Animal Defense Team

2012-01-29T21:53:00.000-08:00

We Are Making a Difference! JOIN US TO BE THE VOICE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NO VOICE:
PUPPY MILL DOGS! Our next protest will be
SUNDAY February 19, NOON to 2 PM
at PUPPY STAR'S in Clairemont

2012-01-29T21:52:00.000-08:00

January 28 Puppy Star's Protest

Animal Cruelty in Clairemont

2012-01-24T19:03:00.000-08:00

Coming Next Saturday

January 28

Noon to 2 PM

~~~Protest at Puppy Star's~~~

6167 Balboa Ave. in Clairemont

Why this store? This is the biggest puppy store in the city of San Diego. They also own Pet Place on El Cajon Blvd. and have a holding facility for puppies in Oceanside. They are selling puppies online under constantly changing pseudonyms. At last count, it was 18 different litters.

They have been cited for many violations because WE ARE WATCHING THEM.

We have actual photos on this website of puppies being held in their back storage room without water and in plastic bins or wire cages.

They lie about the origin of their puppies and people are beginning to come forward with horror tales about puppies they purchased from this ring of stores who became very sick or actually died. Many purchasers never received information which they were required to be given by law -- such as the name and address of the breeder.

Information:

Be sure to park on side streets, not in the parking lot. Your car is not secure there.

Bring signs if you want or we will also have plenty with us!

Wear your red Animal Defense Team scarves. If you don't have yours yet, we'll have them at the protest.

Bring cameras, video cameras if you have them.

Bring friends and family! The last protest, we were able to line both sides of Balboa AND in front of the store!

Know that for all the puppies not purchased, you are saving lives of the mothers in the puppy mills.

Everyone who believes that puppies shouldn't be sold as a cash crop is WELCOME!

Join the San Diego Animal Defense Team

Presenting: the greed that drives the puppy mill business

2012-01-21T18:44:00.000-08:00

Expose of the online puppy mill business from the Today show January 2012
Why in the world didn't they also say ADOPT!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

URGENT! RAIN CANCELS PROTESTS

2012-01-21T10:05:00.000-08:00

Both the Skechers/greyhound protest at 10 AM in Pacific Beach and the Puppy Star's Protest at Noon in Clairemont have been cancelled due to rain. Enjoy your day off.

Reschedule: Skechers protest has been rescheduled to 10 AM, Sat. Feb. 4. This is the day before the Super Bowl game and the running of the greyhound ad we are protesting. Meet at Skecher's store, Pacific Beach, Garnet Ave. and Mission Blvd.
Bring your greyhounds!

Our next Puppy Star's protest is next Sat., Jan. 28, Noon - 2 PM, 6167 Balboa Ave.
See you then! Wear your red ADT scarves!

2012-01-19T13:54:00.000-08:00

Protest the sale of puppy mill pups

Protest animal cruelty in Clairemont

Protest at Puppy Star's

Sat. January 21

Noon - 2 PM

6167 Balboa Ave.

This is a clearcut case of greed trumping compassion.

Puppies don't deserve to be produced as cash crops.

Their mothers don't deserve to be prisoners forever.

Help us speak for them.

2012-01-13T23:36:00.000-08:00

When: Saturday, January 21, 2012

Time: 10:00am until 12:00pm

Where: The Skechers store at 4475 Mission Blvd. San Diego

(corner of Garnet and Mission Blvd. in Pacific Beach)

Skechers is planning to show a commercial during the Super Bowl that was filmed at a greyhound racing track in Tuscon. We need to tell Skechers that it is not ok to promote greyhound racing. It is a cruel and abusive industry! Bring your greyhound if s/he feels comfortable in public. You can go to http://www.grey2kusa.org/boycottskechers/ to sign an online petition and to email Skechers executives. This event is co-sponsored by the Animal Defense Team!

Protest Coming This Sat. January 14

2012-01-11T08:12:00.000-08:00

We're heading to Puppy Star's on January 14 (a different location has been cancelled)

Puppy Star's

Sat. January 14

2 PM - 3:30 PM

6167 Balboa Ave.

Clairemont area of San Diego

Please join us there to

stop the vicious cycle of

puppy mills and pet stores!

SHAME ON PUPPY STAR'S

2012-01-07T20:53:00.000-08:00

These photos were sent to us by an anonymous supporter.
Taken 1-7-11 at Puppy Stars at approximately 3 PM.
This is the back room. Three Boxer pups are being held there in a
plastic crate and two Goldens in the cage.
Absolutely disgusting and inhumane.
The photographer said the stench was overwhelming. There was a pile of used newspaper shreddings on the floor and used syringes on the sink. We understand they had been held like this for at least 3 hours and perhaps much longer. The Boxers have no access to water. The water bowl in the Golden's cage is empty. These are babies -- they especially need constant access to water! They are in such a small amount of space they have to be sleeping and standing in their own waste.
SHAME ON PUPPY STARS.

Puppy Star's -- January 7 Protest!

2012-01-07T20:45:00.000-08:00

Great way to start the New Year!
Everyone is wearing their new Superhero red capes of courage
(Animal Defense Team scarves)

Superheros Needed!

2012-01-06T15:31:00.000-08:00

Animal Rights SUPERHEROES needed for the Puppy Star's protest tomorrow. Capes will be provided!

Saturday, January 7
Noon to 2 PM, 6167 Balboa Ave.

2011-12-29T10:17:00.000-08:00

COMING UP:

Puppy Stars!

6167 Balboa Ave.

in Clairemont

SATURDAY JANUARY 7

NOON - 2 PM

Time to keep the pressure on. We know that they are feeling the pinch from our protests. Now we join them as they head into their slowest time of the year.

Hello, Puppy Star's. As long as you're still here, we're still here.

See you at the Puppy Stars store for the

next protest.

2011-12-18T23:38:00.000-08:00

No more puppies as products. No more cages. No more loneliness. No more hungry. No more thirsty. No more scared. No more matted coats. No more untreated wounds. No more fighting for food. No more too cold in the winter. No more too hot in the summer. No more having puppies taken from you too soon. No more cruelty and abuse. Hold on, mother dogs.

WE ARE COMING.

Street Theater Marks Business Standstill in What Should Be the Busiest Shopping Season For Puppy Mill Puppies

2011-12-18T19:41:00.000-08:00

Over 20 animal activists created a dazzling show of protest against pet store puppies at Puppy Stars in Clairemont. We are banding together to stop this
cruel industry!

Prisoners of Greed

Empty store just 2 weeks before Christmas

Except for the prisoner puppies

and those who profit from their misery

PUPPIES ARE NOT PRESENTS! BOYCOTT PUPPY STARS!

2011-12-18T19:35:00.000-08:00

December 17, 2011
I will be held in a cage for my entire life.
I am the mother of the pet store puppies.

Puppy Stars Protests

2011-12-16T23:25:00.000-08:00

Puppy Stars Protests

2011-12-16T23:18:00.000-08:00

Great Street Theater in Plano Texas

2011-12-11T15:33:00.001-08:00

Coming Saturday December 17

2011-12-06T22:42:00.000-08:00

Puppies Aren't Presents -- Part Three!

PROTEST

Sat. December 17

Noon - 2 PM

at Puppy Stars

6167 Balboa Ave. in Clairemont

Many pet store puppies are purchased as impulse buys during the holiday season. What could be cuter than a happy puppy under the Christmas tree? Then that puppy begins to grow. It chews the sofa legs. It has accidents behind the chair and on the rug in front of the TV. The novelty wears off and the kids don't notice it much anymore. If it were a sweater, you would consider just returning it to the store. But it isn't. It's not as cute as it once was -- now it's teenager and that's a whole different story. Finally, that sweet little puppy everyone thought was so adorable, ends up at a local shelter. Oh yeah, they've heard it all...

"No time for it."

"We had to move and the new place doesn't allow pets."

" It got bigger than I thought it would."

" I work too many hours and can't take care of it."

" We found out one of the kids is allergic to dogs."

"Truthfully, having a dog just isn't for me."

"I lost my job and can't afford to feed it."

"We're having the floors refinished."

The dog waits at the shelter in a cage. And waits. And waits. It becomes sort of hard to handle. It doesn't do well in confinement. No one pays it much attention as they walk by. After all, it's not a cute little puppy anymore.

In the meantime, that puppy's mother is still in her cage at the factory farm. She is held in a cage in an unheated barn, buzzing with flies and surrounded by the noise of hundreds of other breeding dogs. She has never walked on grass. She has never been loved by a human. She has never played with a toy or chased a ball, or snuggled with someone she loves. She only gets enough food and water to keep her alive. Her coat is mattted and filthy. She spends year after year, having litter after litter.

NO ONE WINS WHEN YOU BUY A PET STORE PUPPY -- NOT YOU -- NOT THE PUPPY --

AND CERTAINLY NOT THAT PUPPY'S MOTHER.

Puppies are not Presents.

And one more...

2011-11-26T14:13:00.000-08:00

No more cages! No more suffering! No more prisoners of greed!
Join us at Puppy Star's
6167 Balboa Avenue in Clairemont
December 3, 10, 17
Noon - 2 PM
Questions? Email us at sd_adt@yahoo.com

THIS IS ANOTHER STORE OWNED BY PUPPY STAR'S OWNERS

2011-11-26T11:45:00.000-08:00

December Protests

2011-11-25T15:00:00.000-08:00

A CALL TO ACTION!

Animal Cruelty in Clairemont!

Protest at the

Puppy Star's store

6167 Balboa Ave.

Saturdays -- December 3, 10 and 17

Noon to 2 PM

December is the busiest time of year for all puppy stores. They count on selling lots of puppies as impulse buys for gifts. Many say that they make up to 50% of their entire income for the year during the month of December.

PUPPIES ARE NOT PRESENTS!

Dogs are farmed as livestock at unlicensed kennels as well as under the jurisdiction of the US Department of Agriculture. The greedy corporations and businesses maximize profits by subjecting the breeding dogs -- the mothers and fathers of the puppies you see in the pet stores like this one -- to cruelty and suffering. It's a dirty little secret that the breeders, brokers and pet store owners don't want you to know. Their kennels are full of prisoners of greed.

The owners of this chain of puppy stores -- Puppy Star's, Naedeen's Puppies, Pet Place -- are trying to intimidate and silence us. Our protests are legal and protected by our First Amendment rights and the California Supreme Court rulings. We are NOT going away. Join us to tell Puppy Star's :

Stop Selling Puppies!!!

Cities That Have Passed Legislation Banning the Sale of Pet Store Puppies

2011-11-14T19:11:00.000-08:00

Albuquerque, New Mexico Passed June 2006; Effective August 2007

Austin, Texas Passed December 2010; Effective December 2010

Coral Gables, Florida Applies to dogs only

El Paso, Texas Passed October 2010; Effective January 2011

Flagler Beach, Florida Applies to all animals, prohibits sales and breeding

Fountain, Colorado Passed May 2011; Effective May 2011

Hemosa Beach, Florida Passed March 2010; Effective April 2010

Lake Worth, Florida Passed February 2011; Effective February 2011

Lauderdale Lakes, Florida Applies to dogs only

North Bay Village, Florida Applies to dogs only

Opa-Locka, Florida Applies to dogs only

Richmond, British Columbia Passed November 2010; Effective April 2011

South Lake Tahoe, California Passed April 2009; Effective May 2009*

*Pet sellers given 2 years to come into compliance (May 2011)

West Hollywood, California Passed February 2010; Effective March 2010

RAIN! RAIN!

2011-11-12T08:18:00.000-08:00

YES, we had to postpone the Novemeber 12 protest due to heavy rain. Sorry, folks. Stay tuned for a reschedule ASAP.

SUCCESS!

2011-11-06T19:49:00.000-08:00

The management of the Westfield Horton Plaza Mall has made the decision to NOT rent a kiosk to San Diego Puppy. We commend their decision and will be monitoring to be sure no other pet store that sells puppies goes into the mall.

Horton Plaza kiosk on Level 1 as it appeared on November 1-- prepared for the November 2 Grand Opening

Horton Plaza November 2
The San Diego Puppy kiosk is GONE!
What a difference a day makes!

Thanks everyone who came to protest
and who worked on stopping
San Diego Puppy from opening in Horton Plaza!

Good job everyone! Keep the pressure on!

Emergency Protest at Horton Plaza!

2011-10-24T18:38:00.000-07:00

San Diego Puppy has been selling puppies online for over a year. We have been tracking them since November 12, 2010 and have a file with over 90 actions to date! They are now going public with a kiosk at Horton Plaza. Come if you can. This is the day they are advertizing as their "Grand Opening!"

WHEN

Tuesday, November 1

TIME

1 - 5 PM

WHERE

Horton Plaza downtown

lower level near Forever 21
Go past the clock on level 1. The kiosk is in the middle of the
Clark's store and the Guess store.

