Talkin Pets

Started by: Gina, Wisconsin

As a life-long Wisconsin resident and animal lover, I was not happy to hear that one of our state's companies, Johnsonville Sausages, works with factory farms that trap pigs in tiny, cruel gestation crates. Gestation crates are 2' by 7' cages that are used to confine a pregnant sow during her months of gestation, meaning that virtually all of her life will be spent in a box barely larger than her body, unable to even turn around or stretch her legs. Animal science expert Temple Grandin said that this practice is the same as "asking a sow to live in an airline seat."

Pigs are extremely intelligent animals that are just as smart, unique, and curious as the dogs and cats that live with us at home. These social animals are so intelligent that they have even learned to play simple video games! The pigs that Johnsonville keeps in tiny cages, though, suffer from boredom and frustration every day of their lives, and they develop coping mechanisms like biting on their bars and chewing obsessively. These animals will spend nearly their entire lives inside of a cage that is barely larger than their bodies.

Consumers are not happy about gestation crates, and government and industry are starting to respond. Keeping these large, highly intelligent animals in tiny crates is so inhumane that it is already considered criminal animal cruelty in all of the European Union. It is even illegal to use this practice in 9 states in the USA! Voters have had the choice on several occasions, and every time they have voted to ban gestation crates. Additionally, some of the largest companies have already pledged to drop crates: McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, Denny's, and dozens more. Even Johnsonville's direct competition and neighbor, Oscar Mayer, has made a pledge to phase out gestation crates.

It's time for Johnsonville to stop lagging behind their competitors and their customers. Help out the pigs by signing this petition, and let Johnsonville know that gestation crates have got to go!

Click here to sign Gina's petition, "Johnsonville Sausage: Stop Being Cruel to Pigs!".

You can also check out other popular petitions on Change.org by clicking here.

U.S. companies under pressure to end animal tests as Europe bans the sale of cosmetics tested on animals

March 11, 2013, LOS ANGELES, CA– Animal Defenders International (ADI) welcomes the final stage of implementation of the European Cosmetics Directive. This ends the sale in the 27 countries of the European Union, of cosmetics that continue to be tested on animals elsewhere in the world. The historic move not only marks the end of the testing of any cosmetics on animals in the EU, but for the first time, puts pressure on cosmetics manufacturers in the USA, and elsewhere to end testing on animals, if they want to sell in the huge EU market of 501 million people.

U.S. Congress and Federal agencies must now act to end cosmetics testing on animals or risk seeing U.S. companies being excluded from the lucrative European cosmetics market.

The European Union has in place a safety testing strategy for cosmetics that does not involve animals – almost all of the tests were replaced three years ago – and is being adhered to by some of the biggest cosmetics manufacturers in the world, and some of them have manufacturing operations in the U.S. There is no reason now, that companies in the U.S. cannot adopt the same protocols. It is vital that these tests are adopted in the U.S., to end unnecessary animal testing and to keep U.S. firms competitive in the world's markets.

ADI’s partner group, the UK’s National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS) ran a 30 year campaign against cosmetic tests, with ADI involved in the campaign for the past 20 years. ADI believes this is not just a victory for ethics but for science, as it has seen the systematic replacement of animal tests with scientifically advanced non-animal alternatives. A series of humane alternative methods were developed, simply because companies were compelled to find them, in the face of upcoming cosmetic testing deadlines set by the European Parliament.

Jan Creamer, ADI President: “This is an historic victory – an end to horrific and cruel animal tests in Europe, and this perfectly positions the U.S. to move swiftly on this issue. Several other countries have now introduced bans on testing cosmetics on animals, but the European Union really provides the perfect model for the U.S. to follow because it includes an alternative testing strategy for regulators.

“A huge factor when we were securing the bans on cosmetics testing, first in the UK and then in Europe, was that these tests were unjustified and unnecessary. However, in terms of the safety testing protocols laid down in regulations, this was always complex. People use products such as cosmetics and toiletries over decades, around the eyes and mouth, so they are absorbed and ingested. However, because the European Parliament agreed that it is not necessary to have more and more of these products, they set deadlines for replacement tests to be introduced. That gave industry the incentive to change.

