Picking A Pup

 

Look only for registered and certified breeders with CKCSC or AKC. Visit the breeder if possible to see how and where the puppies are raised. You must be able to meet either the mother or the father of the puppies. (if neither is present, it is most likely a puppy mill dog). You must be able to view Pedigree papers of the parents for at least 3 generations back. You must be able to view health records of at least one parent. You must be able to view the parents DNA certificate. (as of January 2004, and as of January 2005 also the mothers DNA). You must receive copies of health and shot records for the puppy. Never ever buy a puppy from a pet store as they are likely from a puppy mill (see below) or unqualified breeder. It is illegal for anyone besides a certified and registered breeder to sell a Cavalier King Charles spaniel. Follow this advice and you will get a healthy pup. There is no such thing as a "pet-quality" vs. "show-quality" pup. You want a healthy dog period, that is not going to need expensive vet visits every other week. The Cavalier King Charles spaniel is a British Royal breed, it is rare and very special. 400-300 years ago you couldn't own one unless you were of blue blood royalty. Today it's one of the most expensive breeds. A healthy and properly bred Cavalier puppy will cost between $2,000 - $3,000. If a pup goes for much less, stay away, it will cost you much more in vet bills in the long run.

Pick a puppy that is lively, not too shy, yet eager to calmly snuggle and/or give you kisses. The markings should be rich ruby red/brown & white for blenheim's, ruby's and black and tan, the black on tri's and black and tan's will be rich and shiny, and the white on blenheim's and tri's should be bright and clean. Their hips should be sturdy, their heads flat on top with a ski-slope nose and big eyes. Their teeth in an even seesaw. Unhealthy pups, are lighter in color and looks "dull" and weak, and may be shaped differently.

Breeder Rules: As breeders we are bound by Rules of Ethics. Bitches are never bred any sooner than her 3rd heat at about 1.5 years of age. She cannot be bred any more often than every other heat (once a year) and we must not breed a bitch past her 8th birthday. A healthy bitch will continue to go into heat until she dies unless fixed.

Puppy mills start breeding at 6 months of age (their first heat) and continue breeding her every 6 months until she stops going into heat at 4-5 years out of exhaustion. They then shoot or put her to sleep as she's no good.

Puppy Mills

by Rachel A. Lamb

It was summer when I visited puppy mills in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. In the last few years, the area has become a hub for large scale commercial dog breeding operations. And although the Midwest still ranks as containing the highest number of dog breeding operations, the concentration of puppy mills in Lancaster County is unparalleled.

Accompanying me was a Humane Society of the United States investigator who had monitored the Pennsylvania mills for years. He knew the county well, and had seen not only the proliferation of puppy mills in the area, but at the same time, the increased press and public attention in their operations.

Driving through the pastoral landscape, it seemed impossible that animal suffering could exist amidst such beauty. This illusion was quickly shattered with my first view of a puppy mill. For years, I had seen and studied photos of infamous facilities, but nothing prepared me for seeing the real thing with my own eyes.

We approached a farmhouse from the road and turned onto a muddy lane. Rounding the corner, we didn't even have to get out of the truck to see or hear what awaited us. Rows of dilapidated cages were lined up outside a barn. Stopping the truck, my throat constricted with shock. Dogs were crammed three or more to a small cage which were elevated over mounds of feces. Matted fur covered their eyes as they rushed towards the front of their cages, barking at uninvited visitors. Their plight was so dramatically different than the dogs I knew, the dogs who lie lazily in afternoon sun, waiting for their next meal or walk. No, these dogs were here for a purpose and only one purpose: to make money.

We saw many mills that day. Posing as buyers, we were able to handle and examine some of the puppies. Many seemed sickly, disoriented, and underweight. And when we were allowed to see their mothers, or sneaked onto a farm to view the conditions, the hopelessness of their lives weighed on me like a heavy load that rests on my shoulders even to this day.

Dogs hold a special place in our hearts. Domesticated thousands of years ago, they were chosen to be our protectors, companions, and best friends. And although we have betrayed our responsibility towards them in many ways, none is so distressing or disturbing as the puppy mill.