INFORMATION

We will meet just before 1:00 and go in as a group

Bring signs, friends, etc. You know what to do...

We will provide signs also

RSVP if you are coming so we know who to expect!
keafs2@yahoo.com

Details of where we are meeting will be sent to all who RSVP to be there at 1 PM

This event is on FB if you want to RSVP there or you can email us.

Breaking News from the Animal Defense Team

2011-10-23T16:27:00.000-07:00

One of our Animal Defense Team protesters was falsely arrested with a citizen's arrest by an employee of Puppy Star's at the October 7 protest. He has now filed a lawsuit against the store and the employee as a First Amendment Complaint for Battery, False Arrest and Imprisonment, Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress and Violation of the Tom Bane Civil Rights Act.

The summons for the lawsuit was served by our attorney, Bryan Pease, during the protest last Friday, October 21.

Summons is being served 10-21-11

Thanks Bryan!

The defendants now have 30 days to respond.

Protesters Friday October 21 --
Over 20 animal advocates stood against greed and for compassion!

INVESTIGATIONS

Naedeen's Puppies

ADT members are investigating Naedeen's Puppies, 1021 S. Coast Hywy in Oceanside and Pet Place, 6512 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego. Both are owned by the same owners as Puppy Star's. Naedeeen's is an empty storefront but when we heard puppies inside and knocked on the door, an employee let us in. He told us they are opening as a puppy store and groomer's in two weeks. They are currently selling puppies online, including the following breeds: Boxers, Pugs, Dachshunds, Yorkiepoo, Pomeranian, Labrador, German Shepherd, Boston terrier, Toy Maltese, Golden Retrievers, Lilac Beagles, Siberian Huskies, Jack-Russell-Dachshunds, American Eskimo Miniature, Puggle, Toy Yorkie, French Bulldog, Italian Greyhound Mini, Parti Yorkie, Silky Terrier, Mini Pincher Teacups. He said they could get us any breed we wanted.

In the meantime, the facility is being used to hold puppies. Seven Yorkie mix puppies were being housed in plastic children's swimming pools.

Front window sign: Puppies and Kittens (Naedeen's Puppies)

Back doors of Naedeen's Puppies

Space as seen through the other window -- crates being assembled

Inside of storefront unit

Yorkie mixes housed in plastic swimming pools

The one employee at the site told us the owners of Puppy Star's and Naedeen's Puppies also own a third puppy store: Pet Place, 6512 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego. When asked if all locations sell local puppies (as indicated on the cage labels) he said "No! Breeders, breeders, breeders!" and that all the puppies are being purchased through Lambriar, Inc. (Lambriar is a notorious broker for the midwestern puppy mills. Located in Kansas, it is the second largest puppy mill broker in the country, behind #1 Hunte Corp. Lambriar processes thousands of puppies through its Kansas facilities every year.)

Pet Place, San Diego

The Pet Place store had a total of 22 puppies. The odor was very strong and cages weren't clean. The glass fronts were smeared and dirty to the point views of the puppies were obscured.

We could see puppies were also caged in the back of the store. The teenage boy who was the only employee present, told us we couldn't see the puppies in the back because they either "hadn't had their shots or were too young to sell."

COMING SOON!

NO BUSINESS AS USUAL!

We will be at Puppy Star's from

opening to closing on

Saturday, November 12.

Please sign up for at least one

two-hour section as follows:

11 AM - 1PM

1 PM - 3 PM

3 PM - 5 PM

5 PM - 7 pm

Just email us with your choice:

keafs2@yahoo.com

NO BUSINESS AS USUAL!

Great news from the ASPCA!

2011-10-23T12:06:00.001-07:00

Supporters across the nation have taken a stand against puppy mills, and pet stores are taking notice. Recently, Jack’s Pets, one of the largest pet store chains in the Midwest, has decided to no longer sell puppies in any of its stores. Instead, Jack’s will work with the ASPCA to expand its work with local animal shelters and rescue groups to offer in-store pet adoptions.

PROTEST! THIS FRIDAY OCT. 21 5-7 PM

2011-10-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

TO PUPPY STARS:

Stop Selling Puppies!

Next protest

Friday October 21

5 - 7 PM

Join the Animal Defense Team at

6167 Balboa Ave.

Clairemont

mother of those cute pet store puppies

Puppy Stars Protests October 7 and 14

2011-10-16T15:57:00.000-07:00

Momentum continues to grow! Our protest at Puppy Stars on Friday evening, October 14 drew 50 people! We were able to completely cover the front of the store and have people lined up on Balboa Ave. as well. Thanks to everyone for coming -- some of you after work, some from distances. We had protesters from Escondido and Tijuana! Each one of you makes a difference and is an important voice insisting on the ban of selling puppies in pet stores and breeding dogs in factory farms.

We are working hard on organizing the protests in what we hope will be the most effective way for us to have an impact. We appreciate your flexibility as we continue.

If you purchased a puppy from Puppy Stars or Naedeen Puppies or from their online sales -- and if you had any problems with the puppy, please email us. We can help. We also are receiving reports that the store employees/owners are being confrontive with the public, to the point that in one case there was an incident of physical assault. Please contact us if you have similiar experiences. We will keep you updated on our own lawsuit as we progress.

Pet Sales Banned in Shopping Mall Chain!

2011-10-15T13:39:00.000-07:00

Great news!

Shopping center developer Macerich has announced a major policy breakthrough to take effect within 30 days: No more sales of live animals in its 70 shopping centers across the United States! Leases of existing pet stores that sell animals will not be renewed and will be replaced with humane stores offering rescue adoptions.
Included are the Los Angeles Westside Pavillion, Fashion Square in Scottsdale and Santa Monica Place.

Animal activist and film producer Jennifer Peterson researched puppy mills and pet stores and initiated the Facebook page, "Boycott Barkworks." She then contacted all 74 Macerich shopping center regarding their pet store policies and after a year of negotiations with shopping center management, the new ban is becoming official policy.

Breaking News from the ASPCA

2011-10-14T11:44:00.000-07:00

ASPCA Assists Rescue of 100+ Dogs from KY Puppy Mill

The ASPCA Field Investigations and Response (FIR) Team is in Rowan County, Kentucky, helping care for 118 small-breed dogs including Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, Papillons, Min Pins and Poodles—several pregnant and some just a few weeks old—who were removed from horrifyingly filthy, cramped cages on October 6.

The dogs are now receiving care they desperately need; many of them were found covered in mold and matted fur, suffering from infection, dental disease and various other ailments.

An ASPCA emergency sheltering team and other veterinary experts are helping care for and assess the dogs at the Rowan County Animal Shelter. At the same time, the team is working to place the roughly 30 animals who were already in the shelter. ASPCA responders are also completing thorough evaluations of the rescued animals and helping local authorities collect evidence to support criminal charges, which the Rowan county attorney told media he hoped would be filed this week.

The dogs were discovered after the Rowan County Attorney’s Office received complaints about the facility.

This case is the latest to highlight the urgent need to bring an end to puppy mills. The ASPCA has rescued hundreds of puppy mill dogs and aided in the prosecution of their owners. We’ve also been active in drafting and promoting legislation that would improve the lives of puppy mill dogs, most recently in Texas and Pennsylvania.

“Most people don’t realize that the cute puppies they see in their local pet store window and on websites come from deplorable conditions like this facility,” says FIR Senior Director Tim Rickey. “We appreciate the efforts of the Rowan County Attorney’s Office in pursuing this investigation, and we’re pleased to be able to assist the local authorities in the fight against puppy mills.”

For more information about puppy mills and to find out how you can help us fight them, visit http://www.nopetstorepuppies.com/.

Update on Protests

2011-10-11T23:08:00.000-07:00

One of our Animal Defense Team protesters was falsely arrested with a citizen's arrest by an owner/employee of Puppy Stars at last Friday's protest. (October 7) He was held and released at the site by the San Diego Police Department. We are in the process of filing a lawsuit for false arrest.

Puppy Stars has a history of trying to violate our civil rights and intimidate Animal Defense Team protesters at this store. They have used racial and sexual taunts and slurs in an attempt to stop our protests and to limit our freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.

Are we intimidated? NO!

Are we going back? YES!

JOIN US TO SUPPORT FREE SPEECH RIGHTS AND

THE CRUEL FARMING OF DOGS AT PUPPY MILLS!

WHEN: This Friday, October 14

5 - 7 PM

WHERE: Puppy Stars

6167 Balboa Ave.

Clairemont

The Animal Defense Team has been protesting at Puppy Stars since the week they opened, August 20, 2011. This store sells puppies from factory farms in Missiouri, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio. These are some of the worst puppy mill states in the U.S., filled with breeding kennels with up to 1,000 dogs. Business records show in addition to Puppy Stars, Le Kim and Nguyen Huong own Naedeen Puppies in Oceanside and sell masses of puppies online.

See you Friday!

Bring signs, friends and outrage!

2011-10-09T13:57:00.000-07:00

Coming this Friday evening

October 14

Protest at Puppy Stars

6167 Balboa Ave.

Clairemont area of San Diego

5 PM - 7 PM

Please join us

We will not be intimidated

We will stand for compassion and truth

Our voices will not be silenced

Puppy Stars Protest Tomorrow!

2011-10-06T21:08:00.000-07:00

Puppy Stars Petstore Protest

Friday, October 7

5 - 7 PM

6167 Balboa Ave.

Clairemont

Best Friends & Animal Legal Defense Fund File Barkworks Class Action Suit

2011-10-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

Best Friends volunteers gain ground against puppy mills

October 05, 2011 - By Julie Castle -
When Best Friends began our peaceful protests of the Barkworks chain of puppy stores in Southern California in 2008, I knew that something had to give — and knowing the passion and commitment of our team, I knew it wasn’t going to be our side.

It was one thing for me to be confident in the inevitability of change, but quite another for the volunteers on the front line who went out week after week for 150 weeks straight with nothing to go on but their profound resolve to help bring an end to the horror of puppy mills.

After three years of patiently handing out literature about puppy mills and hearing and documenting countless stories of sick puppies purchased by unsuspecting shoppers from Barkworks, our amazing volunteers finally have something to cheer about. Last week, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, armed with the reports gathered by Best Friends volunteer teams, filed a class action lawsuit against Barkworks, claiming the stores repeatedly engage in fraud and false advertising in an effort to conceal from customers that they acquire their puppies from abusive puppy mills.

The puppy stores in Los Angeles and elsewhere around the country are the rosebuds on the dung heap that is the world of commercial breeding that begins with marginally regulated puppy mills.

Puppies are cute by definition, but if customers were able to see where over 98 percent of them come from, most would run in the other direction. No one wants to support the cruelty of the mills and no one wants to risk the unknown possible illnesses, congenital defects and behavior problems that are a fact of life when pets are force-bred in factory farm–like operations.

Puppy mills and their pet store accomplices push a stream of animals to market with no regard to their ultimate well-being. About 25 percent of shelter dogs are purebred and many of those began life in a puppy mill.

Additionally, when someone who wants to get a pet goes to a pet store and buys one rather than adopting one from a shelter or rescue organization, he or she is not only supporting a cruel industry, the person is allowing a shelter pet to remain and possibly die in a local shelter.

So, hats off to the tenacious Best Friends volunteers who have given up their weekends for years and will continue to do so as long as animals are dying needlessly in shelters and puppy mills are allowed to operate with impunity.

When it comes to a test of wills, I know which side I’m betting on.

If you want to read more about the class action lawsuit against Barkworks, and other work that’s being done to end the abuses of puppy mills, visit the Best Friends Network News pages on puppy mills.

Something Everyone Should Know!

2011-09-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

As a volunteer at the San Diego Central Animal Shelter, I see so many animals that deserve a chance at happiness and life. Too many of them are getting less, as people continue to purchase their pets from stores and breeders. I have learned the hard way not to ask about a favorite dog I have enjoyed walking if I don’t see them him or her in their kennel.
Awareness and compassion is the key

As I look around me, I see that there is still a lot of work to do in spreading the word. With more public education, a commitment to spaying and neutering, and making kind choices when it comes to pet ownership, there really could be much less animal suffering than there is today.

Things to know about Shelter pets

Before I began volunteering at the San Diego Central Animal Shelter in 2009, I had very little idea of some of the things that I’ll be sharing with you. Very often when I am there, many of the cats I see and the dogs I walk are healthy, loving, well behaved, physically appealing pets. I believe that many people who haven’t been on the inside of a shelter as the volunteers have may think that most of the animals there are not the best adjusted or most attractive pets. Not only is this not true; some rare and pure breed pets are there, as well as the “most adorable puppies and kitties in the world”.

Other good pet sources

Shelter pets are all ages. In looking for a specific breed, if you don’t find the exact type of pet you want, than taking a little more time and looking in the five shelter locations is likely to increase your odds. Many of the pets are included on the shelters websites. If you don’t find another just as wonderful pet as you look, you may so at Petfinder.com, a specific breed rescue group or The Humane Society. I have also experienced first hand that the pets that don’t stand out in the crowd are often a real gem as I get to know them.