“The simple fact is if we can have an effective safety testing strategy that does not use animals for products that are applied to the face and body each day, then we should be preparing to eliminate animal tests in other areas. When we campaigned for the Cosmetics Directive it was met by enormous opposition by animal testing companies, but when they had a deadline and were told they had to do it, they found the humane alternatives.”

The ADI and NAVS exposed the horrific nature of cosmetics testing, securing images inside animal laboratories, of racks of rabbits restrained in stocks having products dripped into their eyes, and guinea pigs with their backs raw and inflamed after having products applied to their skin.

For the majority of tests, animals have not been used for cosmetic ingredients in the EU since March 2009. The deadline for the replacement of certain animal tests under the marketing ban was extended to March 2013 in order to allow alternatives to be developed and approved.

ADI also successfully secured an amendment to the new European Directive on animal experiments, which became law this year, calling for a ‘thematic review’ system of replacement of animal research, with a view to setting targets for replacement of other animal tests in a similar way to the target-setting system within the Cosmetics Directive.

ADI hopes that progress will be made next to end the use of animals for testing household products.

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Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS) Launches National Campaign to Raise Awareness about the Pet Shop - Puppy Mill Industry

Cohasset, MA - Glamorous models and Beatrice, a sassy Basset Hound puppy mill survivor, are the faces of Companion Animal Protection Society’s (CAPS) national campaign designed to educate the public about atrocities in puppy mills and the risks associated with buying dogs at pet shops supplied by these facilities.

The Models Against Pet Shops and Puppy Mills campaign also promotes adoption of rescue and shelter animals. Advertising components include public service announcements airing on PBS television stations across the country, print ads, billboards, transit posters, social media efforts led by Beatrice, and related public relations and marketing efforts.

Beatrice was only 4-months-old when CAPS investigators rescued her from a South Dakota puppy mill in 2003. Beatrice was deemed unfit for breeding by the facility due to her deformed elbows. Fast forward to 2013: Beatrice resides in a loving, forever home and is the face of a National campaign designed to educate the public about the pet shop-puppy mill connection. Beatrice has her own business cards and has taken the social media world by storm with more than 1,400 Facebook fans and over 500 connections on LinkedIn.

“Our Models Against Pet Shops and Puppy Mills campaign is designed to make sure that beautiful animals like Beatrice are treated with kindness and the utmost respect no matter where they are and who is caring for them,” said CAPS Founder and President Deborah Howard. “It’s so important to inform the public about this important animal protection issue and educate them about the sources of that cute puppy in the window or sold over the Internet.”

Beatrice gladly shares the spotlight with professional model Kiley Wirtz Jennings, who learned about CAPS after viewing a shocking video documentary chronicling the undercover employment of a CAPS investigator who compiled the evidence necessary to convict one of the most notorious dog brokers of animal cruelty and terminate her USDA license. Kiley was so moved by the documentary that she contacted CAPS and offered to donate her time. Additional professional models, make-up artists, clothes stylists, a fashion photographer, a videographer, and rescue dogs, also donated their time.

About CAPS

About Beatrice - CAPS Spokesmodel

Although I no longer chew on some of my mother’s possessions (like her pretty shoes, shiny cell phone, and pink lace bra), I am still a puppy at heart. I've come a long way to be the princess I am. Before I arrived at the doorstep of my true home, all I knew was neglect and wire cages. My name is Beatrice, my fans call me Bea, and my story began more than eight years ago in a puppy mill.

I was only four months old when Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS) investigators saved me from a place in South Dakota back in 2003 in a puppy mill that bred Basset Hounds, like me, for the pet shop industry. When the CAPS investigators drove us halfway from South Dakota to meet up with Kansas City-based Mid America Basset Rescue, I knew it couldn't get any worse so I wagged my tail in anticipation. Even my mama and grandma were getting out of there! Thanks to my foster folks, Jim and Chris Bly, who took care of me for nearly eight months at their Basset refuge in Kansas, I eventually found my way to the loving home of CAPS.

By the tender age of four, I already had glaucoma, just like Grace and Millie, both of whom developed it later in life than me. I'm blind in my left eye. My right eye has undergone two laser surgeries. I was recently diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. From a young age I had more problems than a senior dog – something that happens often with us puppy mill dogs.

