how much is that doggie in the window??

no doubt we’ve all thought at some time or other when walking passed a pet shop "ooooh, how cute" ... tiny wee bundles of fur that you just want to take home and lavish love and affection on...

but where do these cuties come from??

definitely not from a caring, loving, affectionate environment - the reality is that their mothers gave birth to them while surviving horrendous conditions in total misery in puppy factories / farms / mills - these poor girls produce litter after litter after litter for the greed of humans, and then are 'disposed' of after 4-5 years - that's if they have survived that long from intensive breeding, cruelty and deprivation.

I seem to re-visit this topic each year at this time, but as it's possibly the major commercialized buy-buy-buy time of the year in this capitalistic society, with pets being popular (easy) 'presents' to obtain, it seems appropriate - and unfortunately change is a long time in happening - the cruelty continues, so i feel compelled to mention the horrors of this heinous industry yet again until we no longer see animals as commodities to be bought, sold and treated appallingly...

"Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight"... Albert Schweitzer

Debra Tranter, animal liberation activist and rescuer, says "to look into the eyes of a confined dog and into the next and the next and the next and the next makes you feel like you’re on the edge of your sanity. Their eyes scream a silent agony of despair, their spirits broken. I can’t pick up 400 dogs put them in my car and leave, all I can do is film they’re suffering and get the footage out there because the truth cannot be changed until it can be seen. " the following is some of that footage... (my old girl allie only just survived one of these death camps...)

australian filmmaker William Wolfenden has created a documentary "The puppy mill" and you can view the trailer here - according to the australian website Where do puppies come from - "William Wolfenden has created a documentary that every animal lover should see. This is not an extremist animal rights film, but a realistic look into the world of the domesticated dog and where we are suddenly going wrong. Buy it, share it with your friends, have a think, have a cry and know that by watching this film you are making a difference."

if it's a gift giving time for you this december, why not give a gift that may help save lives - you can order a copy of the documentary here (i've just ordered mine!!!) 20% of the sales go to PetRescue, "a not-for-profit organisation that finds new homes for lost and abandoned pets. We believe every homeless pet deserves the chance to find a new loving family, but with rescue groups across the country struggling to feed and care for animals, many pets miss out on homes simply because nobody knows they are available." They have the largest online searchable directory of rescue pets in australia - if you're not looking for a companion you can always make a donation!

According to Death Row Pets "250,000 healthy, but unwanted cats and dogs are killed in Australian pounds each year" and they have 5 ideas to stop this slaughter that they'd like to see turned into a reality:

• Restrict the sale of cats and dogs to ethical regulated breeders, pounds and animal shelters
  


• Stop all sources of mass production of kittens and puppies for profit i.e. stop puppy and kitten farms and backyard breeders
  


• Achieve widespread desexing of all pets
  


• Increase the re-homing rate in pounds and shelters via better low-kill policies
  


• And of course educate everyone on responsible and caring pet ownership...
  

not unrealistic goals... you'd think it would be easy... why not visit the lead the way website and sign the petition to support the Animals (Regulation of Sale) Bill - if it's passed in new south wales (Clover Moore keeps trying) then the precedent is set which gives a greater chance of change throughout australia... it's time to take a stand... go on, stand up and be counted - spread the word - help educate to eradicate this industry!!!!

please, visit the sites mentioned - people really need to know what's going on and to what extent...

END THE SILENCE

END THE PUPPY FACTORIES

END THE CRUELTY

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. I hold that, the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man."... Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi