Zanny Rants Opinions, Thoughts and Commentary of a Baby Boomer Artist

This last week-end, I participated in a wonderful benefit, sponsored by local animal shelters and concerned citizens,  for over 600 puppy mill dogs recently rescued from horrific living conditions. This subject absolutely deserves much ranting!

The local shelters are doing their best at rehabilitating these dogs and  finding foster homes willing to nurse them back to health. It is a daunting  and expensive process. Estimated cost per dog per day is $20.

I think most of the public does not realize many of the dogs that are found at pet stores come from these puppy mills all across the country. The animals are not treated with dignity and respect, but instead are simply seen as a commodity to be marketed.

It is reassuring to hear President Obama prefers a “shelter dog” to live in the White House. Awareness and education are critical to resolve this awful practice. If you do ever visit a puppy mill, be prepared. The images you’ll encounter, assuming you have a beating heart, will shock and horrify you and will last a very long time. And please remember, when you do see that adorable puppy at the pet store, where it’s probable origin was and what you are contributing to the situation by purchasing that animal.

Below is a quote I found at Ask.com.

In shelters alone, approximately 3-4 million cats and dogs are euthanized every year. It is hard to get a completely accurate answer, because not all shelters report, or are required to report all euthanasias. These numbers are from the Humane Society Website.

“The HSUS estimates that animal shelters care for between 6-8 million dogs and cats every year in the United States, of whom approximately 3-4 million are euthanized. At this time The HSUS can only estimate these figures because there is no central data reporting agency for animal shelters.

This overpopulation of companion animals is widely acknowledged across the country by professionals and experts in the animal welfare field. Overpopulation is a tragedy. There are simply not enough responsible homes for all of these wonderful, innocent animals. At this point in time, it would be impossible to humanely house every unwanted animal in the United States.”