Sometimes I feel bad for Mother and CAPS because of all they have put up with in vet bills and medications (I use four eye drops and a pill which costs hundreds of dollars a month), but they have never left me and do everything possible to get me back on my paws. My health problems are a constant worry for my favorite human. She wants to make sure I'm comfortable and healthy. Plus, being the spokemodel for CAPS, I have to be healthy and fit. Besides my regular vet care, I've had holistic treatments. With all my health concerns, it was important to address them early. I believe CAPS and mother want the very best for me. We've tried acupuncture treatments, herbal supplements, massages, and loads of hugs. Since I'm such a trooper, I never complain, especially when they give me hugs and my favorite –tummy rubs.

Thanks to all that therapy, I'm a cheerful, normal pooch. Like I said before, I've come a long way. I know that thanks to CAPS, Mid America Basset Rescue, Sterling Impression, and all the vets and professionals who have treated me throughout the years, I can run around the yard chasing squirrels (I mostly leave that to my cattle dog mix brothers), sunbathe on decks, or go up the stairs to snuggle in a blanket when it's cold outside. In many ways, I think I'm much better now than when I was a puppy. I'm stronger, smarter, and happier than ever.

Now I'm the face of rescued puppy mill dogs. I help CAPS expose those scary, horrible places to put an end to all the suffering. I never want what happened to me to repeat itself. I know that's a lot to wish for, but all dogs deserve a family like mine.

When I'm not campaigning against dog breeding facilities and pet shops, I'm cheering and supporting Mother and the people behind the CAPS organization while they address the abuse and suffering of dogs like me through investigations, education, media relations, legislative involvement, rescues, consumer assistance, and pet industry employee relations. I often blog about my comfortable life on “Bea’s Beat” and help Mother by making guest appearances in shows such as FOX News’ “Strategy Room” with Rick Leventhal (if I could hold a pen, they would've all asked for autographs, maybe a paw stamp will do for next time). I was a Companion of the Month for Dogleggs. I posed with beautiful, successful models, just like me, for the CAPS ad campaign, Models Against Pet Shops and Puppy Mills, in Fort Worth, Texas.

February 28, 2013, LOS ANGELES, CA – Animal Defenders International (ADI) has launched the first nationwide initiative in the United States about the use of elephants giving rides or making appearances at public events.  At the heart of the campaign is a new DVD narrated by Emmy award winning TV host Bob Barker entitled ‘No Fun For Elephants,’ featuring harrowing undercover footage from inside elephant training facilities in California, as well as abuse of an elephant on tour by a Texas-owned company.

Bob Barker introduces the video, “To many, it looks like harmless fun, but elephants pay a heavy price for the few minutes of entertainment they provide when performing in circus shows, giving rides, or making appearances at parades, weddings or other events.  Most of us marvel at the majesty of wild animals and I can understand why people want to see animals like elephants up close.  But isn’t it especially tragic when animals are suffering and being abused simply to entertain us?”

The video includes ADI undercover footage showing elephants supplied for rides, appearances and other events by Have Trunk Will Travel of Perris, CA and Trunks & Humps of Conroe, TX, being beaten and electric shocked during training and handling, behind the scenes.  The same trainers are then shown controlling the elephants as they give rides and make appearances at parades.

The ‘No Fun For Elephants’ DVD is being mailed to event organizers across the U.S., including board members of county fairs, renaissance fairs and organizers of town parades, urging them to adopt a humane ‘no elephant rides or performances’ policy, in view of the suffering these animals endure.  ADI also highlights the risks to public safety by the way that just lightweight rope, tape or fencing is used to contain these large and stressed animals, while they are in public. The video is also available online  http://www.ad-international.org/animals_in_entertainment/go.php?id=3034&ssi=11.

Elephant rides have recently been abandoned by several events, after viewing ADI evidence, including Orange County and Los Angeles County Fairs, the city of Fountain Valley, CA, and Santa Ana Zoo. ADI is confident that if event organizers are given the facts and understand the cost to the animals, they will say “no” to the suffering.

