More on puppy mills and lax inspections

Dear Dr. Fox:

The American Kennel Club inspection program of breeders’ kennels is a sham. Its standards of care are bare minimum and can best be described as “survival standards’’ —certainly not humane standards of care.

For example, a dog’s primary enclosure needs to be only large enough so the dog “can sit, stand, lie down or turn around.’’ This tiny space is the required living area for a breeding dog for her entire existence. Most troubling, there is no enforcement of the standards of care.

According to the AKC, the breeder is given at least one week’s notice before an inspection. One need only review the paltry number of suspensions handed out by the AKC, based on the findings of their inspectors, to recognize the lack of enforcement.

The vast majority of suspensions are the result of investigations by federal and state inspectors or local humane agents. Many dogs rescued from puppy mills are AKC-registered, from facilities previously inspected by the AKC.

Shockingly, although the AKC promotes the fact that it has promulgated “standards of care’’ for AKC breeders, when legislation was introduced in North Carolina to codify similar basic standards of care, the AKC actively worked in opposition to the legislation. The AKC is fine with standards of care as long as they are never enforced or codified into law.

The entry fees for dog shows do not cover AKC expenses for sponsoring the shows. Thus, registration fees subsidize AKC dog shows. The next time you watch a dog show on television, be aware that it is being supported on the backs of puppy mill dogs.

Bob Baker, executive director, Missouri Alliance

for Animal Legislation

DF: It is my understanding that you are with an organization that has inspected puppy mills, rescued puppies and adult breeding stock, sought to improve their care for several years, and met resistance at every turn.

In some states, local legislators and the oversight of agricultural and other official bodies still generally perceive these commercial dog farms as producing mere commodities, much like a poultry or pig factory farm. Such livestock producers see any legislation to improve dogs’ welfare in these puppy factories as a potential threat to their own inhumane business practices.

I was one of the first in the United States to document these inhumane systems of food-animal production, and with the late Herm David, among the first to blow the whistle on puppy mills in the 1970s. We shared our concerns with the American Kennel Club and the dog-breeding community at large. The AKC’s new voluntary “Bred With HEART” program, which ostensibly addresses this issue, may be too little, too late.

Every purebred and "designer'' puppy sold should come with a purchase agreement that includes the list of known genetic and related health problems that the breed and lineage may carry; the estimated veterinary costs for treating each condition and the probability of developing one; plus an objective quality of life assessment score from zero to five stars. For details, see my report "Recovering Canine Health'' on my website, drfoxvet.net.

INTERNET PET SCAMS

Dear Dr. Fox:

I wanted to let your readers know that there are numerous Internet scammers out there who are looking to victimize you.

My dog, who meant the world to me, died in my arms a few months ago. Eventually, we decided we were ready to add to our family with a puppy. I found a website that looked promising, with a gorgeous puppy that appeared to be exactly what I wanted, so I made an inquiry. We were in contact via email and text, but I noticed that every time I called, I went straight to voice mail.

The people running the website were to ship the puppy to us today, but they kept stalling in telling us the time, airline, flight number, etc. They finally told me that the puppy had been taken to the airport by the breeder’s wife, as he was out of state on business. Naively, we wired payment on Saturday. The breed of puppy I wanted usually costs anywhere from $1,800 to $5,000. However, this scammer showed the most beautiful puppies, including one with the exact markings I wanted. And the price they gave me was $700, plus shipping, which was $185, which included the airline-approved crate, air shipping fees in an air-conditioned area, rather than in cargo, and transportation to my front door.

We never heard back from the “breeder,’’ but I did get an email from an alleged “pet delivery service’’ that kept calling us, telling us we needed to hit the “confirm’’ button on its email and send it back. The company called us four times, but by then, we had found it and the breeder on various scam websites. Also, the caller had what seemed to be a thick accent. Thus, we are out nearly a thousand bucks, with no puppy, which we had been so excited to receive.

I am sick that we were scammed out of this money, and that the puppy we fell in love with was fake. I have learned the hard way to not let your heart take over in these cases. Check your breeder, ask for references, go to their kennel if at all possible and see the parents and puppies. Be sure to get a puppy health guarantee, and hopefully, you will not be scammed like we were.

L.L., Branson, Mo.

DF: You have my sympathy. I wonder how many other people were duped as you were. Your last paragraph echoes what I have written repeatedly: Never buy a pup sight unseen, and try to adopt a pup or adult dog from your local shelter.

TO HUG OR NOT TO HUG?

Dear readers:

An April Psychology Today blog post has the misleading title “The Data Says ‘Don’t Hug the Dog!’: New data shows that hugging your dog raises its stress and anxiety levels.’’

Stanley Coren, a professor emeritus of psychology at the University of British Columbia, argues that hugging a dog may induce anxiety in the pet because it is wired to run and may feel trapped by a hug. Coren evaluated 250 photos of dogs being hugged by humans and noted stress signs, but he said his observations do not constitute a peer-reviewed study. Many have taken issue with how his article was interpreted by some media outlets.

My advice is to get puppies and kittens used to being held, cradled or gently restrained as soon as they are weaned so that they will be easier to handle and restrain — especially for veterinary examinations and grooming later in life. Learn how to properly hold and hug, and prevent children from rushing to grab and seize any animal. Animals should never be treated like stuffed toys, because when scared, they will bite and scratch.

Michael W. Fox, author of a newsletter and books on animal care, welfare and rights, is a veterinarian with doctoral degrees in medicine and animal behavior. Send letters to animaldocfox@gmail.com or write to him at United Feature Syndicate, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, Mo. 64106.

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