More quality control and reassurance for you

Another important fact; every cat and dog in the shelter has gone through an observation period so we can get to know their personality better and take note of anything that needs to be addressed. Some of the dogs attend obedience training. The volunteers that interact directly with the animals answer specific questions on an intake form and add other behavioral patterns they have noticed. These notes are available to the public when inquiring about a particular pet. There are interaction areas in the shelter if you would like to look more closely at a particular animal to see how the “chemistry” is between you. You are also welcome to bring your animals from home to see how they respond to a pet you are interested in. The 30 day grace period that every adoption allows will give your home companions a chance to make sure all is copasetic with the new family member. The shelter highly encourages all two-legged family members to come in to meet the dog or cat of interest. There are medical forms available at all times in case the volunteers have noticed anything that needs to be addressed medically. The Shelter is diligent about maintaining a high level of health with all their pets.

What is included in the adoption fees

When a pet is adopted, the fees include licensing, spaying or neutering, all shots, a micro chip for future identification, and a health exam before they leave the shelter, as well as another complimentary health exam within a month.

Adoption fees

In San Diego County, pets that are five years and older are half price, and these pets have the added benefit of having out grown “puppy syndrome”. Seniors pay half price for their pet, and from time to time there are half price discounts on animals that have been at the shelter for more than 30 days. The cost for puppies and dogs is $69.00, kittens and cats are $58.00 and rabbits and guinea pigs are $25.00. Pet Sponsoring, volunteering and donations are a great way to help support the shelter as well.

Sensitivity and resiliency

As animals are sensitive beings; they do respond to the stress and loneliness of shelter living. This is likely to be the only side the public sees of them. This being said, they have an amazing ability to rediscover their true nature of loving, playful, nurturing companions, with a little love and attention. I experience this regularly as a volunteer!

Other animals available at the shelter

Felines and canines are not the only residents at the shelter; there are rabbits, guinea pigs, birds and reptiles also. If one is interested in a parrot, conure or cockatoo, there are local bird rescue groups with a variety of birds to choose from.

Inspired to care
I am inspired to be a voice of these wonderful animals. They are so worth it. With more education, diligence with spaying and neutering and a commitment to making caring choices, I believe we can all help end the cycle of cruelty to animals! It is very clear to me when I remember that for every pet that is purchased from a breeder or pet shop, this takes the chance away from a shelter pet to have happiness and life. With all the problems in the world, it is nice to know of one that has a simple solution: adoption!

Please help spread the word and information to your family, friends and the community by sharing this email or its message. Thank you!

The web info to all San Diego County Shelters is http://www.sddac.com/. The phone number for the Central Shelter in Linda Vista and South County in Bonita is (619)767- 2675, Chula Vista is (619)691-5123, North County Coastal is (760)438-2312 and North County Inland is (760)746-7307. If you would like to become a volunteer, you can download an application, pick one up, or call (619)767- 2782.

This email is a volunteer public service by Cheri Joseph, with no affiliation with any organization, agency, company or club.

What is Puppy Stars Hiding?

2011-09-28T19:43:00.000-07:00

Puppy Stars ROUND FOUR!

When: Friday, October 7

5-7 PM

We won't give up.
We're not going away.

Tell Puppy Stars to stop selling puppies.

6167 Balboa Avenue

Clairemont

Dogs, kids, humans of all ages welcome....

This is a legal protest, protected by our first amendment rights.

Round Three a Great Success

2011-09-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

Sunday September 25 --Voices of dedicated protesters filled the Clairemont Balboa Crest mall as the Animal Defense Team once again targeted the Puppy Stars store on Balboa Ave. Please visit this website often in the next week or so. We are beginning an even more intense campaign and need your help! We had great coverage last night on TV Channel 6 with a story from the news anchor and video interviews with our protesters. Attention Puppy Stars: WE ARE NOT GOING AWAY!

All protesters welcome! Including children, dogs and humans of all ages...

Keep those letters, emails and phone calls going. Tell Puppy Stars we do not want puppy stores and will boycott their business until they stop selling puppies. They need to know they are not supported by the community. They are telling customers they don't buy from puppy mills. Yet their dogs are from Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Ohio and other notorious puppy mill states.

We will soon have lists of local breeder rescues and shelters available for customers to use to find the

puppy or dog of their dreams.

Purchasing a puppy from a pet store is an act of animal cruelty.

ADT Letter to Puppy Star's Store

2011-09-24T15:40:00.000-07:00

The San Diego Animal Defense Team sent the following letter to the Clairemont Puppy Star's store on Septemember 10. As of today, September 24, we are sorry to say there has been no response at all.
________________________________________________________________________________

September 10, 2011

Le Kim and Nguyen Huong, Owners Puppy Star’s
6171 Balboa Ave.
San Diego, CA 92111

Dear Le Kim and Nguyen Huong:

The San Diego Animal Defense Team works to stop the cycle of cruelty that begins with the mass breeding of puppies and ends with their sale in pet stores while thousands of adoptable animals die in San Diego shelters for lack of homes. Animal Defense Team would like to offer Puppy Star’s a unique opportunity to join us in standing up against the needless death of homeless pets and the cruel mass dog breeding industry by becoming the first “Rescue Only” pet store in San Diego.

The public is becoming increasingly aware that mass breeding facilities, often called puppy mills, supply pet stores that sell puppies, and they do not want to support such an industry, especially when millions of healthy and adoptable pets are put to sleep every year in shelters. Cities across the United States are passing ordinances banning the retail sale of dogs and cats. (http://network.bestfriends.org/initiatives/puppymills/pages/retail-pet-sale-bans.aspx )
Glendale and West Hollywood are the most recent cities in California to pass such legislation, and judging from public interest and increased awareness, we believe that San Diego will soon follow.

As you can see in this video that shows the celebration put on by the City of Glendale for “Pet Rush” and store owner Rene Karapedian, the community strongly supports a humane model where a pet store focuses on grooming, retail sale of pet products, and other pet services rather than the sale of puppies. The County of Los Angeles and many local rescue groups have teamed with “Pet Rush” to offer rescue puppies for adoption at the store, and the result has so far been amazing! Pet Rush now has the reputation of being a model to the community for helping to battle the homeless pet problem by supporting rescue puppies rather than perpetuating the cruel mass breeding industry, and their business is booming. See the video of the opening of Pet Rush as the first rescue only pet store in Glendale:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BB8TNd3s4Ek#et Pet Rush has the following statement on their website, found at http://www.petrush.net/adoption.html

“Pet Rush is Glendale's first rescue-only pet store. We have formed partnership with most Los Angeles county shelters with the help of Best Friends Of America and the Jason Heigl Foundation. Our goal is to find good loving homes for homeless pets who might not be adopted if left in government-run shelters and would have to be put down due to overcrowded conditions. Pet Rush is part of a movement that is happening across Los Angeles and throughout the nation, people are becoming more consumer-savy and socially conscious. Buying a breeder dog from a pet store is often compared to the blood diamond industry and people are less inclined to risk being a part of such a sad reality. At Pet Rush we believe that given enough time and know-how, a home can be found for almost every animal, and we do not believe that euthanasia is the answer.”

We're sure that you and your staff genuinely care about dogs but have never seen where your puppies actually come from. We invite you to research the breeding facilities that supply your brokers and see for yourself what a cruel industry this is. We believe that once you realize that you are supporting such places, that you will not want to be associated with them anymore. The following video is a good example of where pet store puppies come from: http://video.bestfriends.org/community/m/programs/1344.aspx
Animal Defense Team is willing to assist in your transition to a humane model, to provide contacts with breed rescues and shelters in San Diego, and to promote your store and celebrate it as the first rescue only pet shop in San Diego if you decide to cooperate with us in combating animal cruelty and promoting the adoption of rescue and shelter pets. We can also give you contact information for Best Friends Animal Society’s “Puppies Aren’t Products” campaign where professional marketing and PR people will volunteer to work with you to transition to a humane model. See:http://network.bestfriends.org/initiatives/puppymills/default.aspx

We sincerely hope that you will take the time to look into the puppy breeding industry that you are supporting and consider becoming a leader in offering a “humane model” pet shop, which we believe is going to be the trend in San Diego, especially when new legislation banning retail sales of dogs and cats, is passed. Please contact us at keafs2@yahoo.com to further discuss this matter.

Sincerely,
San Diego Animal Defense Team

CHEERS AND CELEBRATION!

2011-09-20T20:29:00.000-07:00

As we prepare for Round Three at the Puppy Stars store in Clairemont next Sunday at noon, it's also time to celebrate VICTORY! After the SD Animal Defense Team singlehandedly took on the Puparazzi puppy store in Mission Valley shopping mall with multiple protests, it is now closed! We have power. We are speaking for the majority of citizens of San Diego. We do not support greed over the humane treatment of animals.

BAN PUPPY MILLS and the STORES THAT SELL THEIR PUPPIES! Here are some of the participants in the SD Animal Defense Team who dedicated their time and energy to shutting down the Puparazzi store in Mission Valley!

WE DID IT!

Puppy Stars Protest Sunday Sept. 25: Round Three!

2011-09-13T22:59:00.000-07:00

Puppy Stars Protest: Round Three!

Sunday September 25, 2011

Puppy Stars puppy store

6167 Balboa Ave.

Clairemont

12 Noon - 2 PM

Meet on Balboa Ave. in front of the store.

Bring water, friends, signs:

Shame on Puppy Stars!

Boycott Puppy Stars

Puppy Stars: What Are You Hiding?
Missouri Pups at Puppy Stars

Honk if you hate puppy mills!

Our protests are perfectly legal

and are protected by our first amendment rights.

Dogs are farmed as livestock at unlicensed kennels as well as under the jurisdiction of the
US Department of Agriculture. The primary objective is to maximize profits and to do that,

the dogs need to suffer terribly. Hungry. Thirsty. Mange. Matted hair. Dirty. Injuries without treatment. Often brutally debarked. Physical and mental abuse and neglect. Puppies in Puppy Stars are coming from facilities in Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio.These are some of the worst puppy mill states in the country, filled with breeding kennels of up to 1,000 dogs.

Is that OK with you? We didn't think so.

Join us to tell Puppy Stars: We don't want another puppy store in San Diego. Stop selling puppies or "go humane" and turn your store into a legitimate center for rescues.

Please remember we also need you to make calls, write letters and send messages.
See the post below.

Thanks for all you do to help these prisoners of greed!

HOW YOU CAN HELP!

2011-09-11T15:47:00.000-07:00

Please call, email or write to the Puppy Star's puppy store in Clairemont and let them know that you will not patronize their store or use their grooming services until they stop selling puppies!

Puppy Star's (owners are Le Kim and Nguyen Huong)
6171 Balboa Ave.
San Diego, CA 92111
858-560-0143 (Note! This is now the correct phone number! Call!)

Their website is www.sdpuppy.com There is a link to send emails to them under the listing Contact Us or email them at puppystars@yahoo.com
If you want to write a letter, a sample letter is in the post below.

Thanks so much for your help. Together, we can put an end to puppy mills

and save the lives

of shelter and rescue dogs!

letters to pet stores

2011-09-09T23:52:00.001-07:00

An article in Pet Business discussed the profit margin on puppies. It indicated that for puppies sold in the first two weeks the margin is 101% percent. If the puppy is sold in two months, the margin is 4% and if sold at three months, the margin is a negative 26%. According to that article, the profit margin for puppies at Petland stores is between 5 and 10%. The impact that slow sales can have is very evident. Stores will only sell puppies if it improves their bottom line. If you boycott stores that sell puppies, it's so important for them to know that you are boycotting them. Otherwise they may attribute it to some other factor. Please send them a letter. Also, you might include a copy of your sales receipt for products you purchased at a different store that does not sell puppies just to show them how much business selling puppies cost them. But sure to take off any credit card numbers from the receipt.

Your letter could say something like this:

Dear Pet Store Owner:

I am very concerned about the sale of puppies in pet stores. I do not support commercial kennels that breed puppies for resale. Often the conditions in these kennels are abhorrent. Additionally, according to studies by the United States Center for Disease Control and the State of California, half of the puppies sold in pet stores are incubating diseases. This does not even count the number of pet store puppies that have genetic defects that are not initially obvious. And finally, there are millions of dogs killed in this country every year. Since pet stores often encourage impulse purchases, they are large contributors to this crisis. This is evidenced by the fact that according to several studies 30% of the dogs in shelters across the country are purebreed dogs.

Consequently, I think you should know that I will not purchase anything from your store until you stop selling puppies. Please do not contribute to the misery of the dogs in commercial kennels or to the misery of dogs dumped in shelters. Dogs are our companions and our best friends. They deserve better from us. I appeal to your compassion.

Thank you for your attention.

