Watch dog alert! A puppy store posing as a rescue.

When Shaggy Dog of Shelby Township started advertising “rescue dogs” for adoption back in May, we knew they were not sincerely transitioning to a humane model. In fact, we discovered they could be breaking some laws. 

You don’t have to have a degree in criminal law to identify a ‘bait and switch’ situation.

Here is what we learned. The owner of Shaggy Dog established a business license for a group called “In the Arms of an Angel” on May 23, 2012. This sounds like a rescue group, yet the license was categorized as “domestic profit corporation”. That is odd. Normally animal rescue groups are non-profits. Soon after the business license was obtained, the store posted a blog stating rescue dogs were available including a Bichon-poo 2-years old, two yorkie bichons 6-years old and a 6-year old poodle. The photos of the rescue dogs had 2002 time stamps. Where did these dogs come from? Why would the store have prior photos of them taken in the store? The blog has been removed.

When Shaggy Dog started holding weekend adoption events that coincided with our scheduled protests in July, we suspected they were using these events to counter our outreach activities. We were contacted by someone who stopped by during an event. They stated the store was ‘selling’ unaltered dogs in front of the store for $100 under the name “In the Arms of an Angel”.  

On July 3, 2012 the owner set up an account on the Dog Rescue Shelter website with her phone number claiming to be a non-profit rescue. Yet, the IRS Charities website and Melissa Database has no record of this non-profit. Possibly the paperwork is pending? Are they a for-profit or a non-profit????

“Our volunteers are devoted to finding new homes for displaced dogs who have Iost their homes due to owner forecIosures, divorces, aIIergies, unwanted gifts, unwanted Iitters or found as strays. We engage in many speciaI promotions and other fundraising .We are a non-profit rescue”

There has been a banner on the front of the store that says “Rescue Dog Adoption” since July. When families stop to see the rescue dogs, they first meet the puppies on the floor in the front pens. Rescue dogs are not advertised in the store and are in a separate room in the back. Customers have to ask to see the so-called ‘rescued dogs’.

Don’t let puppy stores mislead you. No reputable rescue would ever join forces with a puppy store to promote selling animals while homeless animals are available. It is a direct conflict of interest.

 

No Thanks Petland

11/3/12 NORTHVILLE PUPPY AUCTION??? We went into action.

Last week PMA members sabotaged Randy Horowitz’s, owner of Petland Novi, master plan to auction off a puppy at the Northville Christian School. When the principal found out that Randy has relationships with puppy mills and was using his good name, he immediately contacted Petland to call it off. No thanks Petland! Instead the school accepted our basket filled with awesome pet supplies prepared by Nicole, one of our regular Petland protesters. Thanks Nicole!

 Live animals should never be auctioned off at events. They only end up promoting spontaneous purchases that may not be good for either the family or animal. Bringing a pet into your home should be well thought out and not part of a local event. 

Thank you Tami for reaching out to the school and making this happen. 

Please join us for our Holiday protests at Petland Novi (Twelve Oaks Mall). See our calendar.

Learn more about Petland Novi.

Join our Petland Novi Boycott Facebook.

A Rescue's Code of Ethics

When I first jumped into the animal welfare arena, I was quickly surrounded all types of animal rescue organizations. At the 2008 Pet Expo, they were turning each other in for unethical practices. Some were flipping dogs while others were selling puppies directly from the puppy mills offering an assortment of 8-week old popular breed dogs.

Rather than confusing the public with which red flags to look for, we developed a Code of Ethics for rescues to commit to. These ethics are part of a larger Michigan Rescue Certification Program designed to promote the good rescues. This will help everyone find the hardworking rescues that are truly operating to help the animals.

The Code of Ethics can be found at the end of the Best Practices Handbook for Michigan rescues. See Appendix A.

These four items listed in the Code of Ethics will help us fight the war on puppy mills. Please support Puppy Mill Awareness by working with rescue groups who avoid working with breeders and pet stores

1.      We will not support the breeding industry by any action that would serve to continue their operations, such as participating in events with or at pet stores that sell dogs or cats, buying or taking animals from an auction or relieving a breeder of excess stock.

