Puppy mills are horrible places of death and disease. Cramped in small, stacked wire cages, hundreds of breeding dogs are forced to churn out puppies again and again until their fertility wanes and they are killed. The resulting puppies, often having defects and carrying disease due to lack of proper care, are sold through dealers or middlemen to pet shops. This cycle of cruelty is currently legal in almost every state in the U.S., but after January 1, 2010, the day SB 5651 takes effect, puppy mills to this degree in Washington State will not be tolerated under the law. Our project was to get this law passed, which states several important requirements for the care of animals in breeding operations, and then to educate the public about puppy mills to help end them in our state and to help stop the demand by preventing people from buying sick pet shop puppies.
people impacted:
1people involved:
2We love animals! It breaks my heart to hear about them being abused in puppy mills, treated like emotionless machines. We want to stop this kind of factory breeding to help the puppy mill dogs, as well as the consumers that are affected and the dogs that are being euthanized every day in shelters due to the growing problem of overpopulation.
The first thing we did was write a letter to our state legislators. Though it was too late in the 2007 session, one senator promised that she would introduce a bill in 2008. In February the next year, we testified for the bill at the public hearing. It didn't pass, but we persevered and wrote many letters in December 2008 and January 2009 specifying exactly what we wanted in the legislation so it would address the issue more effectively. We testified before the senate in February, then again before the house, and finally a third time before the senate, in between, making phone calls to every state representative and senator and writing letters. As a result, we got a bill passed! Our plan for the continuation of the project is to circulate more of our brochures about puppy mills and make presentations to local schools and to the community.
You can help by spreading the word about puppy mills and writing to the legislators in your state! If there was a "puppy mill bill" in every state, we could end this cruelty for good! If you can, encourage people to adopt a pet instead of going to a breeder- and never, ever to buy a puppy from a pet shop!
Looking for a meaningful New Year's resolution? Take the Pledge to Fight Animal Cruelty on the ASPCA website http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/! Then fulfill your New Year's resolution by donating your time, supplies, or money to a animal welfare organization, such as the Humane Society of the United States http://www.humanesociety.org/ or PAWS http://www.paws.org/.
And be sure to "like" our Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Project-Puppy-Mills/115860711772191
THE WORST PUPPY MILLS IN AMERICA?
The Humane Society of the United States just released a report called "Missouri's Dirty Dozen" detailing some of the worst puppy mills in the nation. Dogs living in temperatures as low as 9 degrees? Not OK. Check it out at: http://www.humanesociety.org/news/news/2010/10/missouri_dirty_dozen_1006...
The All Animals article about Project Puppy Mills was published! Check out the article here:
http://www.humanesociety.org/news/magazines/2010/09-10/kids_with_a_cause...
And be sure to like our Facebook page at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Project-Puppy-Mills/115860711772191?ref=ts
ARTICLE TO APPEAR IN ALL ANIMALS MAGAZINE
An article about Project Puppy Mills will appear in the September/October issue of the Humane Society of the United States magazine, All Animals. Audrey and Theresa recently had a photographer come to take official pictures for the article. Be sure to check it out!
Also, be sure to check out our improved website with a new poll at http://projectpuppymills.kk5.org/
How did you help keep your pets safe on the 4th of July?
HUMANE LOBBY DAY
Come meet your Washington State legislators in Olympia on February 24, 2010 and voice your opinion on important animal issues! Sponsored by PAWS and the Humane Society, this event is an important opportunity to speak up for animals.
RSVP at:
http://action.humanesociety.org/site/Calendar/2138804231?view=Detail&id=...
The episode airs at 8pm tonight on Nick News! We are so excited!
NICK NEWS EPISODE POSTING!
The Nickelodeon "Kids to the Rescue" Episode featuring Audrey and Theresa (founders of Project Puppy Mills) as well as other kids making a difference for animals has been posted on the Nick News web site! The episode premieres on national TV December 27.
Check out the video at:
http://www.nick.com/videos/clip/nick-news-kids-to-the-rescue-full-episod...