Del Mar Death Toll Reaches 12

2011-09-05T11:36:00.000-07:00

From the San Diego Union-Tribune
DEL MAR — It’s now a dozen horse fatalities. That’s 12 horses that were vanned into Del Mar this summer to race, but they were vanned off and won’t be going home from the 72nd meeting.

Last year, five horses were euthanized during the summer meeting at Del Mar. Two were injured in turf races and then put down. Five others were injured on the Polytrack, one in a morning workout, four in afternoon racing, and then euthanized.

This year’s 12th horse fatality, Burns, a 3-year-old colt owned by Madeline Auerbach and Alfred Pais and trained by Barry Abrams, broke down on the backstretch turn in the Del Mar Derby and had to be euthanized. Burns broke sesamoid bones in his right foreleg.

Jockey Patrick Valenzuela, who won the Pacific Classic last Sunday, managed to keep Burns up, but Valenzuela suffered a leg injury that caused him to miss his final two mounts. He will be evaluated Monday to see if he can race. He has seven mounts on the Labor Day card.

Burns, the son of Unusual Heat by Little Hottie, is the fourth horse to suffer a catastrophic injury on the turf course.

One Sept. 1, Lordgivemealift, a 5-year-old gelding, broke down in a 5-furlong turf race. He was owned by Altamira Racing Stable and trained by Peter Miller.

Eight other horses were put down after getting injured on the Polytrack, with six injured in workouts and two others in afternoon racing. One of the fatalities from afternoon racing was from an injury the horse suffered trying to elude a fallen horse on the Polytrack. The horse, a 3-year-old filly named Our Lady Gaga, wasn’t euthanized until nearly a month later after she returned to Santa Anita.

Round Two: Animal Defense Team does it again!

2011-09-04T17:30:00.000-07:00

Peter -- powered by tofu!

Over 20 animal advocates spent their Saturday afternoon protesting the puppy store Puppy Stars in Clairemont (6167 Balboa Ave). It's a busy area with lots of traffic and the community has been very supportive of our protests. Some even saw us and came over and protested with us! We had enough people that we were able to have a protest line both on the street and in front of the store. Once again, the SD Police were called by the owner or manager of the store and once again the SDPD upheld our first amendment rights to protest there. It was unfortunate that the owner or manager resorted to racist name-calling and sexual harrassment of our protesters in front of his store.

We will be sending the Puppy Stars owner a letter this week outlining what we are asking of him (that he stop selling puppies or change to a humane model featuring rescue groups). We will publish the letter on this website as soon as it is sent. We are also including a Puppy Friendly Pet Store Pledge from the Humane Society of the United States and the invitation from them to sign.

We will be returning to protest at Puppy Stars. The date will be announced on this website and we invite YOU to join us!

Puppy Stars http://www.sdpuppy.com/ 858-560-0143
What do we want?
No more puppy stores!
When do we want it?
NOW!

Puppy Stars 6167 Balboa Ave. in Clairemont

This nice rescue dog Tiky saw us from the street, stopped and parked and came over to cheer us on!

Del Mar Death Toll at 10 on August 31

2011-09-04T12:03:00.000-07:00

Aug. 31 San Diego Union-Tribune

Two more horses were euthanized at the Del Mar Racetrack as a result of injuries on the Polytrack.

It raised the total of deceased horses to 10 for the meeting, three more than were euthanized last summer at Del Mar. There are seven racing days left, including today's card of eight races.

Last year, seven horses were euthanized at Del Mar, four after being injured in afternoon racing on the Polytrack, one in a morning workout on Polytrack and two from injuries on the turf course.

Thus far, eight of the deaths this year were because of injuries on the Polytrack, six during workouts in the morning, one in an afternoon race and another who was hurt trying to elude the fallen horse during that race over the Polytrack. Two other horses were euthanized after breaking down in turf races.

The horses were Rejuvenating, a 2-year-old filly in trainer Jenine Sahadi’s barn. She was hurt Monday during a workout and euthanized. The second was Point Guard, a 3-year-old colt trained by Eoin Harty.

Rejuvenating was an unraced filly. But Point Guard had one race. He raced May 15 this year at Hollywood Park and finished fifth. Bred by Stonerside Stable and owned by Darley Stable, the son of Afleet Alex out of La Grande Mamma worked five furlongs Tuesday at Del Mar. His time of 1:04.60 was the worst of 10 workers at that distance. He broke down after working.

Thoughts on The Whip from the UK

2011-08-29T12:29:00.000-07:00

THE WHIP

"You cannot hit living creatures. It is unacceptable in the modern world, the whip is coming to an end” - English race commentator John McCririck after Hurricane Run was whipped 24 times at Ascot.

The one purpose of the jockey’s whip is to make the horse run faster and to keep them moving even when exhausted. Whipping over and over again inflicts physical and psychological pain on the horse and increases the likelihood of injury.

Section 9 of Victoria's Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act states: “A person who overrides, overdrives, overworks, abuses, beats, worries, torments or terrifies an animal; commits an act of cruelty.”

Horse whisperer Monty Roberts, adviser to the Queen and advocate of the whip’s abolishment describes it use as ‘felonious abuse’. In August 2006 Roberts spoke to Victoria's apprentice jockeys saying it was a myth that whips made horses run faster: “It is a fact that whips have been involved in 86% of racing accidents”. Roberts pleaded for the end of the whip and for it to be relegated to "a museum with a list of all the races lost with them."

Flyer and Photos from the Del Mar Racetrack Protest.

2011-08-29T12:26:00.000-07:00

Round Two! Puppy Stars Protest

2011-08-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

The San Diego Animal Defense Team
Working together to stop the cruel cycle of commercial dog breeders and puppy stores...
http://www.sdanimaldefenseteam.blogspot.com/

What

Protest at Puppy Stars, San Diego's just-opened pet store that sells puppies

Ban Puppy Stores!

Where

Puppy Stars

6167 Balboa Ave.

Clairemont (in the IHOP strip mall)

south side of the street

There is free parking on side streets.

When

Next Saturday, September 3

12 Noon - 2 PM

Please join us for whatever amount of time you can.

Bring signs and friends.
Help us speak for those without a voice.
Stop the greedy mass breeding of puppies

while so many die in shelters for lack of a home.

See you Saturday!

Death Toll at Del Mar: EIGHT!

2011-08-26T09:44:00.000-07:00

From today's San Diiego Union-Tribune:

Two more horses were euthanized at the Del Mar Racetrack today as a result of injuries at the track, one from a racing accident on opening week, the second from a Thursday morning workout.

That raises the total of deceased horses to eight for the meeting.

Pedaltothemedal, a 3-year-old filly trained by Art Sherman and owned by Ackerman Stables, just completed a 5-furlong workout in :59.60 when she went down on the Polytrack.

“I’m just devastated by this,” trainer Sherman said. “Joe Talamo was riding her and she just completed her workout when her butt-end just went out. To break her pelvis like that, she had to really have slipped and twisted. This game is tough.”

DEL MAR DEATH TOLL

Pedaltothemedal

3 Yr. old filly -- broken pelvis

Our Lady Gaga

Warren's Diggers

2 yr. old -- broken sesamoids

Kicken Off

4 yr. old filly

Ali's Lake

2 yr. old filly

Deviant Sax

3 yr. old filly -- broken sesamoids

Be Driven
5 yr. old mare -- broke down

Nijinsky's Leap
2 yr. old colt -- broke down

Horseracing and the ADT Protest at Del Mar/ BE THERE!

2011-08-23T20:31:00.000-07:00

Read Naida Austin's excellent article about the horseracing industry and our protest at Del Mar on Sunday!
Be sure to watch the video that accompanies it. You'll remember why we have to be there. Then plan to join us. 11:30 AM - 1 PM

http://www.examiner.com/animal-advocacy-in-san-diego/horse-racing-protest-at-san-diego-del-mar-horse-park-this-sunday

What Cities Have Banned Puppy Stores?

2011-08-23T16:09:00.000-07:00

This information is from Best Friends.org and is current as of April, 2011. Glendale CA should soon be added to this list.Retail Pet Sale Bans

Jurisdictions that have passed a ban on the retail sale of pets;

Albuquerque, New Mexico Passed June 2006; Effective August 2007
Austin, Texas Passed December 2010; Effective December 2010
Coral Gables, Florida Applies to dogs only
El Paso, Texas Passed October 2010; Effective January 2011
Flagler Beach, Florida Applies to all animals, prohibits sales and breeding
Fountain, Colorado Passed May 2011; Effective May 2011
Hemosa Beach, Florida Passed March 2010; Effective April 2010
Lake Worth, Florida Passed February 2011; Effective February 2011
Lauderdale Lakes, Florida Applies to dogs only
North Bay Village, Florida Applies to dogs only
Opa-Locka, Florida Applies to dogs only
Richmond, British Columbia Passed November 2010; Effective April 2011
South Lake Tahoe, California Passed April 2009; Effective May 2009*
*Pet sellers given 2 years to come into compliance (May 2011)
West Hollywood, California Passed February 2010; Effective March 2010

To Puppy Star's: STOP SELLING PUPPIES!

2011-08-21T18:28:00.000-07:00

Puppy Star's
6167 Balboa Avenue
Clairemont
WE WILL BE BACK

Animal Activists Line Balboa Ave. to

Support Ban on Puppy Stores!

What a fantastic group of animal advocates! Over 30 dedicated Animal Defense Team activists

protested at the just-opened "Puppy Star's" puppy store in Clairemont for over two hours yesterday, Saturday August 20! They also had an amazing success in convincing two people who had arrived to buy a puppy that they should rescue a dog instead!

Since our original count on Tuesday afternoon , August 16, this store received another shipment of pups. By yesterday morning, they had 27 puppies for sale from the following states: Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska and Ohio. These are among the worst puppy mill states in the entire country. There were two puppies from California (San Diego and Riverside.)

Although the store is open for business, they are still not in compliance with state law with identification of breeders and posting of consumer rights. We are monitoring closely and are also in contact with Department of Animal Services.

A special thanks to our legal observer, to the women who were inside the store securing information before the protest started, and to Karey C. who surprised thirsty protesters with two cases of water! We also appreciate the polite support we received from the San Diego Police Department.

Glendale, Calif. Council votes to move forward with puppy mill ordinance

2011-08-17T10:27:00.000-07:00

Glendale, Calif. Council votes to move forward with puppy mill ordinance

Glendale is jumping on the BAN PUPPY STORES bandwagon! The City Council has unanimously voted to draft an ordinance banning the sale of puppies and kittens in pet stores.
Thanks to the testimony of advocates such as Best Friends and the Humane Society of the United States, this city will soon be added to the list of progressive communities that refuse to support puppy mills. Who is next? With your help, it could be San Diego.

URGENT! PROTEST NEW PUPPY STORE IN CLAIREMONT THIS SAT. 8/20

2011-08-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

A new puppy store (Puppy Star's) has just opened in Clairemont and we will be there this Saturday. Please join us for any amount of time you can! There were 17 pups in there yesterday with a new delivery coming in today. We will present the store with an official letter asking them to go humane, stop selling puppies and start offering their space instead to rescue groups for adoption. We will also ask them to sign the HSUS Pet Store Pledge to not sell puppies.

WHERE

Puppy Star's Puppies 4 Sale & Grooming Service

6167 Balboa in the IHOP strip mall
South side of Balboa. Cross street is Mt. Alifan

Plenty of free parking

Meet on the sidewalk along Balboa

WHEN

Saturday, August 20

Noon to 2 PM

We have signs but bring your own if you want.
Bring water, BRING FRIENDS!

BAN PUPPY STORES!

Del Mar Horseracing Protest -- August 28

2011-08-05T17:03:00.000-07:00

Del Mar Horseracing Protest

Sunday, August 28, 11:30 AM - 1 PM

The SD Animal Defense Team has scheduled its 4th annual

protest outside of the Del Mar racetrack entrance.

PLEASE JOIN US! EVERYONE IS WELCOME AND NEEDED!

Bring signs, water and your compassion for the victims of

an industry based on greed, drugging, deception and death.

WHEN:

Sunday, August 28, 2011

11:30 AM - 1 PM

(Post time for this day is at 1 PM)

This is Del Mar's richest and most prestigious race of the season,

the $1 million Pacific Classic.

WHERE:

The intersection of Jimmy Durante Blvd. and Via de la Valle,

under the Del Mar marquee at the corner.

There is usually free street parking available at this hour
on side streets to the right.

WHY:
Horses are now bred for speed not strength, raced too young and legally (and illegally) drugged to run through pain and other problems like bleeding into the lungs. Every year, Del Mar loses many horses
who break down on the track or in training.
As of this posting, the horses"Be Driven" and "Nijinsky's Leap" have broken down at Del Mar and had to be euthanized.

Please join the Animal Defense Team as we denounce all forms of "animal entertainment" for human pleasure. Whips, beatings, starvation and isolation are all part of "training" an animal for human command and control. There is nothing exciting about suffering and pain.
Please do not support animal entertainment of any kind,

Ruffian

beginning with horse racing.

