As Legislators File Bills to Get Tough on Immigrants, PETA Asks Texans to Adopt a Shelter Dog and Forget About 'Papers'
For Immediate Release:
March 8, 2011
Contact:
Kristin Richards 202-483-7382
Austin, Texas — As bills cracking down on undocumented immigrants pile up in the Texas Legislature, PETA is about to enter the fray. That's because the group is planning to display a billboard in Austin that shows a mixed-breed dog next to the Lone Star Flag and reads, "No One Should Need Papers—Adopt an 'Undocumented' Mutt Today!" The group contends that dogs who are bred on purpose have nothing on those with unknown parentage.
"Texas, like every other state in the nation, has more 'undocumented' dogs and cats than it has good homes for," says PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. "Lineage papers or not, the heart and loyalty of each companion animal is the same. People who are considering welcoming a dog or a cat into their homes should always adopt and never buy."
Buying a cat or a dog from a pet shop or breeder kills a homeless animal's chance at finding a good home. Of the 6 to 8 million cats and dogs who end up in U.S. animal shelters each year, about half must be euthanized simply because there are not enough homes for them.
Because they are bred for a particular trait or look—with little to no regard for their health and welfare—pedigree dogs often suffer from congenital defects. Common health ailments in purebred dogs include eye and ear disorders, heart disease, and skin ailments. Pedigree dogs sold in pet shops are typically bred and raised in cruel puppy mills, which are notorious for mass-producing puppies who are often inbred and forced to live in filthy, cramped conditions.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.