"What Can I DO? "

DO CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS (BOTH STATE AND FEDERAL) TO LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU SUPPORT HUMANE CARE STANDARDS AND LAWS TO PROTECT PETS.  

       For eight years, the Wisconsin Puppy Mill Project has been working for tougher state laws governing the breeding and sale of pet animals of all species. At one point, an excellent Pet Facilities Law was passed, but it was gutted of its self-funding provisions and finally eliminated. The Wisconsin Pet Facilities Law website provides details of this excellent anti-puppymill law, its well-thought-out administrative rules, and the story of why it failed to pass the Wisconsin state legislature.

       Please See our new Contacting Your Elected Officials page for tips, Talking Points, and a sample letter to help you contact Wisconsin legislators to ask them to introduce or sponsor a new ground-breaking Pet Facilities Law.

       And if your legislator seems to have a history of ignoring or voting against humane legislation, respectfully state your displeasure and ask him why he has voted the way he has.You can find out who your Wisconsin state legislators are by visiting http://www.legis.state.wi.us./ Click on "Who Represents Me" in the middle of the page.

       Always, always, ALWAYS be courteous and respectful when dealing with legislators. Abusive or unreasonable letters, phone calls, or emails do more harm than good for the animals you are trying to help!

IF YOU LIVE OUTSIDE OF WISCONSIN, DO READ WHAT OTHER STATES ARE DOING TO PROTECT PETS, AND SEE IF YOUR STATE HAS LEGISLATION PENDING.

       You can find this information in the Legislation and Laws and the Citizen Lobbyist sections of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) website, and the Lobby section of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty To Animals (ASPCA) website. These links contain a wealth of information concerning pending state and federal legislation, including How a Bill Becomes A Law. They will also list your legislators, and their voting records on animal welfare issues

       Also, read the new restrictions being proposed in Pennsylvania and supported by their governor here.

       Again, if your state does have pending legislation listed, contact your state legislators, and thank them for supporting the legislation or ask them to co-sponsor it. If not, contact your legislators and ask them to consider bills such as (name other states) are working on, or to sponsor ground-breaking legislation of their own.

       Outside of Wisconsin, if you don't know who your State representatives are or how to contact them, you can easily find out by clicking here.

DON'T BUY A PET AT A PET SHOP! 

       We cannot stress this enough. Never, never, never buy an animal of any kind at a pet shop! Responsible breeders NEVER supply animals to pet shops where they cannot thoroughly check out prospective new owners, regardless of what the pet store employees will try to tell you. Pet shop animals are either from pet mills, backyard breeders, or other types of Pet Profiteers.

       Please note that many, if not most, pet store kittens, birds, reptiles, small mammals, etc. come from the same type of '"factory" breeding facility.

       Simple economics state that if nobody buys, the store will quit selling, and the Pet Profiteers will have to cut back on "production" or go out of business altogether.

IN FACT, DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM A PET OR PET SUPPLY STORE THAT SELLS LIVE ANIMALS!  

       Don't buy treats, toys, food, greeting cards, coffee mugs, sweatshirts, or even a candy bar from the rack by the counter.

       Boycott the place completely--stay away! Write a clear, concise, but polite letter to the owner or manager of the establishment to inform him/her of your boycott and the exact reasons for it. If possible, send him a copy of the sales receipt from a competitor who doesn't sell animals and let him know how much money he's losing!

       If the pet store is in a mall, you might even consider boycotting the entire mall, and letting the mall management (and possibly the managers of other stores that you would otherwise patronize) know why you just drive on by.

DO PATRONIZE PET SUPPLY STORES THAT DON'T SELL LIVE ANIMALS.  

       You might even take a moment to drop the managers of those stores a note letting them know why you're patronizing them instead of their competitors, and thanking them for not supporting pet mills.

       Most pet supply stores that don't sell animals DO strongly support rescue efforts, providing local shelters and rescues an invaluable venue to showcase homeless animals. (See our GOOD Pet Stores page for more.)