The term "puppy mill," coined in the mid-to-late sixties to describe large scale commercial dog breeding facilities, has only recently arrived in the mainstream vernacular. It is a term that some claim is sensational and manipulative. The word "mill" refers to an operation that churns out dogs in mass, using female dogs as nothing more than breeding machines. The term conjures images of dogs crowded in wire cages, living in their own wastes, shivering from the cold, or baking in the heat. Tragically, this vision is not far from reality. Most people, not just those interested in animal protection, are shocked when confronted with the bleak images of dogs housed and bred in puppy mills. But in the 5,000 puppy mills found across the country, thousands of dogs are bred and raised for profit, valued not for their companionship or loyalty, but for the cold hard cash they bring.

Many consumers possess an image of puppies at a family farm, lovingly raised and cared for. Others may not even think about where a pet store puppy comes from. Drawn to a pet store window by a bin of wriggling puppies, the furthest thing from a customer's mind is the origin of these cute bundles of fur. But by buying a puppy, often for a price of $500 or more, the consumer is unknowingly supporting a cycle of abuse that begins at the puppy mill.

What the consumer can't see is the puppy's mother, imprisoned miles away, pregnant again, her body being used to produce more money-making puppies. Starting at six months, she is bred every heat cycle. She is often weak, malnourished, and dehydrated. Rarely, if ever, is she provided with veterinary care. She cannot maintain her productivity past her fourth or fifth year. After that, she is nothing more than a drain on the mill's operation and must be disposed of. If she's lucky, she'll be humanely euthanized. More often than not, she will be shot or bludgeoned to death. Discarded, her wasted body will lie forgotten in a local landfill or garbage dump.

This is the picture the pet stores will never show. And until recently, the ugly truth of puppy mills has been hidden. But when problems with many of the puppies bought at pet stores across the country began to surface, consumers and animal lovers alike began asking hard questions. Puppies with seizures, parasites, infections, bacteria, and behavioral problems were being seen far too often to be merely coincidental.

Puppy mills and the pet store industry have begun to feel this scrutiny. They insist that it doesn't make good business sense to sell sick puppies or house breeding females in less than humane conditions. But evidence gained after years of documentation and investigation directly conflicts with these assertions. In addition, those small scale breeders who do treat their animals humanely, who raise them in their homes or in small, cleanly kept kennels, do not usually make a profit off their dogs. It is virtually impossible to breed in a humane fashion and make money at the same time. Although a pet store may sell a puppy for $500 or more dollars, most commercial breeders can only get around $35 per dog from a broker who in turns sells to the pet store for around $75. In order to make a profit and cover costs, corners must be cut, and puppies must be churned out at a furious rate. The cut corners are the animals themselves: their housing, their health, their cleanliness. Inherent in the profit-making mills is the sacrifice of humane standards in order to make a profit.

What protection, if any, do these dogs and their puppies have? On the state level, puppy "lemon laws," existing in a handful of states including New Jersey and California, seek to offer consumers protection against buying sick puppies. Although these laws do chip away at the production of sick puppies, they do not address the inherent problem of the whole system: the selling of dogs for profit.

The federal level offers even less hope. The current system not only allows the continuation of a business that makes money off the backs of dogs, but fails in its responsibility to provide even a basic quality of life for dogs in puppy mills. Originally passed in 1966, the federal Animal Welfare Act was amended in 1970 to include in its provisions the oversight of large scale commercial dog breeding facilities. Regulations were written with the intention of ensuring the proper care, feeding, housing, and veterinary care for the thousands of dogs found in puppy mills across the country. Mandated by law to enforce these regulations is the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). But with a shortage of inspectors responsible for overseeing these facilities, the agency has developed a reputation for failing to meet its mandate.

