Keep cruelty off your gift list this year: that’s the message that
the Humane Society of the US (HSUS) would like everyone to take to
heart this holiday shopping season.

Every animal lover should now
be aware of the terrible conditions dogs endure at puppy mills.
According to the HSUS , buying puppies from pet stores or over the
Internet supports puppy mills, so people seeking a new pet should stay
away from those sources.

"When consumers stop ‘demanding’ the ‘product’ the puppies at
pet stores and online, these mills will go out of business," says
Stephanie Shain, director of The HSUS’ Stop Puppy Mills campaign.

Sadly,
many soft-hearted buyers will be drawn into "rescuing" a woebegone
puppy from a store or will be deceived by retailers who promise their
puppies don’t come from mills. The truth, says Shain, is that, no
matter how good the intention, buying a puppy from a pet store simply
makes room for another pup to be produced at the mill, while stores
that say they don’t sell dogs from mills are probably lying.

To
make the public aware of these and other issues, the HSUS has declared
November 16 to 22 as Puppy Mill Action Week. For more information,
including six simple things you can do to fight puppy mills, visit stoppuppymills.org.

-Marian Buechert