Editor’s note: This piece is from Jo Anna Kloster, AGEIST reader. If you have a story about finding meaning and purpose in your life, send it to us.
Howdy, everyone. I so enjoy reading these amazing stories from the 50+ community. People living their best lives. I am thrilled to share mine. I’m a veteran elementary teacher turned animal-welfare advocate at age 65. My family’s pets were my first friends. Things haven’t changed much since. One of my favorite T-shirts declares: “Sorry I’m late. I saw a dog.” I’m also a volunteer with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) working on their End Puppy Mills campaign. Little did I know my family’s adopted rescue dog would affect me so deeply. As the saying goes, “Every once in awhile, that special dog comes along and changes everything.”
A Little Background
My inspiration to advocate for dogs locked in commercial dog-breeding cages came packaged in the body of a tiny white Maltese dog. Not long ago, my family adopted Cagney from North Central Maltese Rescue (NCMR) in Racine, Wisconsin. Thanks to the efforts of Mary Palmer, NCMR president, and her amazing foster network.
Cagney manifested many of the extreme behaviors I learned about from researching the topic of puppy mills. My computer screen exposed me to a world of horrendous images: endless stacked cages with anxious, filthy, barking dogs that I could not unsee. I had to do something about this cruelty. It’s the puppy-mill-to-pet-store pipeline the public doesn’t see when they ogle a puppy in a pet store cage. The HSUS taught me how to speak up for these dogs and you can, too.
Grassroots Advocacy Can Help
It’s not hard to speak up for these victimized dogs. It’s called grassroots and all you have to do is spread the message. Adopt, don’t shop — talking with friends and others in your day-to-day activities about why it’s always best to go to shelters and rescues for a pet.
Let me explain. In America, shelters are bursting at the seams due to the flood of dogs surrendered to them weekly. Loving, healthy dogs are being euthanized simply because of overcrowding. Did you know 25% of dogs at shelters are purebred dogs? But they’re not from reputable breeders – who take back their dogs if needed. Puppy mills in America are producing over one million dogs a year for pet stores and online sales. These puppies far too often have medical, emotional, and behavioral issues. Pet owners of these pups either can no longer pay the mounting veterinary bills or can’t deal with the behavioral issues. Hence, these dogs, bred in horrid puppy mills, are frequently surrendered to shelters. Promoting overcrowding. And death.
What Can We Do?
This is where your readers come in. Now that your audience knows of this problem and how to end it, they can be part of the solution. Your readers can remind others to go to shelters and rescues for their next great pet. Escape high price tags for pet-store designer dogs requiring loans with exorbitant interest rates that can quickly wreak havoc with a budget.
Or find pure-bred dogs at breed-specific rescues. A simple google search can help find them. And lastly, find a reputable breeder who treats their breeding mama and her puppies like family with clean whelping areas that meet the needs of mama and her pups. When people understand the problems that come with pet-store puppies, they can be smarter consumers when it comes to getting their next dog. All which will help dry up the puppy-mill-to-pet-store pipeline.
Staying the Course
The good news is how easy it is to create a ripple effect by sharing the message to “adopt, don’t shop.” Your readers can easily mention this in social media posts with friends and acquaintances. This keeps the ripple of awareness flowing — educating more and more people.
If your local pet store sells puppies sourced from USDA-inspected breeders (this is a red flag which indicates these are puppy-mill dogs), ask them to adopt the more humane model of having dog adoption days with shelter and rescue dogs.
Right now, eight states have banned the sale of puppy-mill puppies at pet stores (CA, OR, WA, IL, NY, MD, ME, VT). Over 450 communities in America have done the same. The message IS getting out. Laws banning the sale of these dogs are being passed. But that takes time. The easiest way to make a difference for these dogs is to keep sharing the message among your circle and asking your circle to do the same with their circle.
Lily Unleashed
In addition to speaking up, I was inspired to use my writing skills to pen a coming-of-age novel that educates readers about this problem. I share my novel, Lily Unleashed, at local events, shining a light on the problem of these dogs. It’s endorsed by the HSUS, I’m happy to say. It has many positive reviews on Amazon. This book delivers a heartwarming story of friendship, devotion, and doing the right thing. Lily Unleashed was written to be shared among friends, or gifted to classrooms, scout troops, and public libraries. Remember, books make great gifts.
Lastly, my hope is that your readers are inspired by my story. And create their own ripple for the benefit of these voiceless dogs.
Together we can make a difference. Together we can let the dogs out — of their puppy-mill cages and into shelters and rescues where they can get adopted into loving forever homes.
Thanks!
J. D. Kloster
Empty Cages Press
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