Not only have outsiders criticized the agency's ability to enforce the Act in relation to puppy mills, but several internal reviews have also illustrated the gross inadequacies existing at the federal level. Recently, a damning internal review conducted by the USDA's own office of the Inspector General of the agency's South Central Regional Office offered a bleak picture. The South Central Office, responsible for overseeing the majority of this country's puppy mills, was found to be sorely lacking in its ability to enforce the Animal Welfare Act. The report found that the office failed to respond to complaints from the public, failed to report a large number of blatant violations of the law, and that supervisors told inspectors not only where and when to inspect, but instructed their staff not to write up too many violations of problematic facilities. USDA Secretary Dan Glickman, embarrassed by the report's finding, has demanded the development of an internal plan to respond to the crisis within the agency.

The USDA is also feeling the heat over the puppy mill issue from members of Congress. After receiving constituent mail on puppy mills, Congressman Glenn Poshard (D-Il) and Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), sprung to action. Working with The Humane Society of the United States and other animal protection organizations, they gathered over 100 signatures from members on both side of Capitol Hill in a letter to Secretary Glickman expressing concern about the problems found in puppy mills across the country. Sent late last summer, the letter has caused anxiety within the USDA.

This Spring, the agency will consider enacting stronger regulations covering puppy mills as well as examining ways in which their enforcement powers can be increased. Although any change in the way puppy mills are regulated is an improvement, and stiffer rules may even shut down or discourage potential operators from opening a facility, the changes will not directly eliminate the mills themselves. Until the demand for mass-produced pet store puppies decreases, there will always be a buck to be made in the production of dogs.

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Rachel A. Lamb is Director for Companion Animal Care at The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) in Washington, DC.

 

 

What You Can Do

No one has more power to fight puppy mills than the consumer. In each individual's hands is the ability to stop the cycle of abuse that ends with the purchase of a puppy mill puppy at a pet store.

Don't Buy A Dog From A Pet Store.
It's that simple. Most puppies sold in pet stores come from puppy mills. Because it is virtually impossible to determine the quality of the breeding facility listed on the puppy's papers, the more humane option is simply not to buy the dog at all. Although the consumer may be assured that American Kennel Club (AKC) papers guarantee a quality dog, in reality, nothing is further from the truth. After years of artfully dodging the question of how AKC papers could be registered to dogs and puppies found in the worst of puppy mills, the AKC itself is admitting the misconceptions that are connected with purebred papers.

Opt To Adopt or Find A Good Certified Breeder Instead.
Millions of homeless dogs are waiting at animal shelters for life-long, responsible homes. You won't be supporting the puppy mill industry, and at the same time, you'll be fighting the tragic pet overpopulation problem. If you are interested in a particular breed, your animal shelter can help you locate a breed specific adoption group that will match you with the type of dog you want.

***Although finding a Cavalier King Charles spaniel at a shelter may be difficult. And with any adoption you still risk getting an unhealthy puppymill dog abandoned by it's previous owner due to ill behaviour or high medical costs. The dog may have psychological issues due to abuse, such as aggression or submissiveness. If you are serious about getting a very healthy and lively companion, that will be easy to train, and who's behaviour you can be proud of when taking it out in public or when people come to visit; a dog that you can trust around children and other people - your best bet is to find a good breeder. A breeder who breeds for the love of raising precious pets. As a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club certified breeder we are bound by the rules of a Code of Ethics . (see above breeding rules). Unlike the AKC, our rules are strict, and only good breeders are kept current, others are disqualified. Please see www.ckcsc.org for lists of breeders and disbarred ones. A good breeder will breed in a clean, warm environment, and will be just as picky in who they sell their pups too as you should be in picking a breeder and puppy. ***

Make Your Voice Heard.
Outrage at the conditions found in many puppy mills has brought increased awareness to the issue. Legislators listen to calls and letters from constituents, and plan their priorities accordingly. Contacting your state and federal representatives does makes a difference. On the personal level, resolve to inform friends, neighbors, and family about the puppy mill issue. Many people who care deeply about animals are not always aware of the connection between the pet store puppy and the breeding female trapped for life in a mill.
There is light at the end of the tunnel for dogs housed and bred in puppy mills. Collectively, we can fight an industry that views dogs as mere profit machines. Dogs, our best friends and companions, deserve our best effort. After all the licks, wags, and love they have given us, we owe them this fight. Their lives depend on it.

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Rachel A. Lamb is Director for Companion Animal Care at The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) in Washington, DC.