2.      We will not participate in any “pet trafficking” by working with an animal broker or anyone where the source of the animals is unknown.

3.      As an all breed rescue, we will not import animals from out of state and contribute to the homeless animal problem here in Michigan.

4.      We will not engage in the practice of “flipping” which involves obtaining animals for free or at a low cost and then quickly selling those same animals for profit.

Pet Station Owner Sentenced

On October 3, 2012 the owner of Pet Station, Ramzi Dakhlallah, was sentenced to 5 years probation, restitution to-be-determined (over $10,000) and 20 hours of community service. He is not allowed to possess, harbor, sell, import, breed, or transport animals during this probation period. If he violates his probation, he could go to jail.

Ramzi’s attorney stated that Ramzi accepted responsibility and he suffered from “sloppy business ownership”. He was in over his head. His business was shut down and he can not earn a living. He is devastated. It has been eye opening experience. 

When the judge asked him if he had anything to say he said “I just want to put this behind my back”.

Judge Jackson said he sees 1-2 cases at this level. Troubled case. He did receive several letters from the community and organizations. 

For more details on the April 2012 seizure of 275 animals go to our Meetup discussion thread on this case.

 

Dogs Protest at the Capitol

Michigan dogs had a few barks at the Capitol this year for the fifth annual Puppy Mill Awareness Day – Pups Parade. Over 125 puppy huggers paraded around the Capitol drawing all kinds of attention including the local tv stations. Fox 47

Many law makers stopped to check out the rally including Senator Steven Beida, Senator Rick Jones, Senator Tonya Schuitmaker, Representative Chuck Moss, and Representative Morris Hood. 

We collected the BIG post cards from the co-hosts and will work on plans to strategically deliver them to key lawmakers. Thanks again Capital Area Humane Society, Ingham County Animal Control, Animal Placement Bureau, H.E.A.R.T., Annabelles and Voiceless-MI.

Vicki Deisner, our ASPAC Director and Jonelle collected personal hand written post cards from the other participants. We collected 83 cards.

Sunday Harvie made yummy vegan “animal friendly” sandwiches and dog shaped cookies for the bill’s sponsors along with a festive veggie pizza for the speakers. Thanks Sunday!

We were able to capture some survivor stories too including Darby, an Allegan County Puppy Mill Survivor. "He much prefers his blue Mohawk over several pounds of feces laden matted fur :)"

Photos / Videos

A Call to Action for Michigan Dog Advocates

Frustrated with bad breeders? Now is the time to put your paws down. Bring your dog or foster dogs to share a few barks at the State Capitol this year for Puppy Mill Awareness Day 2012. Puppy Mill Awareness of SE Michigan, Capital Area Humane Society, Ingham County Animal Control & Shelter, Helping Eaton Animal Resource Team (H.E.A.R.T.), Annabelles Pet Station, Animal Placement Bureau, and Voiceless-MI are hosting a Pups Parade to push the Puppy Protection Act into law on September 25th, 2012 in Lansing from 1-4 p.m. Law-makers may just learn a lot about large-scale breeding when they meet some of the survivors.  

Download Flyer

 

RSVP on our Facebook Event

 

Go to our Event Website for more details.

 

PMA Four Years and Counting!

Happy Anniversary Fellow Meetup Members,
Another year has brought 84 new members! Welcome and thank you for supporting our important cause. We are always looking for great people with an advocacy spirit and passion to raise awareness. Indeed our seasoned advocates are attracting the right kind of people. I am particularly excited to have collected some awesome new protesters during our Westland Campaign over this past year.

Photo Gallery
Enthusiastic new members are invited to our 4 year Anniversary Picnic in Royal Oak – Saturday August 25th. We will be pot-lucking it and recognizing members with some serious team spirit and dedication.
So what has happened over the last year? 

We have been busy on many so many fronts from lobbying Lansing to writing letters to the USDA to combat internet sellers.

I will have to say our Lobby Day in Lansing for the Puppy Protection Act and Pet Lemmon law was one of the biggest highlights of the year. It was HUGE success with the ASPCA joining in. Meeting the House of Representatives from the balcony in the old capitol was certainly another highlight for me. Working at a state level hasn’t been exactly easy with strange roadblocks in our way, but the Michigan Humane Society will help us navigate around them. Currently, we are waiting for hearings in the Senate Agriculture Committee. Call Sen. Joe Hune, chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, at 517-373-2420 to request a hearing on the bills.