In Memory of Ruffian
1972 - 1975
Considered to be one of the greatest
U.S. racehorses of all time
At her final race at Belmont Park,
two bones in her right foreleg snapped.
Her sesamoids were pulverized, the skin ripped off her fetlock, and her ligaments were torn,
rendering her hoof useless.
Her breakdown and death led to a public outcry for more humane treatment of racehorses.

Stop Class B Dealers Selling Pets to Research

2011-08-01T11:35:00.000-07:00

From Last Chance for Animals:

Keep our Pets Safe
Put Class B Dealers Out of Business!

Support the Pet Safety and Protection Act of 2011

The Pet Safety and Protection Act of 2011, H.R. 2256, introduced by Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), prohibits random-source Class B dealers from selling dogs and cats for use in research. An abuse-ridden system allows a small number of unscrupulous dealers to supply non-purpose-bred dogs and cats for use in research. So-called random source Class B dealers and their middleman cohorts, called "bunchers," acquire the dogs and cats they sell from a variety of sources. They routinely violate the Animal Welfare Act, obtain animals through fraud, deception, and outright theft (many are stolen companion animals), and falsify their records. They keep the animals in horrendous conditions.

The USDA spends countless taxpayer dollars each year unsuccessfully trying to regulate Class B dealers and have acknowledged that they can't guarantee that dogs and cats are not being illegally acquired for use in experiments.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
#1.) Please contact your representative and urge them to co-sponsor the Pet Safety and Protection Act of 2011 (H.R. 2256) - info on sidebar. As of today there are 21 co-sponsors in the House of the PSPA.

#2.) Purchase "Dealing Dogs" and show it to your friends to spread the word about Class B dealers and the Pet Safety and Protection Act.

#3.) Donate to LCA to keep our investigations and campaigns going to put an end to Class B dealers.

"Dealing Dogs", the HBO documentary on LCA's undercover investigation into Class B dealer, C.C. Baird, has become an important tool in the lobbying efforts for the PSPA!

Click here to help:

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Support-the-Pet-Safety-and-Protection-Act-of-2011---Contact-your-Representative-.html?soid=1011040807792&aid=LsS4KkIGNmY

Gov. Brown Bans Sidewalk Sale of Puppies! (SB917)

2011-07-31T11:30:00.000-07:00

From the LA Times, July 26, 2011:

Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday signed into law a measure banning the sale of animals on street corners and other public property in hopes of reducing the number of poorly run puppy mills in California.

SB 917 also sets tougher penalties for those convicted of animal abuse or cruelty, allowing a maximum jail sentence of one year in cruelty cases and a fine of up to $20,000.
Sen. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) said the goal of his bill is to improve conditions for animals sold in the state.

"Because current health and safety regulations for animal sales do not apply to roadside sales, young animals are being sold that are often mistreated, ill or diseased and there’s no way to track the seller,” Lieu said.

The bill would not prevent the owner of a dog that has puppies from selling the animals from a private property, said a spokesman for the senator. It also allows the sale from animal shel Lieu’s measure is co-sponsored by the State Humane Assn. of California, the Humane Society of the United States, the ASPCA and the SPCA Los Angeles.

San Diego Reader | Pre-Circus Protesters Speak Out for Welfare of Elephants on Sports Arena Blvd.

2011-07-15T08:55:00.000-07:00

San Diego Reader Pre-Circus Protesters Speak Out for Welfare of Elephants on Sports Arena Blvd.

Ringling Bros. Circus Protest in San Diego

2011-07-07T11:39:00.000-07:00

The San Diego Animal Defense Team is joining with Peta and other animal rights organizations for the

OPENING DAY CIRCUS PROTEST

July 14 11:45 AM - 1 PM
Valley View Casino Center
(previously the Sports Area)
3500 Sports Arena Blvd.
Free parking will be difficult -- car pool if possible
Meet on Sports Arena Blvd under the large electronic sign. Bring water!

If you can't make it to the daytime protest, a second opening day protest will be held Thurs. July 14 at 5:15 - 7 PM!

Protests will also be ongoing prior to the following performances:
Friday, July 15 at 11 AM, 7 PM
Saturday, July 16 at 11 AM, 3 PM, 7 PM
Sunday, July 17 at 1:30 PM, 5:30 PM
Come as often as you can!

What is Joe Hiding?

2011-06-09T15:48:00.000-07:00

Joe Shamore, owner of California Pets in Escondido and Carlsbad, states on the store's website they use "reputable USDA breeders not puppy mills." In an email to the Animal Defense Team, he stated "Yes we do our homework on breeders. We do have access to most breeder reports." What does that mean? We're finding out and we're sharing the information with you. Cross posting is encouraged. Joe also pledged to send the SD Animal Defense Team a list of breeders where he gets his pet store puppies. Did he do it? NO. What is Joe hiding? The Animal Defense Team has been able to cooperate with the USDA to investigate some of the breeders used by California Pets in Escondido. Here are the breeder records, directly from USDA records, their names, towns, USDA numbers and violations. If available, we are also including the number of breeding dogs found during inspections.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? ARE THESE "REPUTABLE BREEDERS"? Share your thoughts with California Pets owner Joe Shamore at joesreal7@aol.com

Puppies From These Breeders Have Been Sold by California Pets:

Michele Sonnenberg
Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
41-A-0021
USDA Violations!
+ Expired medications in refrigerator and cabinet (Banamine and Oxytoxin)
+ Inadequate veterinary care. Dogs had excessive matting of the hair coat.
+ Dirty and unsanitary food bowls
+Wood walls and cement floor in kennels soaked with urine
+No windbreaks to protect from weather extremes
+Sharp metal points protruding into enclosures, causing injury hazard
+Primary space requirements for dogs and weaned puppies not provided. All were in too small enclosures.
+Primary enclosures in the barn missing doors
+Ventilation fans not working. Insufficient ventilation
+Adult female husky with puppies in enclosure without 6" clearance for her head which restricted her movement.
+Cleaning, sanitation, housekeeping and pest control not adequate. Premises had accumulation of trash, junk, waste products and /or discarded matter. Whelping barn, nebulizing crate, and "the big dog barn" had a large number of primary enclosures with an accumulation of hair, dust and debris.
+ Number of adult breeding dogs at last inspection: 431

Puppy Mill or Reputable Breeder?

Angie Thompson
Cainsville, Missouri
43-A-4237
USDA Violations!
+ "One Maltese female breeder 3 days after whelping needing to be seen treated and evaluated by kennel vet. All pups dead on delivery, mother with no milk, rear quarters and lower half of bitch is wet with hair loss."
+Incomplete records of dogs on premises.
+Round plastic barrels used for housing without flat floors.
+Outdoor housing without shelter from elements.Cages not large enough for dogs to "sit, stand or lie in a normal manner." Metal barrels, cars, refrigerators or freezers must not be used as shelter structures.
+ Number of adult breeding dogs at last inspection: 111

Puppy Mill or Reputable Breeder?

Butch Olseth
Walthill, Nebraska
47-A-0533
USDA Violations!
+Inadequate vet care with excessively matted dogs
+Dog enclosures not structurally sound, surfaces soiled, rusted, unsanitary, excreta and food waste accumulations
+Dogs soiled
+"From the south on the east side of the whelping house pens 2,3,5&7 and the west side from the south pens 1,2.3.6&7, all housing 22 dogs, have excessive fecal matter or excretia in the runs."
+ Unknown number of dogs

Puppy Mill or Reputable Breeder?

Jay Blackburn and Julie Snidow
Galt, Missouri
43-A-3124
USDA Violations!
+"Exploding rat infestation. Saw evidence of many active rat runs under outdoor edges of buildings and pens. Also saw where rats are entering building through the drain system."
+ "Found 100+ dogs below the minimum space required."
+"Two outdoor runs with nursing mothers where fecal deposits were greater than 6" in height in the deposit area. Need for general removal of fecal and collected urine in wash downs and collected fecal from under the wire tuns and slat enclosures."
+"Drainage coming from the whelping house and the solids are being left next to the building foundation on the west with the liquids spilling out and around. Also found 2 plastic barrel/tubs under the drains of the next house to the southeast, these tubs were full and in need of being removed from as far as possible."
+Unknown number of dogs

Puppy Mill or Reputable Breeder?

Shannon Plymell
Pattonsburg, Missouri
43-A-4928
USDA Violations!
+Male Coton de Tulear, excessive matting with generalized hair loss. Violation of Adequate Veterinary Care (AVC).
+Male Welsh Corgi, very thin. Violation of AVC.
+ Female Welsh Corgi, very thin. Violation of AVC.
+Male Sheltie, very thin with ribs prominent and palpable hipbones and vertebrae. Violation of AVC.
+Japanese Chin, raw and inflamed areas of skin around and in between both eyes. Violation of AVC.
+5 Shitzus plus 1 Cairn Terrier, excessive matting of hair coat. Violation of AVC.
+Puppies in whelping facility without required legal identification
+Outdoor housing structure damaged, potential injury to dogs, does not contain dogs securely
+REPEAT VIOLATIONS: Outdoor facilities without shelter from elements. No windbreaks or rainbreaks.
+REPEAT VIOLATIONS: Shelters not large enough for dogs to "sit, stand, lie down or turn around freely."
+Dogs not provided with bedding in outdoor housing as required in temperatures under 20 degrees.
+Expired Medicines: Amoxicillin, Oxycotin, Procaine Penicillin. Violation of Adequate Veterinary Care.
+Oxycotin is currently used by the licensed breeder. However, Oxycotin is indicated for use in horses, cows, sows and ewes, not labeled for use in dogs. Violation of Adequate Vertinary Care.
+Containers of bleach, Lysol and Totalcide stored in whelping pen. Toxic hazard.
+Outdoor runs have an excessive accumulation of animal waste.
+Enclosures housing the Sheltie and Papillon mixes and Coton de Tulear is constructed from a small gauge wire panel. Physical hazard. Not stable.
+Enclosure in center aisle of whelping building at least four square fee smaller than required for number of dogs.
+Number of breeding dogs at last inspection: 123

Puppy Mill or Reputable Breeder?

To be continued...

Up next, more breeders used by California Pets, including Iowa's infamous Stonehenge Kennel,

with 1837 breeding dogs.

LA City Council Moves to Ban Puppy Stores

2011-06-07T20:50:00.000-07:00

June 7, 2010:
Hooray! The Los Angeles City Council has instructed Animal Services to draft an ordinance preventing pet stores from selling dogs, cats, rabbits and chickens that are bred for profit by animal mills!

The proposed ordinance would establish a way for shelter animals to be adopted through pet stores as well as ban factory farmed animals from being sold.

“We’re not only protecting the animals. We’re protecting the people … who don’t know that when they go into a pet store, they are going to pay hundreds if not thousands of dollars for an animal that is likely to be sick , have genetic defects and may not even live two or three weeks when they get it home,” said Brenda Barnette, general manager of Animal Services.

The motion, introduced by Councilman Paul Koretz and seconded by Councilman Tony Cardenas, was unanimously approved by the Los Angeles City Council.

“We’re talking about lives here. We’re not just talking about somebody selling widgets. We’re not talking about somebody owning a little candy store. We’re talking about lives. We’re talking about mammals. We’re talking about beings,” Cardenas said.

2011-05-31T21:41:00.001-07:00

2011-05-31T21:39:00.000-07:00

“Dirty Dozen” Kennel Shut Down in Missouri : The Humane Society of the United States

2011-05-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

“Dirty Dozen” Kennel Shut Down in Missouri : The Humane Society of the United States
Read what it takes to get one of these places shut down. 500 pages of USDA violations!
Help us make puppy mills and pet stores that sell their puppies as "products" illegal!

Tell Good Morning America to Stop Supporting Puppy Mills!

2011-05-03T11:39:00.001-07:00

Please watch this segment from Good Morning America and then send them a message to let them know what you think of their stance on pet stores selling puppies and designer dogs. Go to this link:
http://abcnews.go.com/Site/page?id=3271346&cat=Good+Morning+America

SHAME ON MISSOURI GOV. NIXON!

2011-04-28T20:51:00.000-07:00

Jay Nixon, Govenor of Missouri has signed the bill to undo Proposition B. A classic example of greed over compassion.

CALIFORNIA PETS PROTEST APRIL 16

2011-04-22T16:03:00.000-07:00

Courage Integrity Tenacity

The Animal Defense Team refuses to be intimidated . After encountering this (see photo below) at the March 26 protest at California Pets Escondido, the ADT doubled its numbers and returned April 16 to protest at California Pets Escondido.

There was a great amount of support from mall customers and the public. Many thanked us for being there and many told stories of sick puppies who had been purchased in puppy stores. We were able to distribute hundreds of flyers with information about puppy brokers, including the Hunte Corp., used by California Pets and the USDA. That information also appears elsewhere on this website. Thanks to the great group who joined the Animal Defense Team, standing in compassion for those who have no voice!

