Propping Up Kansas' Puppy Mills Will Condemn Homeless Dogs to Death, Says Group
For Immediate Release:
February 1, 2012
Contact:
Adam Miller 202-483-7382
Topeka, Kansas -- PETA has fired off a letter to Kansas State Rep. Ed Trimmer, urging him to withdraw his proposed HB 2513, which would name the cairn terrier—recognized as Toto from The Wizard of Oz—as Kansas' official state dog. As PETA explains in the letter, doing so would increase the demand for the breed, which would inspire Kansas' notorious and nationally condemned puppy mills to churn out as many puppies as possible to meet the new demand for a "Toto." The welfare of the breeding dogs would suffer—many are raised in wire hutches and denied even the most basic care. Each newly bred puppy would mean that an animal awaiting adoption in an animal shelter would lose his or her chance for a home during a time when the homeless-dog crisis is a matter of grave concern. What's more, families who buy trendy dogs on a whim often find themselves unable or unwilling to care for the animals over the long run. The result is that many of the dogs end up in overburdened shelters.
"Kansas' animal shelters are already overcrowded—the last thing they need is a deluge of 'Totos,'" says PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. "If Kansas is set on naming an official state dog, PETA suggests the humble, healthy, and 100 percent lovable all-American mutt."
For more information, please visit PETA.org.
PETA's letter to Rep. Ed Trimmer follows.
The Honorable Ed Trimmer
Kansas State Capitol
300 S.W. 10th St.
Topeka, KS 66612
Dear Mr. Trimmer,
I'm writing on behalf of PETA's more than 3 million members and supporters worldwide—including many in Kansas—to urge you to immediately withdraw House Bill 2513, which would make the cairn terrier the state dog of Kansas.
You've said that you do not want this bill to distract from the critical issues facing your state, but if passed, HB 2513 would worsen one of Kansas' serious problems: its reputation as a hotbed for cruel, filthy puppy mills. Naming the cairn terrier—or any breed—Kansas' state dog would drive up demand for these dogs and entice puppy mills to churn out litter after litter of the breed, meaning fewer dogs would be adopted from your state's animal shelters.
As you know, dogs in puppy mills are typically kept in tiny, feces-caked cages and are never given any love, attention, or opportunity to do anything that is natural or important to them—not even to roll in the grass. Food, veterinary care, and shelter are often inadequate, and female dogs are often killed when their worn-out bodies can no longer produce puppies. Just this past December, one Kansas puppy mill owner, who had been cited for failure to adequately treat animals with health problems, euthanized 1,200 dogs after a deadly distemper outbreak.
What's more, when Kansans rush out to buy cairn terriers, countless lovable, friendly, healthy dogs who are sitting in animal shelters across your state waiting to be adopted will miss out on their chance for a home—and will end up dead.
More and more Americans are choosing to save lives by adopting their animal companions from shelters instead of buying them from breeders and pet stores. Please don't make Kansas take a step backward by promoting a specific breed as the state dog and in so doing condemn other dogs to death. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Martin Mersereau
Director
Cruelty Investigations
Department