The Allegan Bust (350+ dogs) brought much attention to the problems here in Michigan. I recently finished a study on this case to see what went wrong – how did this happen? I will publish it soon. I was pleased that the owners received jail time. Most convicted abusers only receive a two-year probation. The media coverage was incredible. This was the largest puppy mill bust according to my records. Thank you Mindy and Nicole for assisting at the shelter. 

In May, the USDA proposed a new rule to regulate internet sales and public comment ends today. The introduction alone sends a strong message to the entire nation. The laws are outdated and public pressure is on to end the cruelty. I published my comment.

We have seen signs the industry isn’t growing as the number of USDA licensed dog breeding kennels has dropped and the largest broker (Lambrair) close its doors. Kathy Bauck, the mega mill in Minnesota closed as well.
Seventeen cities have banned the retail sale of cats and dogs. Even shopping malls are instituting humane policies. 

On the home front here in southeast Michigan, we have made some progress.

One year ago at this time, we were kicking off our Westland campaign with years of experience and some new ideas. We checked off all the approach ideas and completed some serious outreach with local media coverage. We also kicked off our Utica Pet Supply campaign this spring. 

The arrest of the Pet Station owner on cruelty charges, followed up by the manager’s arrest for invasive species probably tops the charts locally. The case is going to trial at the Wayne County Circuit Court (Judge Thomas Jackson) on August 27th.

Lastly, our Family Puppy campaign went all the way to Indiana – the store’s primary supplier’s backyard shops are in Lagrange and Elkhart counties. We exposed unlicensed kennels and brought much needed media attention to the hidden Amish puppy farmers. Elkhart county has agreed to set up a task force to address the lack of oversight. The Family Puppy’s local Flint Veterinarian helped our cause with his testimony to the MDA. He stated the puppies were coming in underweight and urine stained from a broker and the store had puppies come in with parvo. He quit. Other local Flint vets have boycotted the store. Shipments are down and we are still protesting bi-weekly.

I am looking forward to another year of advocacy for animals.

Pam Sordyl
Founder of Puppy Mill Awareness of Southeast Michigan

Stay connected with PMA by liking us on Facebook, subscribe to this on Blog, or subscribe to our Message Board.

 

How to end the Breeding - Rescuing Cycle

Rescue groups are encouraged to collaborate with shelters to save two lives (not one) – the one the rescue takes and the second animal that the shelter now has room for.

The 2012 MichiganRescue Certification Program was thoughtfully designed to improve the welfare of homeless cats, dogs and other companion animals in Michigan. This will require rescue groups to build new relationships with shelters and adopt best practices. Working together always benefits the animals and larger goals can be achieved.

One larger goal we can all agree upon is to stop large-scale and careless backyard breeders across the country. New laws and enforcement will not alone end puppy mills--reducing the demand and profits will. If the operation is profitable, it will continue and more animals will be bred for sale. It is recognized that in the short-term it is difficult for a rescue organization not to respond to a homeless animal in need of placement, however, relieving breeders, and brokers of what they consider “excess stock”, supports the operation and perpetuates continuation.

Going forward Certified Michigan Rescues will not obtain dogs and cats from breeders, brokers, flea markets/fairs, pet stores or auctions. This includes other broker rescue groups who are working with breeders, brokers or attending auctions. Whether a breeder is downsizing, retiring or have unwanted animals, rescues should not obtain animals for any reason unless the facility is closing.  

Avoid Enabling Breeders: If rescues keep making regular visits to breeders helping them off load their retired animals, rescues are actually participating in the business. Unfortunately, there are bad rescues participating in the industry operating as a rescue with continuous supplies of puppies and adult dogs directly from the millers. The only way to ensure profits are not involved is to not be a part of the business.

Seek Help from Authorities: Rescues that come across a bad breeder need to first investigate and file legitimate complaints with the local authorities. Know the laws. If the local animal control or police do not respond, a rescue should keep escalating the complaint until they did their best to close the operation down. Puppy Mill Awareness has a long list of ideas.

