Saturday, August 17th marks National Clear the Shelters Day! Hundreds of animal shelters around the country are participating by offering reduced-fee or no-cost adoptions in order to help dogs and cats find their forever homes.
Each year, approximately 6.5 million companion animals wind up in U.S. animal shelters. On average, 1.5 million of these shelter animals are euthanized, largely due to overcrowding.
Those that purchase companion animals from breeders and pet shops also contribute to the high amount of animals that are euthanized in shelters each year.
Many of the puppies that are sold in pet stores come from puppy mills—large-scale breeding facilities that value profit over the welfare of their animals. LCA's undercover investigators have spent many years exposing countless puppy mills across the country, documenting dogs living in wretched conditions in cramped cages. In order to minimize costs, puppy mills typically house dogs in deplorable living conditions without access to adequate food, water, and medical care. As a result, puppy mill dogs often have serious health problems and behavioral issues.
Thankfully, countless U.S. cities and counties have banned the retail sale of puppies and kittens derived from commercial breeding facilities. In 2017, California became the first state to enact such a ban, and, in 2018, Maryland followed suit.
With Puppy Mill Awareness Day right around the corner—celebrated annually on the 3rd weekend of September—consider saving a life by adopting a shelter animal. And if you're looking for ways to take action, consider hosting your own Puppy Mill Awareness Day! Click here to learn more.
Click here to learn more about puppy mill cruelty.
Photo: Pixabay,