The seller offered papers, but not a visit to the barn to see the puppy’s mother.
The family bought the puppy — it was so cute — anyway.
Over the passing months, Chino — inbred and maladjusted — turned violent, barring its teeth and snarling viciously at the slightest provocation, snapping unexpectedly and biting every child and adult in the family. Often, it drew blood.
An animal behaviorist who came to consult with the family said he knew what he’d do if he owned Chino, and it didn’t involve a pat on the head and an “atta boy.”
When Chino bit the youngest boy in the family on the face, the dog had to go away.
Sadly, hundreds of dogs bred by puppy mills along the Highway 29 corridor in Clark County are flawed as family pets by the circumstances of their birth, in small, crowded, feces-ridden cages to unsocialized adults kept solely for their ability to turn out litter after litter, then sold at auction when they’re not productive enough.
By then, they cower, afraid of the human contact they’ve been denied.
Clark County is the epicenter of largely unregulated dog breeding operations in Wisconsin. It is home to 26 of 53 known USDA licensed pet breeding facilities, according to the Clark County Human Society.
That group organized protesters at a recent auction of more than 250 dogs at an auction at Thorp that drew the attention of television stations and newspapers. Yet, at the puppy mills it’s still business as usual.
Animal activists pin their hopes on legislation that would control animal breeding in Wisconsin, requiring inspections of facilities and record-keeping to detect abuses. It has faltered in the Legislature.
Until there’s effective oversight by the state, dogs raised in horrible conditions will continue to be a cash crop in Clark County, sold at dozens of farms that post “puppies for sale” signs out front.
But caring, compassionate people can make a difference.
The information campaign conducted by the Clark County Humane Society helps get the word out to unsuspecting buyers that the dog sale that they’re about to attend isn’t the place to purchase a family pet. And that a purebred dog advertised at a bargain price won’t be the animal you want for your kids.
The family that bought the cocker spaniel puppy was heartbroken when it had to get rid of Chino. It took several years before it was willing to open its home to a dog again.
The family’s new pet is an American Water Spaniel-Labrador mix — a mutt — adopted at a humane society shelter.
If you really want a dog with pure blood lines, get it from a reputable breeder known in the breed-specific community who supplies other buyers’ names and phone numbers. Visit the kennel. See how the dogs are kept.
On the other hand, if you just want a dog that’s a good fit in the family, maybe one that gets along with the cat as well as the kids, stop at a humane society shelter like the one in Neillsville. They’ll match you up.
The cocker spaniel puppy, a tawny ball of fur, cavorted with its litter mates on the floor of the kitchen in a Mennonite family’s farm home in rural Clark County.
It captured the hearts of the three children, who had begged for a dog, their first pet.
The seller offered papers, but not a visit to the barn to see the puppy’s mother.
The family bought the puppy — it was so cute — anyway.
Over the passing months, Chino — inbred and maladjusted — turned violent, barring its teeth and snarling viciously at the slightest provocation, snapping unexpectedly and biting every child and adult in the family. Often, it drew blood.
An animal behaviorist who came to consult with the family said he knew what he’d do if he owned Chino, and it didn’t involve a pat on the head and an “atta boy.”
When Chino bit the youngest boy in the family on the face, the dog had to go away.
Sadly, hundreds of dogs bred by puppy mills along the Highway 29 corridor in Clark County are flawed as family pets by the circumstances of their birth, in small, crowded, feces-ridden cages to unsocialized adults kept solely for their ability to turn out litter after litter, then sold at auction when they’re not productive enough.
By then, they cower, afraid of the human contact they’ve been denied.
Clark County is the epicenter of largely unregulated dog breeding operations in Wisconsin. It is home to 26 of 53 known USDA licensed pet breeding facilities, according to the Clark County Human Society.
That group organized protesters at a recent auction of more than 250 dogs at an auction at Thorp that drew the attention of television stations and newspapers. Yet, at the puppy mills it’s still business as usual.
Animal activists pin their hopes on legislation that would control animal breeding in Wisconsin, requiring inspections of facilities and record-keeping to detect abuses. It has faltered in the Legislature.
Until there’s effective oversight by the state, dogs raised in horrible conditions will continue to be a cash crop in Clark County, sold at dozens of farms that post “puppies for sale” signs out front.
But caring, compassionate people can make a difference.
The information campaign conducted by the Clark County Humane Society helps get the word out to unsuspecting buyers that the dog sale that they’re about to attend isn’t the place to purchase a family pet. And that a purebred dog advertised at a bargain price won’t be the animal you want for your kids.
The family that bought the cocker spaniel puppy was heartbroken when it had to get rid of Chino. It took several years before it was willing to open its home to a dog again.
The family’s new pet is an American Water Spaniel-Labrador mix — a mutt — adopted at a humane society shelter.
If you really want a dog with pure blood lines, get it from a reputable breeder known in the breed-specific community who supplies other buyers’ names and phone numbers. Visit the kennel. See how the dogs are kept.
On the other hand, if you just want a dog that’s a good fit in the family, maybe one that gets along with the cat as well as the kids, stop at a humane society shelter like the one in Neillsville. They’ll match you up.
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