Jan Creamer, ADI President: “We believe that once people see how these animals suffer behind the scenes, they will not endorse such cruelty.  We realize an elephant walking around a small enclosure giving rides looks like a bit of harmless fun, but it takes a vicious training regime to get these wild animals to be so quiet and compliant in public.  We know that event organizers will be shocked and will agree that these rides and appearances bring shame on their event.”

As Bob Barker concludes: “It really isn’t harmless fun, and it’s time it stopped.”

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Animal Defenders International http://www.ad-international.org
ADI is leading the campaign to end the suffering of animals in entertainment and currently has major campaigns running in the USA, Europe, and South America.  Using first-hand undercover evidence captured on video, ADI has secured legislation to prohibit the use of wild animals in traveling circuses all over the world.  ADI also exposed the training of elephants for the movies ‘Water for Elephants’ and ‘Zookeeper,’ showing the animals electric shocked and beaten.
See: http://www.ad-international.org/animals_in_entertainment/go.php?id=2119&ssi=7

U.S. County Fairs, Parades and other events:
The boards of county fairs and other events being written to by ADI include:
California: California Exposition and State Fair, Sacramento; San Diego Fair; Kern County Fair, Bakersfield; Northern California Renaissance Fair, Hollister; Renaissance Pleasure Faire, Irwindale.
Texas: State Fair of Texas, Dallas; Star of Texas Fair, Austin; Harris County Fair, Houston; The Scarborough Faire Texas, Waxahachie; Texas Renaissance Faire, Todd Mission.
Others: The Annual Arizona Renaissance Festival, Apache Junction, Arizona; Renaissance Festival Colorado, Larkspur, Colorado; Central States Fair, Rapid City, South Dakota.

Additional Contacts
Have Trunk Will Travel, Inc., Perris, CA http://www.havetrunkwilltravel.com
Trunks and Humps, Cut and Shoot, TX (409) 264-1170

About ADI
With offices in Los Angeles, London and Bogota, ADI campaigns across the globe to protect animals, providing technical advice to governments, securing progressive animal protection legislation, drafting regulations and rescuing animals in distress. ADI has a worldwide reputation for providing video and photographic evidence exposing behind-the-scenes suffering in the industry and supporting this evidence with scientific research on captive wildlife and transport. ADI rescues animals all over the world and educates the public on animals and environmental issues.

Legislation would apply welfare requirements to online puppy sellers

(Feb. 27, 2013) — The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund commend federal lawmakers for reintroducing legislation that will close a loophole in the Animal Welfare Act regulations that currently allows puppy mills to sell dogs over the Internet without any oversight or standards of care. Puppy mills are large-scale, commercial breeding operations where dogs are commonly housed in overcrowded, filthy and inhumane conditions. The current law allows large, commercial breeders who sell puppies online or directly to the public to escape the licensing and inspection requirements that apply to breeders selling dogs to pet stores.

S. 395 and H.R. 847 — known as the PUPS Act, or "Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety Act"— is sponsored by Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. and David Vitter, R-La., and Reps. Jim Gerlach, R-Pa., Sam Farr, D-Calif., Bill Young, R-Fla., and Lois Capps, D-Calif.

“Dogs shouldn't be treated like a cash crop," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, which has conducted multiple investigations of puppy mills and rescued thousands of the dogs from cruelty. "The federal law regarding the care of dogs at commercial dog-breeding operations needs an overhaul, and this legislation will correct some of the worst gaps and deficiencies in current law.”

“The media regularly reports stories about dogs rescued from substandard facilities – where dogs are housed in stacked wire cages and seriously ill and injured dogs are routinely denied access to veterinary care,” Sen. Durbin said. “Online dog sales have contributed to the rise of these sad cases. This bipartisan bill requires breeders who sell more than 50 dogs a year directly to the public to obtain a license from the USDA and ensures that the dogs receive proper care.”

"I was alarmed by the USDA IG report that exposed inhumane treatment of dogs, especially abusive breeding practices,” said Sen. Vitter. “I applaud USDA's work to close loopholes that unscrupulous breeders exploited with Internet sales, and the PUPS Act introduced by Senator Durbin and me will help ensure that puppies are treated humanely and bred in safe and sanitary facilities and that consumers can purchase healthy pets for their families."