Important information from petshoppuppies.org about the transportation of puppies from the Midwest to pet stores like California pets:

Most pet shop puppies originate in the Midwest; however, most pet stores are located on the East and West coast. Have you ever wondered how tiny eight week old puppies, just weaned from their mother, are transported 1000-2000 miles to fill the pet stores where they will become a hot commodity for families looking to add the love of a puppy to their home?

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) licenses and inspects wholesale dog breeders and brokers, as well as those that make it part of their business to transport puppies in the wholesale market.

Pet store puppies usually originate at USDA puppy farms where the pups will be booked with a broker shortly after their birth. The breeder calls the broker and tells them what breed, color and size of puppies they have. The puppies are then sold to brokers (middle men) when they are 8 weeks old. Broker vans, cars, trucks and SUVs book an appointment with the breeders, usually meeting them in one centralized location in their area, such as a truck port alongside the interstate. The broker vehicle then moves on to the next stop, usually another truck port 20 miles or so down the road. The broker vehicle spends the day picking up puppies, and then transport them to the broker's facility.

After the broker books the puppies, shortly after their birth, they begin contacting pet stores they are contracted with and faxing them a list of puppies they will have available in the near future. The pet store places their order, and when the broker's pick-up vehicle arrives, packed full of puppies, the pups are settled in, checked by a vet, and held for a minimum of 24 hours, as required by USDA. The broker arranges the transport of the pups ordered by pet stores, and the puppies are then shipped to the pet stores that ordered them.

Broker facilities, like pet stores, range from small "mom and pop" type companies to very large corporations that deal in 800-1000 puppies each week. Smaller brokers normally work with just a few select pet stores, and often have a transport van that drives the puppies to the pet stores. The puppies are often in crates and on the road for several days before arriving at their destination. Some brokers use only the airlines (which are also regulated by USDA) and the pet stores have someone that drives to the airport to pick up puppies -- usually weekly. The larger brokers have their own transportation, such as large tractor trailer units that hold hundreds of puppies. Because these semi-trucks stop at dozens of locations along the way, puppies are often caged for 2-3 days, depending on their destination.

Once the puppies arrive at the pet store, they are either put on display almost immediately, or in some states, they are required to be quarantined for a short time before being offered for sale. For most puppies in pet stores, they have been shuffled around between dozens of hands and travel thousands of miles, exposed to hundreds of other puppies -- many sick with various diseases. All of this occurs between their 8th and 9th week of life. This stressful time, and exposure to diseases, often leaves pet store puppies with virtually no natural antibodies against viruses, bacteria, and parasites.

Protest Outside California Pets in Escondido

2011-04-20T22:10:00.000-07:00

From the Reader.com
Protest Outside California Pets in Escondido

www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2011/apr/19/stringers-protest-california-pets-escondido
By Jill Ballard
Published Tuesday, April 19, 2011

For two hours on Saturday, April 16, members of the San Diego Animal Defense Team protested outside the California Pets store, located in the North County Fair mall.

Jan Hatch, speaking for the San Diego Animal Defense Team, said that the activists want California Pets owner Joe Shamore "to stop selling puppies and go humane."

The activists handed out flyers to shoppers that alleged California Pets has received puppy shipments from puppy brokers such as the Hunte Corporation (Goodman, MO), Lambriar Inc. (Mahaska, KS), and Tracy’s K&J Pets (Fair Grove, MO). These brokers, which purchase puppies from kennels and mills for resale to pet stores, have all received citations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to the flyer.

The flyer also highlighted legal violations by the Hunte Corporation, such as having "trenches of dead canines on the premises," for which the company was cited in 2003 by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

To read the rest of the article, go to:
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2011/apr/19/stringers-protest-california-pets-escondido/

Breaking News -- Missouri is asking for our help

2011-04-18T09:52:00.000-07:00

The embattled animal welfare people trying to better the lives of puppy mill dogs in Missouri are now asking for our help. Please call Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon at 573-751-3222 or send him a message at
http://governor.mo.gov/contact

Suggested message:
Dear Governor Jay Nixon, I am writing to urge you to VETO Senate Bill 113.Please set the example and protect dogs from their miserable lives in puppy mills. Thousands nationwide are following this, and are waiting in anticipation for the outcome. I urge you to lead the way for change. Thank you

Scroll down on this page for background information

3/26/11 Interview with Joe Shamore, Owner of California Pets

2011-04-16T09:52:00.000-07:00

JS: Joe Shamore
ADT:Animal Defense Team

Although this video is audible, because of the background noise in some parts, we have transcribed some of the discussion.

JS: I can guarantee you right now -- I don't use the Hunte Corporation.

ADT: You never used them as a broker? It's all over the internet.

ADT: Could you tell us for the camera if you've ever used the Hunte Corp.?

JS: No, I didn't say I'd never used them.

ADT: And could you tell me when you stopped using them?

JS: I stopped using the Hunte Corp. approximately 5 or 6 years ago.

TO CALIFORNIA PETS: GO HUMANE! STOP SELLING PUPPIES!

2011-04-16T09:51:00.000-07:00

Where does California Pets Get Puppies?

On March 26, 2011, California Pets owner Joe Shamore told the Animal Defense Team “I guarantee I don’t use the Hunte Corporation.” After questioning: “I didn‘t say I didn’t ever use them.” When asked when he stopped, he said “I stopped using them 5 or 6 years ago.” See the video above.
In fact, USDA records show California Pets received shipments of puppies from the Hunte Corp. in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. Records for 2011 are not yet available. (source: petshoppuppies.org)

What the Heck is Hunte?

Pet stores that sell puppies commonly use brokers. “middleman” animal dealers that buy puppies from many different kennels and puppy mills for resale to pet stores. Major brokers include The Hunte Corp. in Goodman, Missouri, Lambriar Inc. in Mahaska, Kansas and Tracey’ K&J Pets in Fairgrove, Missouri. All have been cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for multiple violations. California Pets has received shipments from all of them. (source:HSUS)

The Hunte Corp. alone processed at least 80,000 puppies through their assembly lines last year and ships an estimated 1500-2,000 puppies a week to pet stores all across the country.

The USDA has cited Hunte for keeping dozens of animals in too-small cages, repeatedly transporting underage puppies, and other violations. (source: HSUS) Their Southern Missouri Better Business Bureau rating is a D, based on an A-F schedule. (source: SM BBB)

They were cited and fined by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in 2003 with clean water and waste violations for having “trenches of dead canines on the premises.” The Dept. spokesperson said Hunte “was close to violating the state’s dead animal disposal law, that allows no more than 1,000 pounds of dead animals per acre.” (source:BostonGlobe.com) How many dead puppies does it take to reach 1,000 pounds?

In 2006, 60 puppies were killed in a Hunte truck fire. All pups were caged in a 40 ft. trailer-truck and had already been transported 1,000 miles at the time they died. Another fire within a few months jeopardized 94 pups.

IS THIS OK WITH YOU? WE DIDN’T’ THINK SO.

JOIN THE CAMPAIGN TO BAN PUPPY STORES!

TELL CALIFORNIA PETS, PUPARAZZI, PUPS AND PETS

AND ALL SAN DIEGO PUPPY STORES TO GO HUMANE AND STOP SELLING PUPPIES!

Recent HSUS Raid on Tennesse Breeder -- see the video!

2011-04-14T13:20:00.000-07:00

Click on this link: The Cruelty Ends Here

Is This the Sweet Beginning You Pictured?

2011-04-11T20:06:00.000-07:00

What is a puppy mill? Best Friends says "A puppy mill is any breeding operation that raises dogs for profit." Puppy mills are also known as commercial breeders. They are licensed to sell puppies wholesale to brokers and pet stores. Being one of the thousands of USDA licensed kennels does not mean the puppies are healthy or of quality. It means they came from puppy factories regulated by the US Department of Agriculture, just like those for chickens or cows.

Following are photos of breeding females in USDA regulated kennels which meet or exceed USDA standards. These are the "quality USDA breeders" the pet stores brag about.

THESE ARE THE MOTHERS THE PET STORE PUPPIES LEFT BEHIND.

If you love dogs, you owe it to them to not support puppy mills.

Never buy a puppy unless you personally see

the kennel and mother dog .

It's as simple as that.

Missouri Puppy Mill Bill Repeal Update

2011-04-02T00:02:00.000-07:00

APRIL 13 --Breaking News from Missouri: Today Missouri Senate Bill 113, the bill to undo the voter approved Prop B, a crackdown on dog breeders, passed the Missouri House of Representatives. This was no surprise considering Majority Whip Jason Smith is the son of Mary Ann Smith, a puppy mill breeder who is included on the HSUS Missouri "Dirty Dozen" list. Governor Jay Nixon now has 15 days to veto the bill or allow it to become law.

What does that mean to the intent of Proposition B, which would give some basic humane protection to the dogs being bred in Missouri commercial kennels?

SB 113 is called The Canine Cruelty Prevention Act with pups referred to as "dogs bred in large operations" instead of "dogs in puppy mills."

SB 113 would remove Prop B's 50-dog limit, replacing it with no limit for kennels on number of breeding dogs .

SB 113 would remove restrictions on how often a dog could breed. Prop B limited all dogs to breeding no more than twice in an 18-month period.

SB 113 would remove the requirement that each dog be examined by a veterinarian annually. Instead, dogs would need a "visual inspection" twice per year meaning a vet could visit and quickly survey a breeder's dogs instead of examining each one.

SB 113 would remove the requirement that dogs get "unfettered access" to an exercise area outdoors.

SB 113 would remove the requirement that dogs get continual water. Instead, breeders would be required to give the dog water every eight hours. Prop B mandated that the water be "free of debris, feces, algae, and other contaminants." The Senate bill removes that provision entirely.

SB 113 removes the requirement that the dog's living space be cleaned of waste at least once a day.

SB 113 removes the requirement that dogs have enough space to lie down and fully extend their limbs, plus a foot of headroom on top.

SB 113 removes the threat of a class C misdemeanor for any breeder in violation of the requirements. Instead, breeders would face criminal charges only if they're found in repeated violation -- or in violation of an "agreed-to" remedial order. It would also add fines of up to $1,000.

SB 113 adds a provision requiring "an impervious barrier" between stacked cages. Prop B would have essentially outlawed stacked cages entirely so the dogs in lower cages would not be subjected to a constant rain of urine and feces from dogs above them.

Missouri's Prop B is a simple measure, setting basic humane standards for USDA commercial dog breeders. We believe it's only a first step. Now it turns out that it is far too humane for the Missouri legislature.

Cruelty to animals and factory farming of dogs for profit is not acceptable.

Help us stop it by stopping the demand for the puppies from commercial breeders.

3/26/11 CALIFORNIA PETS ESCONDIDO PROTEST!

2011-03-29T19:17:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who participated in the March 26 BAN PUPPY STORES protest at California Pets in Escondido and to all of the community members who so strongly supported us!

It is not possible to love dogs and simultaneously support puppy stores. Many of the four million dogs produced by mass breeders in the United States and sold through pet stores each year end up in rescues or worse. Five million dogs are euthanized in the US every year -- not because the dogs did anything wrong but because their owners couldn't or wouldn't keep them. Puppy stores like California Pets in Escondido and Carlsbad add massive numbers of dogs to those sad statistics.

San Diego's 10 News.com ran a news segment which reported 763 puppy mill puppies from Missouri (the "puppy mill capitol of the US") were sold to San Diego County customers in 2009. The analysis was performed by the Humane Society of the United States.

Of those, 309 were purchased by California Pets Escondido and 130 by California Pets Carlsbad -- more than half of all the Missouri puppy mill pups sold in San Diego County that year. This does not take into account all of the puppies coming in from other notorious puppy mill states such as Nebraska, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Arkansas, etc. The HSUS State Director said, "It's easy to fall in love with an adorable puppy...at the mall, but behind the cuteness is cruelty no pet lover could support.

See the post on this website from November 10, 2010 for the complete news article.

The owner of California Pets agreed to send the Animal Defense Team the names and USDA numbers of the breeders and brokers he is using. That would be a small step in the right direction. In turn, we said we would share our investigative findings so he could at least weed out the worst of the breeders. We did remind him that he has the ultimate responsibility to investigate all the breeders of his puppies. As of this date, we have not received any information from him.

He also stated on camera that he does not use the Hunte Corp. as a broker because it is a notorious broker for puppy mill breeders. When questioned, he revised his statement to say he formerly used the Hunte Corp. but stopped doing business with them 5-6 years ago.

We are investigating the records of both breeders and brokers for this store through the US Department of Agriculture and the Freedom of Information Act and will post the findings.

Buying A Puppy in a Pet Store is an Act of Animal Cruelty

BAN PUPPY STORES!

PROTEST ALERT -- THIS SATURDAY MARCH 26 !!!

2011-03-22T21:26:00.000-07:00

PROTEST CALIFORNIA PETS ESCONDIDO

BAN PUPPY STORES!

We need your support to protest at the biggest puppy store in San Diego County.

This store brags they sell 5,000 puppies a year. We have already initiated our investigation into their breeders from Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas -- three of the biggest puppy mill states in the country.

