We recently received an email from the Humane Society of the United States about The Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act that will appear on the November ballot in Missouri. I decided to research puppy mills to see if it warranted a blog. Much to my chagrin there was a lot of information showing the extent of the problem.

There are seven states that are known as puppy mill states because they have the majority of the puppy mills in the country. They are: Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.

Tragically, approximately 40 percent of all pet store puppies nationwide come from Missouri, where nearly 200,000 breeding dogs produce up to a million puppies a year.

Approximately 3,500 pet stores in the United States sell puppies. They sell approximately 500,000 thousand puppies a year. The puppy industry in Missouri has an estimated valued of 40 million dollars a year. Lancaster County in Pennsylvania has a puppy industry valued at 4 million dollars a year.

There are hundreds of thousands of puppies raised each year in commercial kennels. The dogs are kept in small wire cages for their entire lives. They never touch solid ground or grass to run and play. The cages are overcrowded and offer unsanitary conditions, without adequate health care, food, water or human company. Some of the cages are outside where the dogs are subject to the extreme cold or heat. Indoor facilities have equally terrible conditions, with ammonia vapors and odors permeating badly aired buildings. The puppies may have immediate health problems such as respiratory infections or pneumonia and some even have genetic diseases that show up years later. The breeding dogs are bred as often as possible to increase profits then put to sleep as soon as they can no longer produce. They never experience the love and compassion they deserve.

Unlicensed puppy mills often sell puppies at six weeks of age even though federal laws prohibit licensed mills from selling puppies under eight weeks of age. There is federal law, the Animal Welfare Act, and many states have laws that purport to regulate puppymills, but the fact is that those laws are rarely enforced. No states have laws against a breeding kennel legally keeping dozens of dogs in cages for their entire lives, if food, water, and shelter are provided. There are puppy mills that aren’t even regulated or inspected by the USDA, since many of them sell directly to the public.

Puppy mills are the main supplies to pet stores. Pet stores often tell customers that their puppies come from local breeders or quality breeders. Puppies that come from puppy mills are often not purebred. Ask to see the paperwork and find out where the puppies really come from. If the people of the United States refused to buy a puppy in a pet store or Internet site, and refuse to buy supplies from any pet store or Internet site that sells puppies, the misery of puppy mills would cease.

When you decide to get a puppy, consider adoption. Animal shelters have an ample supply of puppies, many of them purebreds. There are also breed specific rescue groups for every breed of dog.

If adoption is not for you find a responsible breeder and visit their premises. Never buy a puppy without seeing their parents and where they live.

There are many legitimate ads in local newspapers offering puppies. Go to the home and see the conditions in which they were raised.

Remember that pet stores do sell puppy mill puppies. False claims are not uncommon when the pet stores are trying to make a sale.

Beware of websites that say great things about their “home raised” or “family raised” puppies. Puppy millers pose as small family breeders online and in newspaper and magazine ads. Just because they say it does not make it true.

If you are tempted to “rescue” a puppy mill puppy by purchasing it from a pet store, just remember you are enabling the industry by putting money back into their pockets to produce more.

The Humane Society of the United States is working hard to combat the problem of puppy mills. They are the nation’s leading advocate for legislation to regulate puppy mills. They have fought for strengthened provisions and broader enforcement of the federal Animal Welfare Act.

For more information visit http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/puppy_mills/

by Heather Reynolds

According to the American Pet Products Association, 75% of owned dogs and 87% of owned cats are spayed or neutered. There are many reasons to spay and neuter your pets. The biggest reason most proponents give is the reduction in pet overpopulation. Shelters around the country euthanize perfectly happy and healthy pets because there are too many pets and not enough adopters. So, you are saving a life by adopting a pet – and saving several lives by spaying and neutering the pet you adopt!

But there are other benefits to spaying and neutering as well. Sterilization can increase your dog’s lifespan an average of one to three years, and your cat’s lifespan an average of three to five years. It also leads to a much lower risk of mammary gland tumors, prostate cancer, uterine cancer, and other forms of cancer.