The bill would also require that dogs used for breeding be provided daily exercise. Breeding dogs in puppy mills are typically forced to live their entire lives in small cages with no opportunity for exercise, little or no socialization and minimal human interaction.

“We know that there are many reputable breeders who do things the right way and treat their dogs humanely. We want all breeders to play by the same rules so that everyone who wants to welcome a new dog into their family can do so with the confidence of knowing that the animal has been cared for properly,” said Rep. Gerlach. “This legislation will ensure dogs are protected and individuals who put profit ahead of the fair and humane treatment of dogs are held accountable for their actions.”

“The loophole in the Animal Welfare Act created by the Internet has resulted in widespread abuse of dogs in breeding facilities,” said Rep. Farr. “Leaving dogs crammed into small cages with no exercise or social contact goes against our humanity. The PUPS Act is necessary to end the abuses of puppy mills and restore the values of our society.”

Facilities that breed dogs for commercial resale through pet stores are required to be licensed and inspected under the federal Animal Welfare Act. However, puppy mills that sell directly to the public are exempt from any federal oversight partly because the Animal Welfare Act was written before the birth of the Internet. Unregulated Internet sellers and other direct sales facilities sell thousands of puppies a year to unsuspecting consumers. Due to improper care by these breeders, these puppies are often sick, leaving outraged consumers with frail, sometimes dying puppies, high vet bills and broken hearts. Meanwhile, the breeding dogs at these facilities often spend their entire lives in constant confinement, suffering, and deprivation.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has proposed a draft rule to amend the Animal Welfare Act regulations to require licensing and inspection of commercial dog breeders selling over the Internet or directly to the public, and would essentially achieve the same policy reform as the PUPS Act. But despite being proposed in May 2012 and receiving more than 350,000 public comments in favor of the rule, the agency has not yet taken final action. Similar legislation had the broad bipartisan support of 33 Senate and 216 House co-sponsors in the last session of Congress.

PUPS will close the loophole in the AWA regulations that allows thousands of commercial breeders to go unregulated. It will require the following changes to the AWA:

• All dog breeders who sell more than 50 puppies per year directly to the public will be federally licensed and inspected.
• Dogs at commercial breeding facilities must be given the opportunity to exercise for 60 minutes a day.
• The bill will not affect small breeders and hobby breeders who sell fewer than 50 dogs per year directly to the public, but is crafted to cover only large commercial breeding facilities.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty – on the Web at humanesociety.org.

Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. On the web at hslf.org.

Like HSLF on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation

Follow HSLF on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund

January 25, 2013, LOS ANGELES, CA–Upland City Council and the Fairplex have confirmed they have cancelled elephant rides at the Upland Lemon Festival this year.

Animal Defenders International (ADI) contacted Upland City Council and the Fairplex last year after discovering they had contracted Have Trunk Will Travel (HTWT) to provide elephant rides at the Upland Lemon Festival. ADI, joined by several local animal activists, presented festival organizers ADI’s undercover footage of HTWT owners and trainers “hooking” their elephants with bullhooks, beating and shocking them during routine training sessions.

Several other SoCal municipalities and venues have severed ties with Have Trunk Will Travel amidst protests and public outcry, including the Orange County Fair, Los Angeles County Fair, Santa Ana Zoo, and the cities of Fountain Valley and Sierra Madre.

“ADI applauds Upland City Council and The Fairplex for ending the elephant rides at the Upland Lemon Festival, joining the worldwide trend of progressive fairs, cities and nations which have decided to shun entertainment that involves animal cruelty,” said Jan Creamer, ADI’s president. “Trainers use brutal methods, bullhooks and electric shocking devices, to control these elephants for rides, and this decision will go far to set a positive example to other events across the country which we hope will soon follow their lead. ADI will be actively encouraging festival organizers to make this a permanent policy so we never see elephants at the Upland Lemon Festival again.”

To watch ADI’s undercover footage of Have Trunk Will Travel, visit http://www.ad-international.org/animals_in_entertainment/go.php?id=2852&ssi=11.