Some breeders do turn over their retired animals to a local shelter or animal control. Some Animal Control Officers have relationships with breeders which is a better scenario because the officer can determine if the animals are neglected and can inspect the conditions.    

Boycott Dog Auctions: Some rescue groups are only bidding on dogs that no one else is bidding on, or dogs who are selling for just a few dollars, but some rescues get into bidding wars and become some of the biggest “customers” at the auctions. In the end, some (not all) rescues are adding to the profitability of the puppy mill industry by keeping auctions going. Although some rescue groups wait outside of the auction for dogs that were not purchased with the intention of getting them for free, this would be too difficult for the certification committee to verify.

Start with shelter dogs: We all agree that there are plenty (thousands) of dogs, both in and out of puppy mills, who desperately need homes and can be rescued for free, so no one should ever be paying a breeder for an animal.  The focus should be on saving as many animals as possible. If a rescue is equipped to foster and rehome animals, they need to start with shelters and other sources first.   

Save More Animals: Many rescue groups feel “a life is a life” and not rescuing an animal from a breeder is punishing an innocent animal. Rather than putting yourself in the position having to  turn away, rescue groups are encouraged to collaborate with shelters to save two lives (not one) – the one the rescue takes and the second animal the shelter now has room for. Collaborations with shelters supports and leverages charitable contributions and tax dollars – to save more as opposed to profits for individuals at animals expense.

Educate the Public: Energy needs to be focused on educating the public and reducing the demand for pet shop puppies and online retailers.  The public is learning about puppy mills and eventually they will go out of business. Rescue groups can do their part in providing literature and information about puppy mills through their network and events.

Support Adoption Campaigns: Many large organizations with a marketing department, like the ASPCA, HSUS, and Best Friends Society are kicking of effective campaigns promoting shelter dogs. Not only are they running funny commercials, but using social media to remind families to adopt animals with easy to read images that can be shared. Rescue groups can leverage these campaigns and also support local efforts in Michigan through the Puppy Mill Awareness of SE Michigan Meetup.

Support Stronger Laws: States across the country are passing anti-puppy mill legislation.  Michigan’s Puppy Protection Act (HB 5230-5231 and SB 891-892) was introduced to protect dogs in large-scale breeding facilities. This important bill would establish long overdue guidelines for housing, sanitary conditions, enclosure space, exercise, and veterinary care of dogs used by large-scale breeders in Michigan. The bills would also place an upper limit on the number of intact breeding dogs that may be housed in breeding facilities, to prevent our state from becoming a haven for inhumane puppy mills. The Puppy Protection Act was launched by Michigan Humane Society and is supported by the Michigan Association of Animal Control Officers, Puppy Mill Awareness, and the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association. Rescue groups should contact their representatives and ask for them to pass this bill.

Mary O'Connor-Shaver, Treasurer, Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions:

Dog auctions are a tragic embarrassment to Ohio and it's humane-minded citizens. We have been asked if people should "buy" or "rescue" these dogs. We are asking for an all-out boycott of this event. We have studied the numbers from past auctions and believe that the dogs being offered at this auction are not mill cast-offs but were, in many cases, purposely bred to supply AUCTION BUYERS, including rescue groups. Buying at the auction will simply mean that it will be profitable. If it is profitable, it will continue and MORE dogs will be bred for sale at future Ohio Dog Auctions. That said, we do understand compassion for the dogs being sold and know that there will be some who will buy. We understand both sides of the situation, and hope that in the long run, not buying will produce the best outcome to end these auctions altogether. -

Detroit Area Pet Store Closures

I had the pleasure of crossing one more puppy selling store off our map! We are now down to 20 puppy selling stores with store fronts in the Detroit Area.  

The closing of Pet Station was long over due. We have been tracking sick dog cases back to 2005. Not only did they sell puppies, but a wide range of other live animals that were also suffering in the store. Pet Station was indeed one of the worst pet stores in Michigan. I will be publishing our findings soon.  

This map indicates which stores have closed since we started our group in 2008. The blue text indicates which stores have opened since 2008. We currently have active campaigns against The Family Puppy (largest volume), Petland Novi, Westland Dog Food Co and we will be giving a boycott of Utica Pet Supply in June. 

