For months, tempers have been flaring as protestors gather on Route 25 in Aquebogue outside The Puppy Experience to raise awareness about puppy mills.
One week, police were called to the scene after some said demonstrators should not be parking in the Aquebogue Elementary School lot.
Tensions have risen as an attorney for the owner of the store sent a cease and desist letter and threatened litigation; owner Scott Kaphan has broken his silence, stating that his business is being targeted, and suggested that protestors would further their cause more effectively if they were to demonstrate outside actual puppy mills across the United States.
What do you think about this charged issue? Where do you think the solution to this problem lies? Do you think the protestors are performing a valuable mission, to help raise awareness about animal abuse? Or do you think a local businessman's store is being targeted? What long-term solutions do you think would help address the puppy mill issue?
Tell us what you think in the comments section.
Puppy mills put profit over health or well being of breeding dogs. Breeding dogs are caged their entire lives. No veterinary care, poor quality food mixed with sawdust to fill the dogs belly. Little or no shelter from the elements. Google puppy mill and educate yourself. The USDA in charge of inspecting puppy mills by its own admission has FAILED. Inspectors were caught falsifying inspection reports among other things. Google USDA 2010 Inspector General Report on Breeding Kennel inspections. The protesters are doing a great service to the public educating on the reality of puppy mills and the connection to retail puppy stores.
The average consumer has no idea or refuses to believe the cruelty behind the pet store puppy. Demand remains, especially around the holidays, when spur of the moment decisions are made easier by the presence of a pet store. By March or April, shelters start getting the unwanted "gifts" or the puppy is just neglected at its' new home. Not only did the buyer plop down $1200 or more, s/he kept a breeding parent trapped in a mill. What can we do? Educate the public, write letters to elected officials and media outlets and hope that eventually mill oversight is removed from the USDA or the federal gov't shuts them down completely. The cost in dollars of euthanasia, shelter space and employees, and PROPER oversight to all taxpayers would far outweigh the profits of a few factory farms already getting low-cost USDA loans. The profits of selling puppies and kittens should be so highly taxed it becomes unprofitable. We target all pet stores selling puppies, this store happens to have the best turnout. Demonstrations happen across the country, including smaller ones on LI. It is not personal.
Unless they have proof he is selling puppies from a puppy mill (which i have not read or seen any evidence) it just seems the demonstraters like the location of the pet store and visiblity it gives them to all the out of towners visiting the North Fork.
Here is a link to a USDA story about Hunte It shows some of the " breeders" they use. It is just an example of the cruelty behind pet shop puppies. http://safehavenfosterhome.webs.com/puppymillinvestigations.htm
As someone who adopted a dog who is a rescued puppymill mother. I know something has to be done to stop puppy mills. One way to do this is to get puppy shops to stop selling these dogs. A big thank you to the protestors for all they are doing to end the abuse cycle!
Buy from an animal shelter ONLY!!!
Puppies are then loaded onto truck to be sold to anyone who can pay. This is not reputable anything. I don't know Scott or the owners of any pet store, though I seriously question their lack of ethics. A friend and I were at a different store. One of the employees came out to make fun of us. The minute her husband showed up he went inside. The minute her husband left, he came back out. We were laughing at what a loser he was! This is not a man of any sort of integrity.
Keep up the good work!
The nature of Puppy Mills and the stores that sell the puppies is the lack of visibility. That is the problem. Puppy mill breeders and brokers stand to lose tremendous amounts of money even if their animals are well-looked after. I have a background on farms, and this is even true of most conventional livestock operations. The burden of transparency needs to be on the store. Someone without something to hide, especially regarding a living being, will not have a problem with letting people know and see the conditions they are living in. This, I know, from experience in business and with animals of all kinds.
My belief exactly. Kennels clubs of all kinds have benefited from an increased interest in "pure bred" dogs and cats. Abdicating their role makes them complicit in what is happening. A responsible organization holds their members accountable, unless their only interested in the money .... Maintaining that responsible breeders have different practices can become a fine line when breeds are ruined even within the guidelines of what is acceptable. Breeding is as much about trend as anything else - favoured sires and lines, an excessive coat, slant of the head, or narrowness of features; amount of wrinkles, colour .... What do any of these have to do with having a good canine citizen or pet? Some "reputable" breeders keep their dogs caged, and breeding kennels for sport dogs are known for keeping their animals penned and over-emphsizing desirability of show traits or ability to make money. Culling is a practice inherent in breeding. Ask about the recent occurrence of white boxers that were never seen before – as adults. There is a ruthless side of breeding, including many farming operations. Most people are unaware and would prefer not to think about it. That's often the greatest source of suffering: ignorance and an unwillingness to change even once we do become aware because we value convenience or prevention of another's suffering. .
There was talk in the past about whether or not someone was a good slave owner, as if that was any justification for the act of slavery. Whether or not it is a business - agriculture or otherwise - does not excuse the lack concern for another's well being. Child labour, sweatshops, workers killed through neglect and appalling work conditions ... there has been legislation against these and there needs to be the same for animals - period. What people are willing to do to animals they are also willing to do to people; there’s too much proof to ignore this connection. Research has documented links between domestic violence among those who kill and abuse animals – even if they do it as a recognized part of their profession. Likely, it relates to the common wisdom to become hardened to the realities. I have not become hardened, and I am able to deal with more than those I know who tend not to deal with their difficult feelings ... It is possible to do it without drugs or alcohol, or becoming desensitized to the horrors - and do it better.