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Animal Defenders International

http://www.ad-international.org

ADI is leading the campaign to end the suffering of animals in entertainment and currently has major campaigns running in Europe, South America and the USA.  ADI’s shocking exposure of the training of elephants for the movies ‘Water for Elephants’ and ‘Zookeeper’ showed animals electric shocked and beaten with bullhooks. See: http://www.ad-international.org/animals_in_entertainment/go.php?id=2119&ssi=7

ADI recently rescued and relocated a record breaking 29 circus lions from Bolivia to sanctuaries in the U.S. See http://www.ad-international.org/animal_rescues/go.php?id=2025&ssi=24

With offices in Los Angeles, London and Bogota, ADI campaigns across the globe on animals in entertainment, providing technical advice to governments, securing progressive animal protection legislation, drafting regulations and rescuing animals in distress. ADI has a worldwide reputation for providing video and photographic evidence exposing behind-the-scenes suffering in the industry and supporting this evidence with scientific research on captive wildlife and transport. ADI rescues animals all over the world and educates the public on animals and environmental issues.

http://www.ad-international.org

ADI’s Mission

To educate, create awareness, and promote the interest of humanity in the cause of justice, and the suppression of all forms of cruelty to animals wherever possible to alleviate suffering, and to conserve and protect animals and the environment.

www.ad-international.org | www.navs.org.uk | www.ldf.org.uk

Follow us on Twitter | Become an ADI Facebook fan | Subscribe to our updates | Watch our videos on Youtube

For two months "John" (not his real name) worked undercover inside a pig factory farm that supplies Walmart and other big box companies with pork products.

By the time John left the factory farm, he had video footage of pregnant pigs living in cramped metal cages called gestation crates. He says the animals "constantly ram their heads against their tiny stalls or spend day after day, hour after hour, biting the bars of their cages out of frustration." And he knows it's not just this farm -- gestation crates produce the same conditions wherever they're used.

John says he has to stay anonymous to protect himself from backlash by the industry he just exposed. So he's teamed up with a group called Mercy for Animals to start a petition pressuring Walmart to stop using gestation crates.

John just released his video yesterday, and other stores that use gestation crates, like Kmart and Costco, pledged to stop using this cruel method of raising pigs before it even got out to the public. They joined McDonald's, Burger King, Oscar Meyer, and Kroger who have all agreed to phase gestation crates out of their supply chains.

But Walmart still refuses to drop the crates. Mercy For Animals thinks that massive public outcry against gestation crates will convince Walmart to adopt a stance against gestation crates.

While John says his experience will haunt him for the rest of his life, he's committed to exposing the horrific conditions on farms where they intensively confine animals.

Click here to sign the petition demanding that Walmart -- the top food retailer in the US -- stop supporting gestation crates.

Thanks for being a change-maker,

- Pulin and the Change.org team

Significant milestone for national “No Pet Store Puppies” campaign
comes days after USDA’s proposal for more federal oversight of puppy mills

NEW YORK—The ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) today announced that more than 100,000 consumers have taken its “No Pet Store Puppies” pledge to help fight puppy mill cruelty by refusing to shop at pet stores and on websites that sell puppies. The national campaign, launched last July, raises awareness about the connection between pet stores and puppy mills and aims to reduce the demand for puppy mill puppies by urging consumers not to buy any items—including food, supplies or toys—if the store or website sells dogs.

The ASPCA’s “No Pet Store Puppies” campaign reached the 100,000 mark just four days after the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) proposed a new rule calling for greater federal oversight of puppy mills and online dog sales. The rule would, for the first time, require large-scale commercial breeders who sell their puppies directly to the public, sight-unseen, including through websites, to be licensed and inspected by the USDA. The ASPCA will work to ensure that the rule is implemented as effectively as possible to improve conditions at sub-standard breeding facilities.

“The success of our “No Pet Store Puppies” campaign and this significant milestone send a clear message that the public does not support the inhumane breeding of dogs,” said Laurie Beacham, senior director of ASPCA Strategy & Campaigns. “Consumer action is a critical element in the fight against puppy mills, and convincing consumers not to shop for anything at stores and on websites that sell puppies is a powerful tool in stopping the demand for puppy mill dogs.”

In less than a year, the “No Pet Store Puppies” campaign has succeeded in eliminating a large platform for puppy mill dogs sold online. In response to concerns from the ASPCA, Facebook and Oodle, the company that powers Marketplace on Facebook, have instituted measures to restrict online classifieds listing puppy mill dogs for sale from the site. Through an ongoing removal process starting in March, tens of thousands of dog sale ads have already been eliminated.

Further, as part of a major public education campaign, outdoor billboards were posted in Los Angeles, Columbus, (Ohio), and other cities across the nation to raise awareness about the connection between pet stores and puppy mills and encourage shoppers to give a new life to a homeless dog or cat by adopting from their local animal shelter or rescue organization. Targeted ads were also placed online to provide a captivating and simple call to action.

“Our campaign is working because we are educating consumers and inspiring them to take action to be part of the solution and reduce the demand for puppy mill puppies,” said Cori Menkin, senior director of the ASPCA Puppy Mills Campaign. “We continue to urge those who are looking for a new companion to adopt a dog from a rescue group or shelter or seek a responsible breeder so that the puppy mill industry becomes unsustainable.”

The ASPCA continues to encourage animal lovers and advocates to take the pledge and share the new "I pledged" badge on their social networks. Additionally, NoPetStorePuppies.com hosts a series of videos featuring a canine mascot as he skillfully “trains” oblivious consumers not to shop at pet stores that sell puppies. The humorous videos can be shared via social media platforms to engage consumers and help spread the message about puppy mill cruelty.

Operators of puppy mills breed dogs in unsanitary, overcrowded conditions where profit is given priority over the well-being of the dogs. Consumers who purchase a puppy from a pet store or website run the risk of taking home an unhealthy puppy in addition to the likelihood of unknowingly supporting a cruel industry. The ASPCA ultimately seeks to convince pet stores to limit their business to pet supplies and encourages them to partner with their local shelters to offer adoptable pets in their stores.

To learn more about the ASPCA’s No Pet Store Puppies campaign, please visit www.NoPetStorePuppies.com.

About the ASPCA^®
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) is the first humane organization established in the Americas and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animal welfare. More than one million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. The ASPCA, which is headquartered in New York City, offers a wide range of programs, including a mobile clinic outreach initiative, its own humane law enforcement team, and a groundbreaking veterinary forensics team and mobile animal CSI unit. For more information, please visit www.aspca.org.

To become a fan of the ASPCA on Facebook, go to www.facebook.com/aspca. To follow the ASPCA on Twitter, go to www.twitter.com/aspca.

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Did You Know Mitt Romney is Listed in Two National Animal Cruelty Databases?

New Web Video from Dogs Against Romney asks: Should We Have a President Who Isn’t Even Qualified to Adopt a Pet?

Watch It Here: http://youtu.be/wxiR75pWe5c

Gulf Shores, AL -- Mitt Romney’s admission that he transported his pet strapped on the roof of his station wagon for a 12-hour drive has spawned countless late night jokes. Romney himself tries to laugh it off, but we’ve learned new information that is no laughing matter.

Abusing animals has consequences – consequences not even Mitt Romney can avoid. In the wake of his campaign’s 2007 revelation of the “dog-on-roof story,” Mitt Romney’s name was listed by two national animal cruelty registries used to track animal abuse offenders.

The first, Pet-Abuse.com, is based in Southfields, NY and is connected to the national Animal Abuse Registry Database Administration System (AARDAS). According to its website, the registry provides “a database enabling animal adoption agencies to research potential adopters for possible prior abuse history within and across state and national lines."

Mitt Romney’s listing in the Pet-Abuse.com registry is for “neglect/abandonment” and can be found here: http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/11676/MA/US/

The second registry listing Romney is Inhumane.org , a New Hampshire organization that is part of the New Hampshire Governor's Task Force for the Humane Treatment of Animals. It bills itself as "a resource for any organization that deals with animal adoptions.”

Mitt Romney’s listing in the Inhumane.org registry can be found here: http://www.inhumane.org/data/MRomney.htm

Both registries are maintained so that animal welfare organizations, Humane Law Enforcement officials, animal shelters, rescue operations, and breeders can share information about animal abuse offenders and conduct background checks before allowing people to adopt or purchase a pet.

Bottom line: Should the United States of America have a president who isn’t even qualified to adopt a pet?

Dogs aren't luggage.

Join the pack.

www.DogsAgainstRomney.com

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