Do we really want to put an end to puppy mills and BYB?

Im already fostering Ham but he was found as a stray and did not comes from a shelter or rescue. I loved the Sheba thread and hope maybe oneday we can do a similar rescue again. :D

Well, I think getting involved with a rescue, of any sort, is a great place to start. You can go in for 1 hour a week, walk some dogs, pet some cats, wash some blankets, whatever your "specialty" is. You can donate time, money, resources, whatever you have.

I think taking a stand against puppy stores, and other "pet stores" selling little puppies is where people are needed most. Closing down flea market stands is a never ending battle. Advocay for spaying/neutering, helping to open a low cost spay/neuter clinic. There is so much people can do.

ETA: sorry post is a bit scattered, but you get the jist. Lots on my mind now.... =/

For me, it's (yeah, this is gonna be a shocker) talking!  Joe Average Guardian doesn't have a clue.  Particularly if his dog is older and he hasn't GOTTEN a dog in 15 years. 

Some folks are online and eat it up.  But the average dog owner isn't -- so I probably give out the URL for Dog.com 10 times in a week.  I don't just refer to the nutrition forum or one or the other -- but I just generally recommend people get online and get exposed. 

I tend to talk about dogs a lot (yeah, you think??) but I just generally suggest that people learn ... because most people ... strange tho it may seem to US ... don't even understand the term BYB.  Nope -- to them it's just "those nice folks down the road who seem to have a little side business because they love dogs and have signs out that they have puppies again.  And gosh ... I'm SO tempted because ... well every time I see their signs I think how cute a pup would be!!"

And usually I'll look at them and say "Do you know what the term BYB means?  If they're selling pugs by a sign at the road then unfortunately I fear those pups may have all sorts of breed-related health problems.  You might want to check out the ASPCA's "Complete Guide to Dogs" and see what the breed-related health problems are of that breed before you decide to buy from a back yard breeder who may -- altho well-intentioned -- actually be breeding problems that YOU would have to reap for the life of the dog."

 It doesn't always make you popular but taking the initiative to inform people can at least expose them to their lack of knowlege.

And yeah -- I've got a house FULL of rescues who each, in their own way, have suffered for breed-related health problems and I take the initiative to make folks aware of them. 

Yeah, I know .. I gotta get over this "shyness" problem of mine -- but you know what?  it's ok -- it's for the dogs. 

REALLY good topic, Kelly.

I get emails from HSUS and ASPCA all the time, just asking for you to click "send" to add your name to end things such as horse slaughter, manatee killings, puppy mills, etc. It doesn't take much time, just click the link, fill in your information, and send it off. You even get a nice thank you letter afterwards. VERY EASY.

Getting involved with rescue, be it breed specific or general rescue, is a great place to start.  Rescue groups are always looking for volunteers, even if you are only able to donate a few hours of your time each week. 

Talking to others when you are out with your dogs is a great way to educate people.  In casual conversation, you can mention that you are not supportive of bybs/mills.  In my experience, people who do not know what these are will ask.  Then you have your chance to educate.

Kelly, FWIW- I think that you have perfect looking little aliens.

BEVOLASVEGAS

Talking to others when you are out with your dogs is a great way to educate people.  In casual conversation

Like when you are out at the dog park. I do this all the time, and most of the time, I don't even realize I'm doing it.

There are powerful economic forces at work, and I don't think we'll be able to put an end to BYB and puppy mills. I'd like to see puppy mills more heavily regulated and those regulations enforced.

The thing is, people want these puppies. People want designer jeans, $500 eye cream, and botox. I guess what I'm trying to say is that educating the majority of people isn't going to work, because it goes counter to the current social and economic values.

I think the first line of attack in reducing unwanted dogs is spay and neuter. Low cost or free. You will never be able to fully stop the people making money off intentional breedings, but we can virtually eliminate oops litters if we invest in convenient and cost friendly spay and neuter.