September 2008: Petland Belleville closes after 8 months of protests. 

March 2009: Petland, Sterling Heights Mi, closes. Paws Total Pet Studio, Northville, Mi closes due to public pressure. 

August 2009: I Heart Dogs, Mt. Clemens Mi closes due to public pressure.

May 2010: Pet Paradise Plus, Stockbridge Mi, closed by Animal Control. 

July 2010: Petland Westland Mi, closes after 18 months of protests.

August 2010: Sporting Dogs Unlimited, Shelby Mi, closed by Animal Control. Owner goes to jail.  

July 2011: Paws & Claws, Eastpointe Mi, closed after 6 months of protests. Gardenland, Roseville Mi, stopped selling puppies and kittens under new management. Signed the plege. 

August 2011: Animal Kingdom in Saginaw closes. Barking Babes in Fenton stopped selling puppies! Four Pawz, Creseco Mi stated they do not sell puppies.  

April 2012: Pet Station, Dearborn Heights Mi, closed by authorities and owner is arrested.

We hope the remaining puppy selling stores choose to stop selling puppy and hold adoption events only.

Jade Awards

Our membership sky-rocketed this month with the Allegan bust and Pet Station arrest. We hurdled over 400 with 16 new members and the month isn’t over! The Meetup stats show we have had 78 RSVPS just this month and 68 total active members, which seems about right to me.  

Our Westland and Utica protests have had consistent and excellent coverage. Our VegFest tabling event is full with a waiting list. We certainly have no shortage of committed volunteers. 

Which brings me to this months Jade Award Recipients.  

Even with a spectacular group of active members, there are always a few standouts in the group. Three members were recognized at Humane Lobby Day for not only their impressive attendance record, but their overall commitment to the animals. Each recipient received a Jade potted plant. Jade plants are extremely hearty and seem to thrive in any kind of conditions --just like our three recipients: Sunday Harvey, Alicia Handlin and Olivia Sanchez.  

Sunday Harvey – 66 meetups since March 2009. I love the photo of her fighting with the blizzard and holding the banner up at Twelve Oaks mall.

Alicia Handlin – 44 meetups since March 2011. Alicia is great at making her own signs and literature.

Olivia Sanchez – 43 meetup since December 2008. Why is Olivia wearing a face mask? The owner of the pet store was running multiple snow blowers to fume her away. Obviously that didn’t work.  

If there was ever a winter protest that looked like I would be the only one signed up – Olivia, Sunday and Alicia ALWAYS ensure I was not alone. They come prepared and on time with enthusiasm. They always say ..”lets stay a little longer”. They not only see the big picture, but know that protesting regularly has tremendous outreach and is effective.  

Thank you Sunday, Alicia and Olivia for your support during the long winter protests. You truly are Winter Warriors that I am lucky to have on my side!

  

In Action at the Capitol

This week 17 Puppy Mill Awareness members put on lobbying hats and participated in our most successful Humane Lobby Day ever! In total 76 Michigan dog advocates came together in Lansing to give a voice to animals needing more protection. Members spoke with their Senators and Representatives about four bills pending hearings. (more photos) 

Many of our members were first time lobbyist and I was certainly impressed with those that did their homework and attended our Lobby 101 gathering on Saturday. I was lucky to have some members in the same meetings with me. Some of you should be “paid lobbyists” with your knowledge and friendly approach. We sure are a likeable group of animal advocates. Great job everyone!  

There were many personal highlights for me. First, I was thrilled to meet the new Michigan ASPCA Director, Vicki Deisner who hosted the event with us. We now have two of the nation’s largest animals welfare organizations fighting puppy mills. We can use another leader like Jill Fritz. Second, the endless questions about the Puppy Protection Act made me feel everyone in the room was equipping themselves to lobby hard for this bill. Lastly, having Steve Beida and Rick Jones (our bill’s sponsors) join us and share personal stories after their awards made me know we are can make a difference with them on our side. Watch Videos.

