Main Line Rescue Fights Puppy Mills

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/