Dog Auctions / Puppy Mill Investigation by HSUS
Excellent expose provided by HSUS. Link included, please cross post
www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/the_hsus_reveals_dog_auctions.html
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The HSUS Reveals Shocking Undercover Investigation of Dog Auctions
June 4, 2007
Cages containing hundreds of confused and frightened dogs with little or no water or means of warmth in the frigid temperatures, or shade in the brutally hot weather, are sold by auction almost every weekend across the United States – similar to the way used cars are auctioned off.
The HSUS launched an extensive undercover investigation of dog auctions -- where puppy mill owners buy and sell dogs for breeding – in four states ( Ohio , Kansas , Arkansas and Oklahoma ) and witnessed deplorable suffering and mistreatment of animals. The HSUS will release the footage to the public for the first time on June 11 at www.humanesociety.org/puppymills.
According to Stephanie Shain , director of outreach for companion animals for The HSUS, “Our undercover investigation sheds light on a horrendous business and will shock many people. It is a major problem in this country. Dogs sold at auction live a deplorable existence and have little hope of ever being part of a family. They are used for one purpose – to breed – and will be shuffled between puppy mills throughout their lives. They churn out puppies – litter after litter - until they cannot do it anymore. Their babies are taken away from them too young and sold through pet shops and over the internet to unsuspecting customers who end up with sick or dying dogs within weeks of joining their new family.”
“Dog auctions, like the ones we uncovered, are a symptom of the puppy mill industry. The puppy mill industry thrives through the sale of puppies in pet stores and over the internet in every state in the U.S. As long as people buy dogs at their local pet store, puppy mills will exist and dog auctions will take place week after week. Check with your local pet store. Most will not reveal where their puppies came from because they likely came from a puppy mill,” Shain further explains.
Dog auctions are “trading days” for people who call themselves “breeders” but auctions are not frequented by truly reputable dog breeders. “Breeding” dogs are bought and sold carelessly and treated heartlessly with little or no regard for their health and well-being. The general public does not attend auctions to get a family pet. “The animals are literally sold like cars in used auto auctions. This is where puppy millers dump dogs they no longer want, and others come looking for a deal. Cars are probably treated better than these dogs,” Shain says.
These “breeders” sell their “wares” at auctions because they are going out of business (“total kennel sellouts” or “dispersal auctions”) or because they no longer wish to sell a specific breed (“breed sellout”). Others may sell “excess” dogs on consignment. Most of those are purchased by other puppy mill owners to add to their own breeding operation.
The HSUS undercover investigation reveals:
Dogs being sold from $1.00 to over $1,000.00.
Hundreds of caged dogs exposed to extreme temperatures.
Hundreds of dogs deprived of food and water for hours on end.
Dogs cramped in cages so small that they were unable to sit upright or lie down normally.
Dogs with known genetic defects being auctioned off.
Auctioneers selling expired veterinary medicine without a prescription.
Dogs bred too young or too old.
Facts:
Many states have auctions, however in the Midwest , there is a dog auction held almost every weekend. The HSUS found that MO has the most, but auctions are also occurring regularly in AR, IA, KS, NE, OH, OK and WI.
A typical dog auction sells at least 250 dogs. Some larger auctions sell over 400 animals in a single day-long event.
Dogs sell from $1.00 to several thousand. The typical female of “breeding age” is sold for $200.00 to $600.00. The higher prices are for “proven” breeders or expensive breeds with champion lineage.
A French Bulldog was sold at a Missouri auction last year for $12,500.00, a Yorkshire Terrier for $4,100.00 and a Maltese for $3,700.00. The “lower end” dogs are over six years old, breeds that are less popular, and dogs that have “defects” like a hernia. These dogs sell for $1.00 to $50.00. Some dogs don’t sell at all.
Newborn puppies are often sold immediately after birth – as a “package” with their mother. Individual puppies have been sold at seven weeks of age.
It is rare to see dogs at auction over six years of age because no puppy mill wants a dog who is past their breeding peak. However in a “dispersal” auction – when all dogs in one kennel or of one breed are being sold, there may be dogs as old as 10.
Visit www.humanesociety.org/puppymills for more information.
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