Utica Pet Supply - Next Campaign

Here is our press release for our Utica Pet Supply Campaign Launch:

An animal advocacy group has sent letters to the owners of Utica Pet Supply located at 45460 Van Dyke Avenue, asking them to stop selling puppies that come from puppy mills and instead to feature only rescued and adoptable dogs in their store.

Pam Sordyl, director of Puppy Mill Awareness of Southeast Michigan, said “We hope that Utica Pet Supply will join the ranks of so many other pet supply stores across the nation and adopt a policy to help stop pet overpopulation.”

Sordyl sent a formal invitation to Utica Pet Supply to stop selling puppies and to take the Puppy Friendly Pet Store pledge through the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) initiative, along with an offer to support the store during its transition to adoption events only. Utica Pet Supply has yet to respond to the group’s requests.

“We hope the store will take our request seriously,” said Sordyl. “We've worked with over 100 Michigan pet supply stores to sign them onto the Puppy Friendly Pet Store pledge. Unfortunately, some other stores have been reluctant to do so, and we then enacted a public campaign to educate the public about the stores’ puppy mill suppliers.” Six area stores that sell puppies have closed after such campaigns were launched.

Utica Pet Supply has a history of working with large out-of-state commercial breeders. Happy Tails Kennels in Minnesota supplied puppies from 2003-2006. The Detroit Free Press exposed this puppy mill connection and listed Utica Pet Supply as one of the top importers of puppies in Michigan.

Puppy Mill Awareness’s investigation revealed the store has continued to work with large out-of-state breeders in Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. One such breeder—Canterbury Tails Pets, LLC, Kansas—shipped 15 puppies to Utica Pet Supply for the 2011 holiday season. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspection reports show that Canterbury Tails Pets was cited for serious violations of the Animal Welfare Act related to lack of veterinary care. One violation report read, “White Lhasa has pink flesh protrusions from the 3^rd eyelids of both eyes. This dog has thick creamy discharge and cloudy corneas of both eyes.  Eye conditions such as these can cause pain and loss of vision”. Another dog was reported to have a laceration on the right shoulder two inches in length with fresh blood.  Canterbury Tails Pets inventory reports show they kennel between 370 – 450 adult dogs.

Another breeder who has shipped puppies to Utica Pet Supply, Brian Sterrenberg of Joyce, Iowa, was inspected by the USDA in January 2010. The investigator found that the outside runs were full of ice, snow and fecal material. “Had a bad snow storm 1 week ago and runs should have been cleaned by now”. This affected 95 animals.

“This is disgusting and sad” said Sordyl. “Michigan families care about their pets, while Utica Pet Supply continues to work with breeders who are mistreating their animals.”

Currently, the Better Business Bureau is also giving this store a failing grade -- Rated F.

Puppy Mill Awareness of Southeast Michigan sent an additional letter to Utica Pet Supply this week, saying that if the store does not opt to end its puppy mill connection, the group plans to conduct a public education campaign outside the store. The letter ends with the request, “We would like you to pledge in writing to convert to a humane business model.” 

How Lobbying In Person Can Save Animals

If you wondering what you can do to save the most animals without an animal welfare background –I have your answer. Average citizens, like yourself, can play a big role in the lives of companion animals at this year’s Humane Lobby Day in Lansing on April 17^th, 2012 by speaking face-to-face with your elected officials.

Great laws don’t get passed because someone drafted up a law. Our law makers need to know you are an animal lover who is expecting change. They do keep track of letters, emails and phone calls (pro and opposed) to each introduced bill. They need to know you care.

No experience is required. We will give you a one page fact sheet on each pending bill. No worries, you may have other constituents with you. If not, you can always write down all their questions and someone else will follow up with them. The most important part is that you are there and are supporting these bills IN PERSON!

Taking a day off of work sends a big message – animal issues are a priority. You can plan on telling your senator and representatives why each of the following are so important:

1) The Puppy Protection Act (HB 5230 and 5231, SB 891 and 892)

These bills would regulate large-scale breeders to ensure that animals in their care receive proper treatment, including adequate food, water, shelter and veterinary care. Currently, Michigan has no regulations in place on large-scale breeders. The Puppy Protection Act will ensure that these animals are treated humanely, crack down on irresponsible breeders, and prevent puppy mills – mass breeders who keep animals in deplorable, unimaginable conditions – from setting up shop here in Michigan.