Spaying and neutering also eliminates heat cycles in females and reduces your pet’s desire to stray. And when a dog or cat strays, they have a much higher chance of getting injured in a fight or hit by a car.

Your community will also benefit. Unwanted litters of animals caused by ‘accidental pregnancies’ often end up as strays, and unfixed pets who like to roam can easily aggravate neighbors, as they can start fights with other animals, soil roads and yards, and cause noise disturbances.

Finally, altered pets are much easier to insure because most pet insurance companies are not able to cover anything related to breeding or pregnancy, or anything related to fights caused by unneutered males.

We as pet owners have enough to worry about, right? Why give yourself a whole list of other things that may be an issue with your pet? Spaying and neutering gives pet owners more peace of mind that their pets will be happy and healthy members of their community.

Is your pet fixed? What has your experience been with your altered or unaltered pet?

Heather Reynolds is the Internet Journalist at Trupanion, a pet insurance company. She lives in Bellevue with her two dogs, an Italian Greyhound named Ava and a Spaniel mix named Jackson.

Donate Free Kibble & Show Support For A National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day

Mimi Ausland, a 12 year old girl from Bend, Oregon, wanted to help feed the hungry animals at her local animal shelter. “There are 10’s of thousands of dogs and cats in animal shelters across the country, all needing to be fed a good meal.” Say hello to freekibble.com and freekibblekat.com.

Mimi Launched freekibble on April 01, 2008. On May 14, she delivered her first round of kibble to the Humane Society of Central Oregon: 240 lbs. worth, enough to feed 456 dogs for one day! Since then and as of August 09, 2010, freekibble and freekibblekat, have raised over 530,000 lbs. (265 tons!!!) of kibble.

That is an incredible 401,353,820 pieces of kibble donated since April 1, 2008!

Freekibble.com’s primary mission is to provide good, healthy food for dogs and cats to those shelters who are working so hard to see that none of them go hungry – they need our help. In addition to providing free kibble to the Humane Society of Central Oregon, they’ve added 10 new shelters to the program (from Oregon to Florida!) and plan to expand the program to many more! Thanks to everyone for supporting freekibble by playing the trivia game – every piece of kibble counts!

Maybe you’ve noticed the Free Kibble links right here on PetsBlogs. We added MEOW Trivia and BOW WOW Trivia a long time ago because we loved the idea that learning a cool fact allowed us to get a piece of kibble donated to a shelter and we encourage everyone who ever visited PetsBlogs to get kibble donated, too.

If you’ve never given it a try, go give it a whirl.

MEOW Trivia	BOW WOW Trivia

Go ahead . . . we’ll wait!

Freekibble is partnering with Tails Magazine in an effort to raise awareness AND kibble for shelter pets. The campaign goal was to send 100,000 letters to the President asking for a Presidential Proclamation for a NATIONAL ADOPT A SHELTER PET DAY, by Sept. 3. They reached their goal of 100,000 emails in just 18 days! As of August 17 there have been 152,014 letters and emails sent.

Now, you can make an even greater impact by campaigning to President Barack Obama and asking him to declare April 30 National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day.

Email your letter (you can do it everyday) and let’s show the President how much we care about a day dedicated to adopting shelter pets – and get that Proclamation! When pet lovers work together, their voices are most definitely heard.

Visit Tails Magazine’s Letters For Pets Page to send a pre-written letter to the President. It’s as easy as that!

Earlier this year, ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Agents arrived at a New York City apartment to find that dozens of cats and kittens had overtaken the small space. The cats were severely malnourished, and many suffered from upper respiratory disease. There were no litter boxes, and the floor was covered in several inches of feces and urine. Living among the filth and debris was an 85-year-old woman suffering from dementia—she had been hoarding animals for years.