Don't think I'm saying we shouldn't bother trying to educate people on BYBs and puppy mills. I think we should. But I don't believe that education will be enough. People are funny. We act on instinct, and not logic. Hence the fiasco with Chinese products, our fascination with Hummers, and the normalization of plastic boobs. (Seriously, where is the logic in THAT?)

ottoluv

Does anyone know anything about pending legislation?

I am on some e-mail lists that track all pending legislation concerning dog laws.  But you really have to be careful as one persons champion show breeder is another's puppy mill.  There are folks out there that are against all breeding and are incrementally trying to eliminate all breeding thru legislation.  The people most under attack right now are the small home hobby breeders as most of the laws being proposed are trying to eliminate all home breeding and only to allow breeding to take place when a person conforms to the AWA (Animal Welfare Act), something you can't do in a home situation.  Well guess who has to conform to those conditions.  The commercial breeders.  That is the real problem you can't get rid of the BYB's without affecting the hobby breeders.  That is why the unintended consequences of a law always have to be looked at.

Dog_ma

I think the first line of attack in reducing unwanted dogs is spay and neuter. Low cost or free. You will never be able to fully stop the people making money off intentional breedings, but we can virtually eliminate oops litters if we invest in convenient and cost friendly spay and neuter.

You are exactly right.  In communities where there is a robust low/no cost spay and neuter program and the education that goes along with it, they have been very successful.  Another thing that needs to be addressed in enforcement of existing dog laws.  Many times where there is a lot of dogs in shelter situations is area where the laws are not really enforced.  For example leash and containment laws.

I believe you should act locally.  In the past, the humane society of my county ran a program in public schools.  It was provided in May during Pet Week (which likely won't work anymore because of high stakes tests).  The program was called RRF (Ruff).  It was Respect, Responsibility and Fun.  We covered responsible ownership including spay neuter and waste cleanup.  How to greet a dog (including asking first; kids in the neighborhood still ask), what to do when dogs are loose, how to stay safe with a dog that seems scary, and how to have safe fun.

That program needed folks to do the outreach and scheduling, folks to collect funds for the materials for the kids, folks to do the demos, folks to make the materials for the poster displays and teacher packets.  If you look at the teen smoking campaigns, kid programs do work.

The way I work nationally is to support rescue in two breed clubs with id, evaluation, overnights and transport.

I don't think legislation is the way to go at all- education of the public into not-buying puppies at pet stores, and not-buying puppies in on-line shopping carts is the solution. You don't even have to bring up the ethics of puppy mills- hit them with self-interest. Puppies from puppy mills have a lot of health and behavioral problems that your average pet owner really wants to avoid. We have shut down several local puppy stores just by dropping by informational leaflets outside the store. No profit, they fold.

 For me, I just put my big mouth to work.  And tried to hit the problem where it starts, the consumer.  My daughter had 2 friends who were itching and begging to buy one of the cute little designer breeds from the new local puppy shop that opened up.  I did some snooping, discovered that the 2 papillions there were from a breeder who'd been shut down by the USDA and educated myself on puppymills.  Then my daughter told all her friends about it, sent them to the PETA website and others that show vivid video and pictures of where these dogs come from and one friend decided not to get a dog at all and the other ended up adopting 2 kittens from the pound instead.

  And whenever someone at the dog park talks about "we're gonna breed lil' princess" I get all helpful and informative and discouraging.  I make up terrible stories about make believe friends who had a terrible time with the birth, who had people come to the house and try to steal the pups, etc etc etc... anything I can to discourage them.  Then I point out Woobie who everyone thinks is so cute and adorable and unique and I tell them about the hundreds of pups just like Woobie put to sleep every day around the country because there aren't homes for them.  How would they feel if that happened to one of princess's pups?  I tell them the story of how Indie was bought from a breeder but then dumped at a shelter rather than returned to the breeder or given to breed rescue.

  Sometimes people get defensive and put up lots of defenses of how those things would never happen to them, etc.  But sometimes people go "Hmm, I never thought of that" and at least I've planted the seeds of doubt.

  If I had more time, I'd try to get our county to pass an ordinance prohibiting sale of dogs and cats in pet stores.