Happy Thanksgiving! At Project Puppy Mills, we are thankful for all the wonderful support we get from our families and friends, for great animal rights organizations like the Humane Society, ASPCA, and PAWS, and for everyone that takes the time to check out our project! We are also very thankful for all our pets, and want them to have the safest Thanksgiving possible.According to ASPCA, while its fine to give your pet a little piece of boneless, skinless turkey, don't give them too much, or you may end up celebrating at the vet's office. Also, if your cooking with sage, be especially careful not to let animals eat any, as sage has been known to upset the stomachs of cats & dogs.Common sense tells us not to feed the dog cake, but never give a pet bread dough either. It can begin to rise in their stomach, and cause a severe medical emergency. Finally, if little Fido won't stop begging for table scraps, try keeping him occupied with a yummy chew toy, such as a Kong. For more tips, please visit ASPCA's website at http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/pet-care-tips/thanksgiving-safety-tips.html
The Nick News episode about us and other kids helping animals is scheduled to air on Sunday, December 27th 8pm ET/PT! Look for us on national TV!
NOTE: This is a change from a previous posting that stated it would air Sunday, November 15th. The air date was changed. Sorry for any confusion.
Creative, cheap and filled with good: Father's...
Comments
Wow! That is so cool that you guys were passionate about this cause that you actually got a bill passed! That is so motivational and inspiring and should show all the kids on this Do Something site that if you care enough about something and try your hardest you can change the world!
Congrats guys! Keep up the great work!
Thanks so much for your kind words! Today we gave a presentation to some tween girls at a summer camp, and we're hoping to present some more during the '09-'10 school year. I'm going to the Social Action Training and I'm SO excited!
You really provide great info to educate people about puppy mills. How great! Good luck with everything. This is such an amazing cause :)
this is a great idea - you should apply for a grant right here on dosomething.org!
I think we're going to apply for a $500 DoSomething grant. Thank you everyone for supporting our project and letting us know you care! :)
Now that we have a website, we would love to hear what you think! Please visit our site- http://projectpuppymills.kk5.org/#
and use the contact us form to let us know how we're doing!
I am so inspired and impressed by your level of professionalism and action! Thanks so much for channeling your energy and compassion into justice for animals. You make my symbolic tail wag! ox -Bets
Working on making some changes to our website. http://projectpuppymills.kk5.org
This is an awesome project! Have you looked into Do Something's new ASPCA Animal Action grants? It's for young leaders like you who are promoting animal welfare and action ideas to help animals. The deadline is April 30th--check it out at http://www.dosomething.org/grants/aspca
Good luck!
Hey, can you give me some advice? I'm doing something called Nickels For Nature. It's where me and my friends collect money to give to the St. Louis Zoo to help with the orangatangs in the rainforests in Asia. Your action has inspired me, so could you please help?
Sbradshaw: Thanks for the tip!
Zookeeper1: It sounds like you have a great idea! One of the ways we've raised money for copies and other expenses was through drink stands. If you know of a local event, such as a rummage sale or sports game, you can set up a drink stand and sell drinks for reasonable prices to raise money for your project. Let people know the money goes to your cause. You could also talk to local schools about placing jars inside classrooms for students to donate nickels. Similar ideas have worked at elementary schools in our area. When you donate to the St. Louis Zoo, be sure to request that the money goes directly to helping orangutans.
Thank you for your interest in Project Puppy Mills. If you have any additional questions, or would like to know more about our project, feel free to contact us at http://projectpuppymills.kk5.org/ or email us at projectpuppymills.sea@gmail.com. Sorry for taking so long to get back to you (we had a slight communications error) and thanks again! Good luck with your project!
~Audrey and Theresa
It just breaks my heart to know that some people would be cruel enough to treat those innocent animals so badly. How can I help?
Alcester: There are lots of ways to help in the fight against puppy mills! First, it's important to spread the word that you should never buy a puppy from a pet shop, because this keeps cruel puppy mills in business. Instead, promote adoption from your local animal shelter or if that's not possible, getting your puppy from a responsible small-scale breeder. Another direct way to help is to advocate for humane legislation by writing to your state senators and representatives. To learn more about puppy mills and how you can help, visit http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/campaigns/stop_puppy_mills/ or check out our Project Puppy Mills website at http://projectpuppymills.kk5.org. Thanks for showing compassion towards animals! Good luck!
-Audrey and Theresa