Animal hoarding is a complex and intricate social issue with far-reaching effects that encompass mental health, animal welfare and public safety concerns. Victims can include cats, dogs, reptiles, rodents, birds, exotics and even farm animals. While it’s not clear why people become animal hoarders, current research suggests the cause is often attachment disorder in conjunction with personality disorders, paranoia, dementia, depression and other mental illness. The hoarder does not intend to inflict harm on animals, and in most cases, the hoarder can no longer take care of himself, much less multiple animals.

“We often see that animal hoarders have experienced some traumatic event or loss in their lives,” says Fiona Knight, Cruelty Intervention Advocacy Manager at the ASPCA. “Usually, they are very lonely and isolated people—and the animals become their primary source of bonding and interaction.”

While the ASPCA does pursue cruelty charges when appropriate, in many cases, prosecution is not the answer. Not only are such cases difficult to successfully prosecute, but once released, hoarders are overwhelmingly likely to resume collecting excessive numbers of animals. The solution lies in supplying hoarders with the resources and tools they need to keep them from repeating their destructive patterns.

“As a clinical social worker, it is my job to go in and work with the hoarders. Not only do I educate them on the problems caused by having so many animals, but I also connect them with appropriate services,” says Knight. “Whether individuals need a therapist who specializes in hoarding, a cleaning service or the assistance of adult protective services, we provide the resources. Our first priority is to remove the animals and provide them with immediate treatment, but our job doesn’t end there.”

News Alert: August 6, 2010 ASPCA

Many people today are very concerned because they have dogs with skin problems. Problems range from hot spots to chronic dry, flaky skin to allergies or worse. There are several things that can be done to lessen the severity of skin problems.

Many dog skin problems can be traced to a weakened or compromised immune system. Whatever you can do to strengthen your dog’s immune system can also keep your dog’s skin healthier.

Some believe that pets today are being given too many vaccinations which may be compromising their immune system. This does not mean that you should not vaccinate your pet! However, you may want to talk to your vet about reducing the number of boosters that your pet receives after they have gotten their puppy shots and one-year boosters. Some vaccinations can be given every two or three years, which puts less stress on your dog’s immune system.

Exposure to antibiotics, cortisone, flea treatments, worming treatments, chemical cleaners in the home, pesticides which scatter into your backyard every time it rains, and airborne pollutants, all cause an assault on your dog’s immune system. Limiting exposure may help your dog’s autoimmune system.

You will need to try to find out what your dog is allergic to. Dogs can be allergic to many things, ranging from foods to grass or dust mites. Your veterinarian can test your dog to find out what they are allergic to. The most common test is a blood test that your vet can send out to a lab for evaluation. This isn’t the cheapest test but it is easier on your dog.

Intradermal skin testing is the other alternative. Your pet is sedated, and an area is shaved down to the skin. A small amount of antigen is injected on the shaved area. After a specific amount of time, the area is examined for any reactions to the antigen. Once you know what your pet is allergic to you will need to eliminate these things.

If your dog does have allergies, hot spots, dry skin or other skin problems it will help to boost their immune system. There are numerous supplements on the market today and many of them are quite good. It may take as long as three months for supplements to work, especially if your dog’s skin and coat are in bad shape. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid supplements are usually recommended for dogs with skin problems. Fish and salmon oil are excellent sources of omega fatty acid. Fatty acids can come from animal or vegetable sources, however the animal sources are usually best. Vitamin A and E are also very good for your dog’s skin and coat.

Your dog’s overall diet always affects the immune system. You should feed your dog a high quality diet with listed protein sources like “chicken meal” or “lamb meal”. There should be at least two named meat sources of protein in the first five ingredients. Sources like “poultry digest” or a plant source such as “corn gluten” are not a good source of protein. Avoid foods with chemical preservatives (BHT, BHA, ethoxyquin), animal and plant by-products that can damage your pet’s immune system. Look for foods with natural preservatives and no by-products.

If your pet is allergic to one of the more common meat or vegetable sources then you will need to look for an alternative protein sources. There are many foods available today that contain protein sources such as venison, duck, and others. The same is true for the carbohydrates and other ingredients in dog foods. These foods will be more expensive.

