Sunday, November 8th, 2009

Upper West Siders have expressed outrage over the revelation that local high-priced pet store Pet Fashion (Columbus between 87th and 88th) is now selling puppies from a puppy mill, according to West Side Spirit.  The new store sells designer duds for dogs in addition to the puppies it displays in its window.  While the owner claims that the puppies are not from puppy mills, he was unable to produce documentation certifiying that the puppies came from breeders.  Local residents have collected over 540 signatures for a petition to get the store to stop selling puppies, and they plan a protest on November 28th.  In addition, Council Member Gale Brewer sent a letter to the state and city departments of taxation asking them to look in to the matter.  While puppy mills are not illegal, they are a controversial subject due to the unsafe conditions and disregard for well-being of the animals.  Many groups including the ASPCA actively work to shut down puppy mills, where horrible conditions from infestations of pests to neglect of injuries to surgical procedures without anesthesia have been documented.  Most pet stores that sell puppies obtain their animals from puppy mills, and the first way to stop the cruelty in puppy mills is to boycott such stores.  Find out more about puppy mills and how to fight them through the ASPCA.

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