2) Pet Lemon Law Act (SB 574)

This bill is also referred to as the Pet Warranty Law or Pet Consumer Protection Act. It will offer consumer protections for purchasers of dogs and cats.  People who purchase sick or diseased animals from pet shops, breeders or dealers would have specific recourse against the sellers offering options for the purchaser: returning the animal for a full refund or, replacement, if available or, recovery of veterinary expenses. Eighteen other states have Pet Lemon Laws in place.

3) Antifreeze Bill (SB 421)

This bill will prevent poisonings by bittering antifreeze. Antifreeze has a sweet taste that is attractive to animals and children, but less than a teaspoon can be fatal. The bill would require the addition of a bitter-tasting chemical to antifreeze to render it unpalatable. 15 states have now passed similar laws requiring the bittering of antifreeze, including Midwestern states like Wisconsin and Illinois.

4) Ending Gas Chambers (SB 423 and 424)
“Grant’s Bills” requires euthanasia by injection in animal shelters and by Class B dealers. No Michigan shelter pet is safe until this practice is banned. There is no excuse to gas animals—a more humane and less expensive euthanasia method is readily available. The vast majority of Michigan shelters already use the more humane method of euthanasia by injection. Nineteen states have passed laws prohibiting the gassing of shelter pets …most recently, Alabama. If they can do it, so can Michigan!

You can RSVP here

Find an Anti-Puppy Mill Group in Your State

Puppy Mill Awareness of Southeast Michigan is certainly not the only grassroots group protesting pet stores and educating the public about puppy mills. The National Puppy Mill Project Grassroots Committee was able to find 49 grassroots groups working against puppy millers in different ways!

Some groups not only protest, but conduct investigations, rescue, educate and others are lobbying and passing legislation. Some are joining forces.

This month Wisconsin Citizens Against Puppy Mills leaders came to town to learn about how we launch and hold pet store education campaigns.

Here is a list of the many grassroots organizations working to end commercial breeding:

State	Organization
Arizona	AZ Puppy Mill Rescue
California	Animal Defense Team
	Boycott Barkworks Pet Stores
Connecticut	Against Puppy Mills
	Boycott Puppies of Westpoint
	CT Citizens Against Puppy Mills
	Second Chance Animal Rescue of Connecticut
	Westport Coalition Against Puppy Mills
Colorado	Colorado Citizens for Canine Welfare
Florida	Florida Against Pet Stores and Puppy Mills
Illinois	The Puppy Mill Project
Indiana	Defend the Dogs
	PetShopPuppies Michiana (northern Indiana)
	PetShopPuppies, Inc.
Iowa	Iowa Voters for Companion Animals
Massachusetts	Puppy Mill Rescue
	Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS) HQ
Michigan	Puppy Mill Awareness Meetup of Southeast Michigan
Minnesota	Animal Folks Minnesota
	Minnesotans Exposing Petland
Missouri	PetShopPuppies, Inc.
Montana	Montana Cause for Paws
Nebraska	Nebraska Voters for Companion Animals
New Hampshire	Puppy Mill Dog's Voice
New Jersey	New Jersey Consumers Against Pet Shop Abuse
	PuppyMillRescue, Inc.
New York	New York City Puppy Mill Awareness
	No More Tears Rescue
	Staten Island Puppy Mill Demonstrators
	WNY Citizens Against Puppy Mills
Ohio	Advocates of Holmes County Exposed
	Ban Ohio Dog Auctions
	Columbus Dog Connection
	Columbus Top Dogs
	Help Stop Puppy Mill Store in Ohio
	Ohio Voters Against Puppy Mills
	Puppy Mill Fighters
	Stop Ohio Puppy Mills
Oklahoma	Oklahoma Puppy Mill Truth
Pennsylvania	Northern Pennsylvania Puppy Mill Watch
	Pet Store Protest
	Puppy Mill Awareness Day
	United Against Puppy Mills (UAPM)
Texas	Texans Exposing Petland
Wisconsin	Wisconsin Citizens Against Puppy Mills
	Wisconsin Puppy Mill Project
	Wisconsin Voters for Companion Animals