Puppy Mill Awareness Meetup’s petition has reached over a thousand signatures after being launched in May. Our petition urges Paws-N-Claws pet store to stop selling puppies and start supporting adoptions instead.
End Puppy Sales in Eastpointe Michigan (
Petition)
Petitioning the puppy-selling store is part of our local boycott that included 6-months of staged protests outside of Paws-N-Claws. We are asking the public to learn the facts about this store’s breeders and avoid contributing to the cruel pet trade.
After weekly protests, the store continues to sell puppies. Paws-N-Claws has worked with large breeders and brokers in states such as Minnesota, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas. Seven of the ten USDA licensed breeders that have supplied Paws-N-Claws have citations listed on their USDA inspection reports, ranging from sanitation problems to inadequate vet care.
• puppies were observed with the feet or parts of the legs extending below the floor surface.
• broken and protruding wire ends sticking out
• have a buildup of dirt, grime and caked on feces
• do not have wind/ rain breaks
• did not have adequate shelter for the animals
• two boxers with only one shelter large enough for one animal
• cages do not have adequate space
• transported in commerce a total of 11 puppies that were not 8 weeks old
• need to have the mats, long hair, removed or combed out around the mouth, anal area and areas that hang down and drag the wire flooring.
• housing needs the wall kept clean
• need to add additional bedding to the terrier pen
• need to have the grease and grime removed
Inspection reports can be found online (
Inspections)
Clarke’s Hillside Kennel, located in Yates Center Kansas, has a history of violations going back to 2004. In 2010, the kennel was cited for not observing the dogs on a daily basis to assess their health. Some dogs had mats that could cause sores and discomfort. There were citations also related to sanitation and housing for 50 dogs - “Need to clean the inside of the shelter housing and also the indoor housing buildings to better insure that the dogs can remain healthy and disease free.“
Not all the puppies come from small local breeders as Paws N Claws would have the public believe -- USDA inventory reports show that these are large commercial operations with hundreds of dogs. Puppy mills typically have large kennel inventories, many different breeds and produce wholesale for profit (USDA Licensed) where profits come over the welfare of the animals.
While purchasing from puppy mills is not illegal it is highly unethical. The pet store may not be breaking laws, but they have worked with breeders that are.
Those seeking to add a puppy to their family are asked to adopt from a shelter.
The Humane Society of the United States published another article "Puncturing the Puppy Mill Pipeline" that highlights many of our projects here in Michigan.