Dog Auctions- by
Nancy Kay, DVM ©
I wish I were a fiction writer and the details within this blog were simply a
product of my imagination. Unfortunately dog auctions are a painful and
despicable fact of life. As much as I dislike crafting blogs that are “downers”
I’ve recognized the importance of educating as many people as I can about
animal-related issues that undermine our humanity. Dog auctions certainly fit
the bill.
In case you are unfamiliar with dog auctions let me fill you in. Envision
rooms filled floor to ceiling with crates and cages each housing dogs whose sole
purpose in life is to make puppies. Every dog in the room is identified by the
number on the auction tag hanging round his or her neck. There are purebreds of
multiple varieties although some might not be recognizable as such given their
lack of health care and horrifically overgrown hair coats. And, of course, there
are plenty of “designer hybrids” the mutts that are purposefully planned because
they are “all the rage” and their litters will garner thousands of dollars. One
would think these rooms filled with dogs would be chaotic and noisy. In fact
the quiet is eerie; these are dogs with broken spirits- too scared to vocally
protest and too disassociated from their miserable existences to invite
attention from the humans peering into their cages.
Six auctions are held every year in Farmerstown,
Ohio. In fact the next one is later this week on January 15th. If you happen
to live near Farmerstown, I encourage you to attend. You will be surrounded by
puppy mill proprietors who have come to socialize, discuss their trade, and buy
and sell “livestock”. There will also be some representatives from breed rescue
organizations, hoping to place some winning bids that will alter the dismal fate
of as many dogs as is affordable. Don’t take a camera with you- it will be
confiscated. You see, these are rather covert affairs- journalists and
photographers are not allowed. The photographic images accompanying this blog
were obtained via an undercover operation. At the upcoming Ohio auction 463
dogs are slated to be auctioned. The dogs bringing the highest prices will be
those with proven fertility records; already pregnant bitches are highly
valued. Details about each dog’s breeding behavior and previous litter sizes
are provided, but information about basic temperament or breed-specific
inherited diseases within the family tree will be unavailable.
If you attend an auction in Ohio, be sure to
look for and meet Mary O’Connor-Shaver. You will find her at the peaceful
protest that is a visible presence on each and every auction day. In my mind
Mary is a hero, working tirelessly to convince Ohio legislators to ban dog
auctions from her state. I hope you will visit her website www.BanOhioDogAuctions.com. Mary
has been a huge source of information and inspiration for me.
What can you do to help eradicate dog auctions and put an end to puppy
mills? Here are some suggestions:
1. Boycott puppy mills. This means never ever purchasing a puppy
from a pet store or from an on line source (site and sight unseen). Visit your
local shelter (a surprising number of purebred dogs wind up there) and contact
local breed-specific rescue organizations. If you decide to purchase a puppy
from a breeder please take the time to read my article titled “A Dozen Simple
Ways To Be Certain You Are Working With a Reputable Breeder” (http://speakingforspot.com/blog/?p=749).
2.
If you live in a state that sanctions dog auctions (Ohio, Kansas, Oklahoma,
Nebraska, Arkansas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri) write your legislators and appeal
to them to stop this madness. And if there are efforts within your state to
create legislation banning dog auctions, please pitch in. This might involve
organizing rallies, writing letters, and gathering signatures of support.
3.
If you don’t reside in a state that sanctions dog auctions, write letters to the
governors and legislators of the eight states that do. Let them know you will
no longer support their state in terms of travel and commerce until their dog
auctions cease to exist.
4. Let your veterinarian know how you feel about dog
auctions and puppy mills, and encourage him or her to take a public stance
against them. Goodness knows, they see first hand the horrific health issues
and accompanying heartbreak produced by puppy mills.
5. If you are a teacher,
educate your students about puppy mills and dog auctions. Teach them about
responsible ways to adopt a dog. I firmly believe that educating children about
these issues is the key success.
6. Please share this blog with anyone and
everyone you know who loves a dog, and encourage them to take action. My youngest child attends college in Athens, Ohio. During a recent Parents
Weekend visit my husband, daughter and I checked out Petland, the pet store in
Athens. We found no fewer than three dozen utterly adorable purebred and
designer hybrid puppies- undoubtedly puppy mill progeny. There were plenty of
customers in the store that day interacting with the pups and contemplating
adoption. I chatted with the store manager about the Boxer pup on display and
asked to see the paperwork documenting if Boxer cardiomyopathy existed in the
pup’s family tree. Boxer cardiomyopathy is an inherited heart condition that
prematurely ends the lives of afflicted dogs. She responded by saying, “No, we
don’t have that paperwork but no problem because Petland guarantees full refunds
on any dogs that develop symptoms caused by an inherited disease.” No problem
for Petland that is……..
What are you willing to do to help stop this madness?
If
you would like to respond publicly, please
visit
http://www.speakingforspot.com/blog/?p=2009.
Best
wishes,
Dr. Nancy Kay
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal
Medicine
Author of Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog
Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life
Recipient, American
Animal Hospital Association 2009 Animal Welfare and Humane Ethics
Award
Recipient, 2009 Dog Writers Association of America Award for Best
Blog
Recipient, 2009 Eukanuba Canine Health Award
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