A blog by spcaLA president, Madeline Bernstein

Apr 12, 2018

Warning - Demand for puppy mill animals created by "rescues"

There has been more attention paid to alleged "rescues" and sham non-profits stealing funds from kindhearted people who wish to help animals in need and who are actually in financial cahoots with puppy mill breeders and for profit commercial dealers. Many of these "sham artists" purchase dogs from these mills, and posing as "rescues" sell them at high prices to those philanthropically motivated to pay those prices believing that they are helping a charity and furthering a mission of mercy.

In California, the Los Angeles District Attorney issued a rare Fraud Alert,  the California Attorney General has been working tirelessly to expose these pretend charities, investigative reporters have been turning over rocks under which such scams are revealed, and the Washington Post  wrote an in depth article about "rescues" purchasing from puppy mills rather than helping animal shelters place existing homeless animals.

To make matters worse, ignorant politicians, in an effort to reach unrealistic and arbitrary low euthanasia goals, routinely aid and abet this problem and are thereby directly responsible for causing pain and suffering to animals. For example, in Los Angeles, the Animal Welfare Committee led by Paul Koretz has yet to enact anything that not only doesn't harm animals but actually helps them. His solution for everything is to keep animals out of the shelters by manipulating pet limits, zoning ordinances, and redefining terms like "pet shop", the upshot being more pets are stashed around the city in the hands of sham rescues living in airline crates, or, handed over to individuals living in squalid hoarding conditions. These animals suffer horribly for years at a time out of sight of law enforcement or a kind soul to provide relief. These are exactly the conditions that allow these "rescues" to purchase, store and sell puppies from mills who have already suffered enough at the hands of financially motivated breeders and dealers.

People - please -
                   
                    these "rescues" and self-promoting politicians are working against their shelters by increasing demand for puppy mill animals rather than encouraging the populace to adopt from a shelter.

                    these "rescues" and ignorant politicians are doing nothing to improve the health and husbandry of our pets, but only changing their location, often for the worse.

           
                     these bad actors may often be committing all kinds of larceny and fraud as to their charity status, the origin of the pet and the existence of vaccines, veterinary care and other required documentation.


Finally, we can never win the pet overpopulation war and find every adoptable and treatable pet a home if we don't pay attention to what we are purchasing and who we really are electing. We must be vigilant and focus on what we see and facts, rather than what we are told by those who want to make a profit or get our vote.









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