A raw food diet to boost your dogs immune system can be the answer. Wild animals are not plagued by the disorders that afflict our domesticated dogs! The stomach and metabolism of all carnivores are designed to digest raw food.

You can also prepare and feed a homemade diet to ensure that your pet is eating the healthiest food possible. The natural approach to maintain the immune system is always preferred as natural remedies can be included in the routine diet without fear of side effects.

You should also try to approach treatments for your dog with the need to treat the entire system, not just the skin or other problem. Your dog’s immune system may be weakened in some way so try to build it up. Giving them supplements, changing their diet, scheduling a different vaccination schedule, and taking a more holistic approach to their lifestyle. If you improve your dog’s entire immune system then you should see an improvement in their skin and coat.

As always you should work with your veterinarian to help your pet maintain a healthy immune system.

• I just voted for Jack the Terrier for this year's @VPI #Hambone Award! Read about the nominees and vote now! http://bit.ly/xtTQR #
• We asked for your support now see how you made the difference @aspca http://ow.ly/2jImn #

Your beautiful expensive wool area rug once your pride and joy now is an embarrassment because of the urine smell that you cannot get out. Why is it so difficult to get urine out of wool rugs and how do you eliminate that terrible odor?

Here are your answers.

I have been a professional carpet cleaner in Anchorage Alaska for over 30 years. Through experience we know that these tips will work.

Why is it so difficult to get the smell out?

Wool is of course a natural fiber and is very different from other synthetic fibers such as nylon or polyester. If you were to look at a strand of wool under a microscope you would see why it holds onto the smell. The stalk of a strand of wool is covered with little pockets. These pockets get filled with soil and in the case of urine issues they get filled with urine crystals. It is very difficult to get the urine out of these pockets. Another problem is that what looks like a small amount of urine on the surface is actually a lot of urine because most of it is hidden in the pockets. Many people including less experienced carpet cleaners do not use enough cleaning solution because they are treating what they see.

Also it is pretty easy to turn a medium sized urine problem in a wool rug into a bigger urine problem if you spread the urine all over the carpet.

There are certain steps that need to be taken to remove the urine and the odor.

The steps . . . .

Remove the dirt first- Because of the pockets, wool rugs are always much dirtier than they appear. If you clean a wool rug full of dirt, you will make mud. It is much easier to remove the dry soil before you start the urine treatment.

Concentrate first on just urine spots- Using a rented portable steam cleaner flush and extract repeatedly the visible urine stains using urine pre-spotter purchased from your local carpet cleaning supply store or a ½ cup white vinegar to one quart of warm water solution.

The less sure way but less complicated way

From your local carpet cleaning supply store purchase at least a gallon of enzymes specifically for eliminating urine odor. Using a watering can saturate the area of urine with the enzymes, gently agitate, let sit for a couple of hours. Flush out the spot with fresh water, extract and then repeat the process until no more yellow urine or urine smell comes from the carpet. Using a cleaning solution obtained from your local carpet cleaning supply store gently clean the rest of the carpet. Hang the carpet up where it can dry quickly. Use air mover fans if possible. If wool carpets stay wet too long they will brown. If fringes on carpet are stained use a 50/50 mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide and clean the fringes. Be careful not to get this solution on the colored part of the rug.

The more certain and more complicated method

Remove dry soil from carpet, flush out as much of the urine as possible. Build a small pool with 2×4s and plastic sheeting. Fill with warm water. Lay the rug in this pool and add the bio enzymes. Gently agitate and let sit for eight hours. Remove water/ enzyme mixture from pool and then flush out the carpet with a lot of fresh water. If urine and urine odor are gone, extract as well as possible and then hang to dry using fans if possible. If you still detect urine or odor repeat the process.

Good luck.

The article above was provided courtesy of Power Clean Carpet Cleaning in Anchorage, Alaska. For more information on pet issues and carpet cleaning or simply carpet cleaning questions in general, be sure to visit http://www.akpowerclean.com. They’ve been cleaning carpets for over 30 years!