puppy mills

From The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/17/business/for-economists-saez-and-piketty-the-buffett-rule-is-just-a-start.html?_r=1

Other great stories from the Inter-web!!  – R.T.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/16/puppy-protection-act-michigan-breeders-puppy-mills_n_1428512.html

http://www.npr.org/2012/04/13/150567665/newark-mayor-enters-fire-in-come-to-jesus-moment?sc=tw

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17679417

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/12/us/antibiotics-for-livestock-will-require-prescription-fda-says.html

By Lindsay Pollard-Post

Dogs are suffering and dying in puppy mills across the country, but the agency in charge of regulating animal breeding facilities is doing next to nothing to help these dogs, according to an eye-opening report just released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s inspector general. In one Oklahoma puppy mill, inspectors found five dead dogs lying among other dogs who were so starved that they were cannibalizing their cage mates. The USDA didn’t rescue the survivors, and 22 more dogs perished.

Dogs in other puppy mills were found living on piles of feces. Some dogs were crawling with ticks and suffering from open wounds, but puppy mill operators were rarely penalized for first offenses—even serious ones—and repeat offenders were frequently let off the hook. Click to continue »

By Lindsay Pollard-Post

Who hasn’t had the experience of receiving a Christmas gift that they didn’t really want? An embarrassing reindeer sweater from Aunt Edna, a useless as-seen-on-TV gadget or a tacky tie are easy enough to return, re-gift or toss in the attic and forget. But when someone makes the mistake of giving a living, breathing, feeling animal as a “gift,” the consequences can be disastrous.

In the days, weeks and months following the holidays, animal shelters across the country are flooded with animals who were given as “gifts,” only to be tossed out like last year’s fruitcake when the novelty wore off or when their guardians discovered that caring for rambunctious puppies and kittens is a full-time job. Click to continue »