AWARENESS DAY

Help Stop Puppy Mills

Saturday, September 19, 2009

(Rain Date, Sun. Sept. 20)

Salem Common, 1 - 5 PM, Salem, MA 01970

Come, have fun, network with other animal lovers and learn what you can do to save the lives of puppies on               

 Puppy Mill Awareness Day

One person CAN make a difference

ANIMALS AND HUMANS WELCOME

Snacks/drinks;  raffle, drawing @ 4:30 (“stuff” for you and your pet);  doggie parade @ 2:30;  walk to raise money for puppies @ 3 PM;  Rescue groups with animals/info about pet adoption & more!

ENTERTAINMENT by Dave Bastien & Susan Van Ham, performing music from their CD “A Dog’z Lyfe” – a collection of songs from a dog’s perspective

Contact info: HelpSavePuppies@verizon.net or Natalie Femino, 978-745-5288  (Please contact me ASAP to register as a walker and obtain a sign-up sheet to gather names of sponsors)

In conjunction with  WWW.AWARENESSDAY.ORG/NATIONAL/EVENT                                                         

 part of a NATIONWIDE effort to put an end to Puppy Mills

All proceeds go to Puppy Mill Rescue and Animal Legal Defense Fund

WWW.PUPPYMILLRESCUE.COM     WWW.ALDF.ORG

Sponsors (so far):  CROSBY’S MARKET;  WHOLE FOODS, INC.;  NORTH SHORE NETWORKING ASSOCIATION;  LIVING WITH PETS (NANCY & JOHN RIPA);  BEANTOWN TAILS MAGAZINE;  FOOTPRINT SIGNS

 For more information go to awarenessday.org/national/event;   PuppyMillRescue.com;  puppymillprotest.org; banpuppymills.com;  stoppuppymills.org;  aldf.org;  fund.org; dogsindanger.com;  BestFriends.org/news;  PrisonersOfGreed.org 

Help Put An End to Puppy Mills

       Millions of people unknowingly buy puppy mill puppies every year.  Through knowledge and education, this "unknowing" can be avoided, with the ultimate goal of closing down puppy mills.

       A puppy mill is a large scale dog breeding facility.  Puppy mills have anywhere from 25 to over 1,000 dogs.  They may advertise themselves as a family backyard breeder but that can be misleading. Raising a healthy litter of puppies in a humane, healthy way costs time and money (think of the time, money and effort you expend on your own dog), so to make a profit, puppy mills cut major corners. Dogs have one litter after another like breeding machines. They live in small cages for their entire lives, often in squalor and filth.  Puppies are sold too young (8 weeks or younger) and therefore do not receive the proper teaching and socialization from the mama and litter mates that is necessary for a healthy and balanced animal. There is no screening for genetic defects, and the dogs are not loved, touched, played with, walked, or even let out of their cages.

       Imagine your dog being treated this way!  But this is how many of the most popular breeds such as Yorkies, Bichons, Labs, Shepherds, Pugs, and Bulldogs are bred.  That is a cruel and neglectful life for millions of puppy mill dogs but the demand for such breeds is so great that it continues.

      Puppy mills sell an estimated 4 million puppies every year to people who believe they are getting a puppy from a good place.  Millions of the rest of them are euthanized or die from sickness and disease.

       To help advocate for laws to be passed to make these facilities illegal contact your local lawmakers or such organizations as Last Chance for Animals, Animal Legal Defense Fund, The Human Society Legislative Fund or Best Friend's Society to name a few.

                             Animal Related Resources     (Just a Beginning)

Animal Legal Defense Fund............ aldf.org (Stop Puppy Mill Campaign)

PuppyMillRescue.com

BanPuppyMills.com

PrisonersofGreed.org