Ideas to curb commercial breeding

2011-01-04T11:27:00.000-08:00

In the US a number of states and counties nationwide have enacted measures cracking down on substandard or unlicensed breeding facilities. India could incorporate similar rules.

The Oregon legislature passed passed a measure last year, joining Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington state in capping the number of breeding dogs in a facility.

The law, which took effect 1st January 2010, limits the number of dogs breeders may own to 50 sexually intact animals that are older than two years. It allows people to own up to a maximum of 75 dogs as long as they have at least one employee to care for the animals eight hours a day.

The law requires that each dog must have enough space to stand, lie down and turn about freely, without its legs or tail touching the sides of its enclosure or another animal. The enclosure should be cleaned of urine and waste once a day, with the animal out of the enclosure during the cleaning.

Dogs older than four months should be provided with one hour of exercise each day outside its enclosure. All dogs older than eight months must also have a record of their medical history and information about the litter from which it came from.

Pet stores are required to disclose where they purchased the dogs they sell. They also must give refunds to customers who provide documentation within a limited time that the dog they bought from the store is seriously ill or has a congenital defect.

In addition several cities in California have banned pet stores from selling dogs and cats. More than 500 pet shops nationwide have also voluntarily stopped selling dogs to support the campaign against puppy mills.

Sterilisation

2011-01-02T02:11:00.001-08:00

BREEDERS AND UNSTERILISED PETS KILL!

The not sterilising of animals inevitably leads to animal cruelty because every animal born -on purpose or by accident- fills a home that could have been taken by a dog or cat that is born of the street or is put to death in a shelter. Animal shelters across the world have to kill many thousands of healthy, social and loveable puppies and kittens simply because there are too many animals and not enough adoption homes.

Breeders and buyers kill

Breeding and buying of (pedigree) animals constitutes to animal cruelty as it directly contribute to the over-population of animals and thus to their deaths. There is no such thing as a 'responsible breeder' as long as dogs and cats are dying in shelters because of a lack of homes, no breeding is 'responsible'.

Unsterilised pets kill too

In Goa many unsterilised pet animals, especially male dogs, roam around freely. These animals are responsible for a lot of pregancies among the stray populations. Most pups and kittens born of the street live a short and miserable life or end up in a shelter where they are euthanised.

LOST LIVES

This is an image few of us see but which is a daily reality for those working in animals shelters. In Goa, some shelters have to euthanise about 250 pups every month!
Many are not outright euthanised but staying in a shelter is unhealthy as there are always lots of viruses around. Pups and weak animals are very vulnerable to get infected and once they fall ill, the shelter generally, has not sufficient resources to sustain them.

So, if you ask a shelter whether they euthanise they will often reply "No only is a case is hopeless." but many cases become hopeless simply by staying too long in the shelter. The shelters do their best, but with the enormous number of animals admitted, this is something they can hardly avoid.

By fostering shelter pups and kittens, we can deal with any infections they may have picked up and will make they strong, healthy and beautiful, before we give them away for adoption. All our fosters are followed up with a vaccination programme and, at seven months, sterilisation. This way those who adopt a animal through us get a healthy dog/cat which will give them lots of pleasure without hassle of going to the vet.

Of course, we can save only a handful every year but each life is worth it.

Stray Assist

Ideas to curb commercial breeding

In the US a number of states and counties nationwide have enacted measures cracking down on substandard or unlicensed breeding facilities. India could incorporate similar rules.

Sterilisation