WHERE: Escondido! California Pets, North County Fair
Westfield Shopping Mall (IMPORTANT! Meet in the Sears parking lot to enter the mall as a group.)

WHEN: Saturday, March 26 2011

TIME: 11 AM - 1 PM

DIRECTIONS: Take I-15 North. Exit at Via Rancho Parkway, which takes you directly to the shopping mall. Park near the Sears store which is the anchor store at the west end of the mall.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Park in the shopping center lot, close to the Sears Store. We will gather in parking area S3 and will only enter the mall AS A GROUP. Bring water, signs. At 1 PM, we will take a break and then meet again at 2 PM at a second protest location in the area. Details for the second protest are not being made public but will be given to you at the California Pets BAN PUPPY STORES rally!

CA Court Upholds Puppy Store Protests Legal in Malls!

2011-03-20T00:54:00.000-07:00

Calif. Court Says Shopping Malls Must Allow Anti-Puppy Mills Groups

March 03, 2011

LOS ANGELES—Three California Court of Appeal justices ruled this week that shopping malls in California must allow puppy store protesters, including Best Friends Animal Society, to demonstrate near a puppy store business during all hours that the mall is open to the public. The Court of Appeal, reversing a ruling by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Linda K. Lefkowitz, said protesters from Best Friends Animal Society cannot be denied free speech just because they wanted to educate mall customers on where Barkworks, a Westside Pavilion pet retailer, receives its puppies.

“The court held that Westside Pavilion must permit Best Friends to protest within sight and earshot of Barkworks every day the mall is open,” said Ira Bibbero, an associate in the legal firm of Browne Woods George LLP, which represented Best Friends in the appeal of an earlier court decision.

“It is a victory for every protester targeting any store in any mall throughout California as the same rules apply throughout the state.”

Best Friends staff and volunteers have been handing out puppy mill education materials at Westside Pavilion every weekend for the past two years. They stated, "It’s a just ruling that ensures free speech for citizens who are advocating for the animals, and also enables us to more effectively educate the public about the abused breeding dogs that must spend their entire lives within the grim reality of puppy mills."

Grossmont Center Vs. Pet Works Owner

2011-03-13T23:39:00.000-07:00

Pet Works at Grossmont Center Shopping Mall, permanently closed the doors of its 2700+ sq ft puppy store in December, 2010. In January, the mall sued owner Richard Fuller for $800,000 and attorney fees to recover money owed on the lease. The lease was set to expire in January 2015.

Fuller filed a countersuit this month, alleging that Grossmont Center didn’t protect his pet store from the weekly protests. Fuller maintains the protests caused him to lose revenue and eventually close the store.

The filing contends: “Fuller was forced, due to the breaches of the lease on the part of Grossmont Center, and due to ‘civil commotion’ … to shut and abandon the Pet Works store … and to stop paying rent under the lease.”

News coverage and photos can be found at lamesa.patch.com

Missouri Senate Shows Contempt for Voters,Puppies

2011-03-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

The Star’s editorial Senate shows contempt for voters, puppies - KansasCity.com

Apparently determined to preserve Missouri’s status as the nation’s “puppy mill capital,” the state Senate has passed legislation dismantling the humane protections approved by voters in November.

The bill gives breeders permission to continue business as usual — stacking dogs in wire cages, subjecting them to extreme heat and cold, and depriving them of clean water.
Breeders who repeatedly violate the law would be subject to misdemeanor charges, not felony charges as called for in the voter-approved Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act. Operators also could no longer be limited to 50 breeding dogs at one time.
Passing the bill on a 20-14 vote, senators showed an arrogant disrespect for Missourians who passed Prop B with 51.6 percent of the vote.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/03/10/2715368/the-stars-editorial-senate-shows.html##ixzz1GV36TR3j

Pet store protest to stop puppy mills - San Diego Animal Advocacy | Examiner.com

2011-03-12T11:17:00.000-08:00

Pet store protest to stop puppy mills - San Diego Animal Advocacy Examiner.com

This is a great article just published about our upcoming March 26 protest at California Pets.
Click on the link to read it and watch the moving video.
Then join us to put an end to the sale of puppy mill puppies!

Irvine Considers Puppy Store Ban

2011-02-26T12:49:00.000-08:00

Irvine considers sweeping animal protections animal, city, officials - News - The Orange County Register

PROTEST CALIFORNIA PETS ESCONDIDO!

2011-02-17T22:39:00.000-08:00

BAN PUPPY STORES!
Join the protest at the biggest puppy store in San Diego County.
This store brags they sell 5,000 puppies a year. We have already initiated our investigation into their breeders from Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas -- three of the biggest puppy mill states in the country.

WHERE: Escondido! California Pets, North County Fair

Westfield Shopping Mall (IMPORTANT! Meet in the Sears parking lot to enter the mall as a group.)

WHEN: Saturday, March 26 2011

TIME: 11 AM - 1 PM

DIRECTIONS: Take I-15 North. Exit at Via Rancho Parkway, which takes you directly to the shopping mall. Park near the Sears store which is the anchor store at the west end of the mall.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Park in the shopping center lot, close to the Sears Store. We will gather in parking area S3 and will only enter the mall AS A GROUP. Bring water, signs. At 1 PM, we will take a break and then meet again at 2 PM at a second protest location in the area. Details for the second protest are not being made public but will be given to you at the California Pets BAN PUPPY STORES rally!

Main Line Rescue Fights Puppy Mills

2011-02-11T18:09:00.000-08:00

In May 2010, an official audit of the USDA revealed the horrendous conditions of many federally licensed dog breeding kennels and brokers. In addition to these environmental findings, the report also indicated that several inspectors chose to reduce fines for those in violation and refused to confiscate dogs under serious health conditions.
When animal advocacy group Main Line Animal Rescue read the report, they decided to take some immediate action.

“When the Office of Inspector General's report on the USDA/APHIS was released last May, members of the animal welfare community were horrified by what was happening in many federally licensed dog breeding facilities,” said Bill Smith, the founder of Main Line Animal Rescue. “Dogs in one puppy mill were so starved they resorted to cannibalism. Dogs in other kennels had ticks covering their bodies and faces.”

In an effort to raise awareness about the growing puppy mill problem around the nation, Main Line has taken to the roads with a custom designed bus. The public transit bus is wrapped in the campaign slogan “Why is the USDA bending over backwards to accommodate our nation’s puppy mills?” and various excerpts from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) audit report. The bus will traverse the streets of Washington, D.C.

“Unfortunately, there are no billboards in Central Washington D.C.,” said Smith. “So we had to wrap a transit bus with the graphics we would have placed on a billboard. We have plans to sponsor other buses in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles as soon as funding is raised.”

For more information on Main Line’s current puppy mill campaign and to read the official OIG audit report, visit http://www.breedingcontempt.com/

Michael Vick -- Is Still Bad News

2011-02-08T22:20:00.000-08:00

Anyone who can stomach reading how Vick tortured and mutilated and killed dogs for fun and profit needs to read "The Lost Dogs -- Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption" by Jim Gorant. This was not a simple case of dog fighting, as repellent as that is. It was a case of a sick mind who got pleasure out of causing pain to our animal relations. Gorant is a senior editor at Sports Illustrated. His book makes us all remember why we fight for the rights of animals. And why we don't believe that it is possible for Vick to redeem himself with a short prison term and speaking engagements. Rest In Peace little red dog. (Read the book and you'll see what we mean.)

February 8, 2011 10:31 AM
Tribune News Services

NORFOLK, Va. -- A Pennsylvania-based animal rights group is raising money to buy NFL star Michael Vick's former dogfighting compound and turn it into a rehabilitation center for chained and penned dogs.

Dogs Deserve Better of Tipton, Pa. says it has until March 20 to raise nearly $600,000 to buy the 4,600-square-foot house in Surry County, Va.

The house and the 15 acres it sits on served as headquarters for the Bad Newz Kennels dogfighting operation.

Dogs Deserve Better says its ultimate goal is to raise $3 million to buy the site, install fencing and build a facility for the dogs.

The house would be used for offices.

The property has five bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms, two fireplaces, cathedral ceilings, walk-in closets and an attached, two-car garage.

Video From Madonna of the Mills

2011-02-08T21:37:00.001-08:00

2011-02-08T11:00:00.001-08:00

Breaking News: 100 Dogs Rescued from Squalid Puppy Mill in Tennessee - National animal protection | Examiner.com

2011-02-03T18:40:00.000-08:00

This just in from the HSUS. See our posting on January 31, which we were able to locate undercover, warning kennels of the raid.

Breaking News: 100 Dogs Rescued from Squalid Puppy Mill in Tennessee - National animal protection Examiner.com

100 sled dogs in Whistler killed after Winter Olympics

2011-02-02T12:15:00.000-08:00

by Jim Forman/KING 5 News & The Associated Press
KING5.com
Posted on January 31, 2011 at 6:19 PM
Updated yesterday at 2:58 PM

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- An organization that fights animal abuse is calling the slaughter of 100 sled dogs by an outdoor adventure company in British Columbia a bloodbath and police are investigating.

The British Columbia SPCA's manager of animal cruelty investigations said Monday an Outdoor Adventures Whistler employee was told to cull the dogs. He has since been granted workers' compensation benefits for post traumatic stress disorder following the killings last April.

Marcie Moriarty says some dogs were shot, while others' throats were slit before their bodies were pitched into a mass grave. "It can only be described as a massacre," she said.

Vancouver radio station CKNW radio is reporting that the company expected more sledding business in an anticipated post-Olympics tourism boom. But the boom never materialized and the sled dogs were killed last April.
Graham Aldcroft of Adventures West said, "there was an expectation that if euthanizing was required, it would be done so in an appropriate, humane and legal manner."

The Globe and Mail reported Monday that Tourism Whistler announced it was suspending reservations for dog sledding at Outdoor Adventures Whistler during the investigation.

Early Warning System for Puppy Mills

2011-01-31T20:17:00.000-08:00

The following email is circulating among breeders and of course puppy mill owners. Their website says "West Virginia Pet Law is an Alliance working to keep the Mountain State, and Our Country, Free to Own, and Use, Animals in Traditional Ways." Very interesting. We would like to add to this: IF YOU ARE A BREEDER WHO HAS SOMETHING TO HIDE, WE HOPE THEY FIND YOU!

Sender: WestVirginiaPetLaw@ yahoogroups. com

Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2011 15:46:05 -0500
Subject: [WestVirginiaPetLaw ] URGENT: HSUS raid planned for central
Tennessee or adjacent area

We have received information that HSUS is planning a breeder raid for
the central Tennessee area, or surrounding areas, in the next several
days. They have been asking for volunteers able to foster around
120-150 dogs by next Wednesday, February 2. They are also asking for
volunteers able to take part in the raid. We have been told that the
raid will be in central Tennessee, but it could be in a surrounding
state close by (MS, KY, etc.). They often conduct these raids on
weekends.

Rescue groups are also at risk during raids such as these.

If you are a breeder with large numbers of dogs in these areas,
please take precautions. They may have already visited your property
to get probable cause for a warrant. At this point all you may be
able to do is remove dogs before they are seized. If you have reason
to think that you could be the subject of such a raid, please protect
yourself and your dogs. Have an attorney ready and remove dogs ahead
of time.

This message is only aimed at breeders with larger numbers of dogs
who may be targeted by HSUS in these areas.

crossposting encouraged

4 Arrested at APRL and PETA Seaworld Protest

2011-01-28T12:42:00.000-08:00

APRL and PETA protest at Seaworld UPDATE! Four activists were arrested at this protest.

In the wild, orcas live in large, intricate social groups and swim up to 100 miles a day in the open ocean. Orcas at SeaWorld are confined to enclosures that, to them, are like bathtubs, and these animals are unable to engage in most natural behaviors.

Here are the protest details:
What: SeaWorld protest
When: Saturday, February 5, 10:45 a.m. to 12 noon
Where: Outside SeaWorld, 500 Sea World Dr., San Diego (Please meet at the corner of Sea World Drive and Sea World Way; see this map.)

RSVP on Facebook. You can also RSVP and direct any questions to Lindsay Rajt at 757-943-7456 or LindsayR@peta.org. All materials will be provided. Please park in the first dirt lot on the right on South Shores Park.

Thank You From Blackhat Humane Society

2011-01-27T20:56:00.000-08:00

Volunteers from Ferdiand's Familia All-Species Animal Rescue and the San Diego Animal Defense Team delivered over 1,000 pounds of dog food and a wide range of supplies , bedding, cages, etc. to the Blackhat Humane Society, the only rescue organization on the vast Navajo Reservation. All donations were enthusiastically received and are much needed. Thanks to each and every one of you who contributed.
And especially thanks from the "Rez Dogs," the recipients of your generosity. Another donation run is being schedule for the time of Summer Solstice in June. We'll keep you posted.

San Diego Donations Going to Black Hat

2010-12-24T14:11:00.000-08:00

Ferdinand's Familia Animal Rescue and the San Diego Animal Defense Team are gathering supplies for the Black Hat Humane Society in eastern Arizona, the amazing animal rescue group on the Navajo Reservation. Volunteers plan to deliver a van of supplies, departing San Diego on Friday, January 14. It has been a brutal winter. Please help if you can.

