I just think I should announce that there will be a boycott at the Janesville Petland on October 5th at 1pm. Please email lesblumreich@hotmail.com for more information.

I'm very involved with a Dog Rescue Organization and have fostered for this group for 4 years now. I have a few comments to make as I deal with animals coming from Pet Stores and Puppy Mills in addition to those purchases from some so called breeders on a daily basis.

1. People buy dogs from a pet store on impulse and a large number of dogs purchased there soon find themselves being given or tried to be sold to someone else, in a shelter or in a rescue. If you have the cash or want to pay on terms or with plastic, the dog is yours and many end up in homes that they never should have been in the first place. I've personally have had two fosters within the last year who were purchased from a pet store. The first was allowed to be tormented by the family's three kids and came to rescue so despondent that she didn't even act like a six month old puppy. She just laid there waiting to die. The second came to rescue also as a 6 month old puppy, because she just couldn't be housetrained. Think about it, in the mill they are born in, they are not housetrained as they spend their entire lives there in a little cage. In the pet store, they also live in a little pen where you eliminate where you live. Is it really an surprise that housetraining can very challenging now? Many puppies arrive at the pet stores ill and others do die during transport to get them there. Puppies who on a special price/sale price at the pet store are often the ones who came in the door sick. Really check this website out if you have the stomach for it --http://www.petshoppuppies.org/ Everytime a puppy is purchased from a Pet Store the person buying it supports this way of life for the dogs forced to live it.

2. Our rescue group has taken 13 puppies and dogs out of that life through the auctions held in Thorp within the past 2 years. These dogs have ended up in foster homes for many months receiving needed medical care and very patient and loving human care to overcome the life they have lived up to that point. Want an idea of what all is involved with rehabiliting a mill dog? Check out this link http://www.anewstartonlife.com/puppymill... Every baby step forward for them is celebrated within their foster home. Former Mill Dogs do make very loving, wonderful and loyal family pets once they reach the point of being ready to be listed as adoptable.

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3. There are reputible breeders and some who are far from it. It's very important to check out the breeder you plan on purchasing a dog or puppy from BEFORE you purchase the dog. Seeing the supposed parents for that puppy does not mean those are the actual parents for that puppy. You need to educate yourself. You need to see the pedigree for that puppy and know what you are looking for that pedigree. You need to see 2/3's of the names on that pedigree with a CH. before the dog's name and not just in the fourth generation on the pedigree but on the entire pedigree. It doesn't matter if you aren't wanting to show the dog. You want to see the CH.'s there to prove the quality of that puppy and hopefully eliminate as many genetic health issues with that puppy as possible. A reputible breeder does have dogs that they do show and they also do various health testing on the dogs and provide guarantees based on the different health testing done. Ask your vet about the kennel or breeder you are planning to buy from. Check for breeders through your area kennel club.

4. Shelters get many pure bred puppies and dogs. There are breed specific rescues located all over that have pure bred dogs of all ages to adopt. Do a google search for your desire breed to find a rescue for that breed. http://www.rescuecanines.com/ will give you breed rescues by breed or the state the group is located in. http://www.allaboutdogsandcats.com/Dogs/... is another site listing rescue groups by breed.

5. Adopting through a shelter or rescue group saves the life of an animal already here. The adoption fees include things like, being current on shots, already being neutered or spayed and many include the animal being microchipped. Animals coming into the rescue or shelter have already had many other vetting needs completed as well to restore the animal to a healthy condition.

This is just the first step for animal rights. Sign the petition and stop the inhumane acts these "millers" see as a business transaction. The Humane Society has plenty of animals needing homes and always needs volenteers. Purebreds are available at any shelter or rescue group. Petland is not needed!! Don't forget the Dog Walk next weekend to support the shelter!

Any pet store selling puppies is wrong. They're not socialized, they're taken from their mothers too young,and they are kept in ridiculously small cages. But don't let independent breeders fool you, either. There are plenty of puppy mills run by people on farm land. You should always visit the home of your puppy, and ideally see the parents.

This "puppy mill" issue is a nationwide problem and is truly a national disgrace, as much as anything, anywhere, ever was.
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I would implore everyone to do an internet study of this.......Anyone who doesn't already know about this will be appalled.

You can sign the petition at the Humane Society in Janesville. I signed it a few weeks ago when I took my daughter there to look at the dozens of dogs still waiting for homes.

The send them back to where they got them from. My friend used to work there. And she prided herself on it. I thought she was NUTS!!! They teach their employees how to say stuff the right way. And how to argue with people to tell them the dogs are not from puppy mills. But as far as I'm concerned they are until they prove otherwise. No dog is worth $2000. Its ridiculos. Yes I love my finace's dog but if we would have been together when he bought him we would have went directly to a breeder.

I have a friend who would rather buy puppy mills dogs from petland because then she knows their history better then shelter dogs..... I mean ex friend. She would rather say she has a pureblood dog from a store then to say she saved a dog's life. All of my animals are from shelters, and if I had more room I would get more. I feel so bad for every animal that is without a loving home and I just feel that Petland should be put out of business.

What happens to the dogs they don't sell???

I totally support this. The better business bureau even states on their website to stop puppy mills by not to buy from Petland because they buy from puppy mills. It's amazing how many people actually will buy a pet and treat them as if they were disposable.

As long as people go in to Petland and buy one puppy they are a part of the problem. Why can't people get a rescued pet? Or if they want a purebred, go to a breeder who only breeds one or two breeds of dogs. I refuse to even go into Petland. Why do they only have puppies? where are the puppies over 12 weeks old? Petland is a sham. A huge disgrace. Another thing...petland's "mutts" are $1000.00! for a mixed breed mongrel. Cute? yea, but no way am I paying for something whose mom is caged up somewhere being treated like a machine. Nothing good could come from that.

Ah, to be such a wealthy country, to have so much legislative time on our hands.

Petland guarentees that there is nothing wrong with their dogs...at least nothing genetic. Well my finace bought a chiuaua from there and guess what....HE HAS A GENETIC BLOOD DISEASE!!!! They told him when he bought him that they would refund at LEAST half the money. So he went up there and they told him they would ONLY pay medical bills. They do not refund money! NICE!!! And of course we never saw the money for the medical bills. Our dog has to take medication every single day. And it isn't cheap either. So way to go PETLAND on your great breeding of dogs. I won't even buy fish from them!

BOYCOTT PETLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's about time that lawmakers looked after those who can't speak for themselves.

Law's like this can be very helpful, but at the same time they can be horribly written (read: California Healthy Pets Act). I hope he pushes through a decent bill that achieves what he originally set out to do.

Put them out of business NOW.This should be no brainer. Maybe it will put that pet store by Target out of business as well.

It's about time!