DISREPUTABLE BREEDERS & KENNELS
The majority of dog breeders want to stay in business and the way they do this is to build and maintain kennels and care for their animals to guarantee excellent health and quality of their animals, and at the same time build a good reputation. Quality kennels are professionals and they keep their animals clean and healthy, treat them with kindness and love; and treat their customers with respect and honest dealings. Puppy mills and animal abusers also abound. Unfortunately, breeding puppies is looked on by some as a way to make a quick buck at the animal's expense.
What can you do to find out if your puppy is coming from a quality kennel? Check out the breeders listed on this website. Join the doodle forum discussion list and ASK. Do a key-word search on this website for specific kennel names to find out what people have to say about them.
DISREPUTABLE PROVIDERS ABUSE BOTH THEIR
ANIMALS AND THEIR CUSTOMERS
You can find out the truth about any provider if you do a little searching and asking around. What can you do if you suspect a breeder is taking advantage of you?
You can check the websites listed below to see if complaints have been filed against the breeder. YOU can also file a complaint with some of these groups.
THE SPCA
Check your local area A.S.P.C.A. group, call your local animal shelter, and county health officials to complain. In some states, such as Texas, the SPCA works with the county law enforcement to go in and investigate kennels when abuse is reported. If during the investigation and inspection it is found that laws are being broken, then the kennel is shut down and homes are found for the animals and charges are brought against the kennel owners. MANY puppy mills and terrible facilities have been shut down using SPCA and county officials, but it has to start with a complaint! If someone doesn't speak up, then NOTHING gets done and the abuse continues.
THE BBB
You can file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau if you feel you have been cheated or treated dishonestly. The BBB will open a file with your complaint and notify the business of your allegations. The business works through BBB to answer your complaints. The file is kept open so long as you respond within the time period given. The file is kept open until the complaint is resolved satisfactorily. Therefore, as long as you keep responding, the file is kept open. People will be able to see that there are open complaints against a breeder and can see what is being reported.
More Animal Abuse Links
Below is a partial list of sites that give information about how to file a complaint or request and investigation. Do a key word search on Google or other Internet search engine for things like "reporting animal abuse Wyoming" (and substitute your state), or "A.S.P.C.A. (your state name here)". You can also call your county or local health officials, animal control department, or humane society. These agencies will help you file a complaint and will direct you to the correct staff to order an investigation.
Here are some examples of agencies and organizations that will take your complaint very seriously.
Here is the ASPCA listing of Puppy Lemon Laws in each state -
Animal abuse links
North Carolina SPCA Wake County; Gerner, 919-772-3203
http://grandin.com/welfare/intro.welfare.html -- Animal welfare in slaughter plants. An untouched area where the public is concerned but still a very important subject upon which people can have an impact. Discusses how to assess overcrowding and other ways to harbor humane tactics for food animals.
http://www.malteseonly.com/lemon.html - a list of Puppy Lemon Laws in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia
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A special thanks to Linda Rogers for putting together this page for the site.
Resources will be continually updated and expanded.