We are inspired by the documentary Rez Dogs, which is available above for your viewing. It is a powerful story of what happens to animals on the vast reservation and how some people are stepping up to save them.

Please watch it and consider donating the following:

Canned dog food
Unopened (new) bags of kibble dog food
All size bedding for dogs (new)

Drop off points:
Downtown San Diego: San Diego Pet Supply, 1490 Island, (619) 263-2211
Beach Areas: Send a message to keafs2@yahoo.com for drop off location
East County: Call (619) 922-2926 for drop off location

We have been in touch with Black Hat and look forward to being able to give them some assistance.

All our relations,
ADT

It's True -- Pet Works is CLOSED

2010-12-16T10:22:00.000-08:00

Presenting Pet Works with a HSUS request to cease selling puppies
on behalf of the Animal Defense Team.

The Pet Works store in Grossmont Shopping Center has now CLOSED! The Animal Defense Team was instrumental in the protests at Pet Works, first as the behind-the-scenes organizers of all protests held there from April 2009 to October 2009, then continuing weekly protests on Sundays. We were there for 48 weeks. On Black Friday, 2009, (the day after Thanksgiving, the busiest shopping day of the year) the Animal Defense Team staged a street theater protest "The Dead Dog Spectacle" at Pet Works. We processed through the entire length of the shopping center and then staged a dog die-in in front of the store with caged participants wearing dog masks.
Three cheers to all of our great activists who have continued with us as we have taken the fight against puppy stores from Pet Works in La Mesa to California Pets in Carlsbad to Pups and Pets in Santee to Puparazzi in Mission Valley. Stay tuned!

BREAKING NEWS!

Austin Texas City Council Bans Retail Pet Sales

Published : Thursday, 16 Dec 2010, 12:29 PM CST

Chris Sadeghi

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The Austin City Council unanimously approved an ordinance that would ban the retail sale of puppies and kittens while placing new requirements on local breeders.

Anyone selling a puppy or kitten will have to have the proper registration documents and also spay or neuter the animal before selling. Breeders can sell dog and cats that are not spayed or neutered only if they pay a $50 fee per animal.

The Austin Animal Advisory Commission asked for the ordinance in hopes of helping the City reach its goal of having a no-kill animal shelter.

“It is a good ordinance and will further the mission of no-kill,” said David Lundstedt, with the commission. “I am glad it passed.”

BLACK FRIDAY PROTEST HITS PUPARAZZI!

2010-12-07T22:13:00.000-08:00

The largest group of stop puppy mill protesters in the history of San Diego gathered on Black Friday, November 26, 2010, to protest Puparazzi puppy store in the Mission Valley Westfield Malls Shopping Center.

Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) is the biggest shopping day of the year. It is also the kick-off for "puppy season," when puppy stores anticipate they will sell 50% of their annual inventory of pups. On Black Friday 2009, the SD Animal Defense Team staged a Dead Dog Spectacle -- a street theater production with dog masks and animal cages concluding with a die-in -- at Pet Works puppy store in Grossmont Center Shopping Mall.

This year, led by the Animal Defense Team, activists from the Animal Protection and Rescue League, the Olympian High School Animal C.A.R.E. Club, the Sweetwater High School Animal C.A.R.E. Club and the community-at-large from all over Southern California protested in front of the mall on Mission Center Rd.

They then formed a slow procession and paraded through the Mission Valley Mall to the Puparazzi store. Wearing bright yellow BAN PUPPY STORES badges and carrying banners and large signs, they lined the outside of the store windows and surrounded the store itself in the very heart of the mall, leaving only the legal space to allow door access.

The USDA disclosed in October that San Diego consumers purchased 763 puppies just from Missouri puppy mills in 2009. Of those, 116 were documented as being delivered to the Puparazzi store.

We are also delighted to notify you that the Pet Works store in Grossmont Shopping Center has announced it is closing. The Animal Defense Team has been instrumental in the protests at Pet Works, first as the behind-the-scenes organizers of all protests held
there from April 2009 to October 2009, then continuing weekly protests on Sundays for a total of 48 weekly protests at the Pet Works store. At that point, we chose to diversify our protests to include other puppy stores in San Diego County.

Three cheers to all of our great activists who have continued with us as we have taken the fight against puppy stores from Pet Works in La Mesa to California Pets in Carlsbad to Pups and Pets in Santee to Puparazzi in Mission Valley. Stay tuned!

And now for the best part -- the photos! Enjoy!

2010-11-18T10:47:00.000-08:00

BLACK FRIDAY NOVEMBER 26 2010

PUPARAZZI PET STORE PROTEST

10 AM TO NOON

MISSION VALLEY SHOPPING CENTER

SAN DIEGO

Meet at the the SE corner of Camino de la Reina and Mission Center Rd.

Close to the Mission Valley trolley station.

If you are driving, park in the Target parking lot.

Leave plenty of time -- it's going to be busy!!!

Bring signs! Bring water! Bring friends and family!

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day of the year. It is also the beginning of puppy shopping season, when pet stores expect to sell about 50% of their puppies for the year. San Diego is joining with groups across the country who will be protesting against puppy stores and puppy mills on this day.

Tell Puparazzi to STOP SELLING PUPPIES! This is a cruel, inhumane industry which victimizes helpless companion animals for greed. 4 million puppies come out of puppy mills each year and are sold through pet stores and on the internet.

Westfield Malls! Stop Leasing to Puppy Stores!

Puppy Mills: America's Dirty Little Secret

Puparazzi -- Little Shop of Horrors

Puparazzi! Stop Selling Puppies!

Puparazzi! Go Humane or Close Your Doors!

BAN PUPPY STORES!

Immediately following this protest, is the Fur Free Black Friday Protest , Fashion Valley, on Friars Rd. outside Neiman Marcus. 12 Noon - 2 PM!

Puppy Suppliers for Pups and Pets Store in Santee

2010-11-13T20:37:00.000-08:00

List to be updated as we get information.

Crittersville Kennels Inc. USDA license # 47-B-56
Tanya Maddux
McCook, Nebraska
This kennel also sells to Pet Works in San Diego per petshoppuppies.org.

Brule Creek Kennel USDA license # 46-B-033
James and Cynthia Hayes
Akron, Iowa
As of 9/2008, this kennel had 104 breeding adults and 39 puppies. They supply puppies to pet stores from Wilmette, Illinois to Renton, WA to Petland in Beavercreek, Ohio to Irvine, CA, to San Diego including Pet Works and Pups and Pets (petshoppuppies.org). Petland is a large chain that has been under media scrutiny and public protest for selling puppy mill puppies.
Brule Creek advertises they provide pet stores with Shetland Sheepdogs, Australian Shepherds, Shih Tzus, Pugs, Shiba Inus, Cairn Terriers, Pomeranians, Dachschunds, Miniature Schnauzers, Yorkshire Terriers, Maltese, Cocker Spaniels, Italian Greyhounds, Cock-a-poos, Cavilier King Charles Spaniels, Boston Terriers, Llasa Apsos, Poodles, Papillons, Schipperkes.

Fox Creek Kennel # 47-A-0291
Tim and Marie Foxhoven
Crofton, Nebraska
This kennel also sells to Barkworks in LA, which is being protested for selling puppy mill pups, Petland (see above) and Pet Works in San Diego as well as Pups and Pets (per petshoppuppies.org)

English Bulldogs Country Heaven USDA # 43-A-5409
John and Judy Kleine
Williamstown, Missouri
We have filed for all records through the Freedom of Information Act.

Sashra and Vicki Collop #43-A-0307
Brashear, Missouri
This is a very large kennel -- 98 puppies, 213 adult breeding dogs as of their last report.

Clearwater Kennels Inc. USDA # 41-B-0190
Wanda Kretzman (formerly Wanda Duffee)
Cushing, Minnesota
This kennel also sells to Petland.
We have 16 printed pages of violations for this kennel for a period from July 2009 to September 2010. The neglect violations were disgusting -- moldy food administered by self feeder machines, sick dogs, 231 dogs with overgrown nails growing into the pads of their feet, dogs soiled and matted by their own waste, dogs with growths between their toes from the wire cages, inadequate vet care, inadequate housing facilities (the temp reached 104.5 degrees in indoor kennels housing 278 dogs),
moldy dog waste buildup inside and under cages housing 827 dogs that caused coughing and eye burning, puppies being transported under 8 weeks of age, inadequate records, outdated vaccinations being used, dogs with declining body condition and bones of hips and spine prominent, primary enclosures too small.

OCTOBER 30 PUPS AND PETS PROTEST

2010-11-05T20:37:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday's protest at the Pups and Pets store in Santee (50 Town Center Parkway) was a resounding success. Thanks to all of you who ignored the early morning rainy skies and showed up for a day of protesting in the sun! We were covered by 10 News San Diego and also reached thousands of people at the busiest intersection in Santee!

It was great to have members of the Olympian High School Animal CARE Club with us. We all look forward to joining forces often!

After 2 1/2 hours at the intersection, we moved into the store as a large group,

and documented every puppy for sale.

There were 25 puppies for sale in the store. Eleven were from Missouri, the puppy mill capital of the U.S.

Although Prop. B just passed in this weeks' election in Missouri, it does not take effect for one year and even then, gives the dogs in the thousands of puppy mills there only minimal protection.

English Bulldogs from Missouri

Toy Austalian Shepherd from Iowa and Shih Tzu not identified by USDA #

Golden Retriever farmed in South Dakota

Boston Terriers -- Misssouri and Kansas (USDAs not identified)

Maltese and Yorkie Poo -- USDA #s not listed

We are now in the process of investigating the breeders and brokers used by Pups and Pets through the Freedom of Information Act and other sources. Our preliminary investigation has turned up some shocking information which also relates to some of the other puppy stores in the San Diego area. We have decided that in the best interest of these dogs being sold, we will be publicizing this data on our website as it becomes available. PLEASE CHECK BACK AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE.

10 News: San Diego Pet Stores Selling Puppy Mill Dogs!

2010-11-01T22:12:00.000-07:00

Humane Society Of United States Says Californians

Bought Nearly 9,000 Puppies From Missouri Mills In 2009

10news.com
POSTED: 4:46 pm PDT October 15, 2010
UPDATED: 7:08 pm PDT October 15, 2010

SAN DIEGO -- The Humane Society of the United States said California residents bought nearly 9,000 puppies from the puppy mill capitol of the U.S. last year.

According to state-issued health certificates sent to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, nearly 9,000 puppies were shipped from Missouri brokers and breeders between January 2009 and December 2009 to California. They were shipped to pet stores or directly to pet owners responding to Internet or newspaper advertisements. A conservative estimate of the retail value of these dogs approaches $9 million.

The data suggests two-thirds of the puppies were shipped to Southern California, with 763 puppies ending up in San Diego County.

"Despite our reputation as a pet-loving culture, the evidence is in that Californians don't yet understand the perils of buying puppies online or at pet stores. California consumers continue to provide dollars that help drive Missouri's factory-style production of man's best friend; in fact, many are supporting some of the most deplorable facilities in the state," said the HSUS' California Senior State Director Jennifer Fearing, who led the analysis. "It's easy to fall in love with an adorable puppy displayed online or at the mall, but behind the cuteness is cruelty no pet lover could support."

Missouri puppy mill dogs were purchased by:

number     pet store or person
309          California Pets 200 E. Via Rancho Parkway #363 Escondido CA 92025 SAN DIEGO
130          California Pets II 2525 El Camino Real, Ste 264 Carlsbad CA 92008 SAN DIEGO
116          Puparazzi 1640 Camino Del Rio N, #216 A San Diego CA 92108 SAN DIEGO
100          Danna Messick 1671 Burris Dr El Cajon CA 92019 SAN DIEGO
37            Critters & Pets 1530 Indian Summer Ct San Marcos CA 92069 SAN DIEGO
31            Todd Howard 1318 Via Encinos Dr. Fallbrook CA 92028 SAN DIEGO
26            Pet Works 5500 Glassmore Center SK 257 La Mesa CA 91942 SAN DIEGO
12            Gene Schoente (or Schoenle) 28421 Sage Glen Trail Escondido CA 92026 SAN DIEGO
2             Puppy Time 513 Parkway Plaza El Cajon CA 92020 SAN DIEGO

ADT: Corrections to the above article -- Pet Works is located in Grossmont Shopping Center at 5500 Grossmont Center Dr. The Puppy time store in El Cajon has closed and has reopened as Pups and Pets at 50 Town Center Parkway, Santee. As of October 30, 2010, the Pups and Pets store had 11 puppies for sale from Missouri.

The above statistics from the HSUS and Channel 10 News only count dogs brought in from Missouri puppy mills, not the total numbers of dogs purchased from dog factory farms by each pet store. The Animal Defense Team has protested at California Pets, Puparazzi,, Pups and Pets and at Pet Works dozens of times in 2009.

Who is next?