DO ASK PET SUPPLY STORES TO REFUSE TO ALLOW "FREE TO GOOD HOME" OR "PETS FOR SALE" ADS TO BE POSTED ON THEIR STORE BULLETIN BOARDS.  

       Let them know that responsible breeders NEVER sell puppies through bulletin board ads, signs in front of their homes, etc. Refer them to our Identifying a Quality Breeder page for details.

       Though people who advertise 'Free' pets generally do have the pets' best interests in mind, those who take pets free may have questionable motives. Unaltered pets may be obtained for breeding by backyard breeders or puppy millers; please see the article "Free To Good Home?" for other possibilities.

       Ask the store owner or manager instead to post photos of pets for adoption from local shelters or rescues and information about local spay/neuter initiatives (rebate offers, low-cost clinics, etc.).

DON'T BUY A PET ON THE INTERNET, THROUGH A CLASSIFIED AD, FROM A NOTICE ON A BULLETIN BOARD, OR AT A SWAP MEET, AUCTION, OR FLEA MARKET!  

       Responsible breeders NEVER sell their animals through these venues. You are taking a huge risk by buying a pet this way.

       That is not to say that many resposible breeders don't have informational websites and/or ads about themselves and their dogs, but they will not list specific puppies for sale in any of their advertising, including any type of commercial 'puppyfinder' site or in online classifieds.

       Click here to read about our experiences at the Thorp Dog Auctions, which advertised "Now accepting QUALITY consignments. Only quality breeding stock or healthy and marketable puppies will be accepted."

DO CONSIDER ADOPTING A HOMELESS PET FROM A SHELTER OR RESCUE. 

       At this moment, hundreds of thousands of wonderful dogs, cats, birds, small animals, and even reptiles are looking for their Forever Homes through rescues and shelters all over the country. There is a rescue for every recognized breed of dog and cat, as well as Macaw rescues, ferret rescues, pot bellied pig rescues, horse rescues -- you name it. The only fault these animals have is, irresponsible former owners who abused, neglected, or just didn't want to be bothered with them.

       Reputable pet adoption organizations stand behind their pets. If you have questions they will be there to help you with information about the pets' temperament, health and general needs. Shelters and rescue groups care about the pet and they care about you.

       There are many resources for finding a shelter or rescue near you, including Pets 911, a coalition of many major national organizations, and PetFinder, sponsored by the ASPCA. If you are looking for a particular breed or species, just do a search through any search engine using the key words your breed and "rescue" -- for example, "great Dane rescue" or "Persian cat rescue." You will be astounded at how many choices you find.

DO UTILIZE YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPERS AS AN EDUCATIONAL FORUM.  

       Write a letter to the editor about the connection between puppy mills and pet stores. Keep your writing clear, concise, and to the point. If you have a personal experience with a pet store or puppy mill dog, include the anecdote to further your point.

       If you have a lot to say, you might want to make it a series of letters, one for each point you wish to make. Some newspapers will even allow a guest editorial. Check with your local newspapers to find out their policies.

       The Humane Society of the United States has an excellent webpage on Tips on Writing Letters to the Editor that is geared toward animal issues. Another outstanding resource is Writing Letters With I-M-P-A-C-T (pdf) from the Kinship Circle

       There is also an online resource called PublishALetter.com that makes writing a letter to a newspaper or magazine editor as easy as choosing the newspaper or magazine from a dropdown list, filling out a website form with your contact info and a 250-word letter, and hitting "send." The site has a general page with Tips For Writing Letters to the Editor as well.

DO PLACE AN AD IN THE CLASSIFIEDS.  

       Check out the "Pets" section of the classified ads in your local newspaper. Are there a lot of ads for puppies/kittens? Chances are, most of these people are pet profiteers -- either puppy millers or backyard breeders. Place your own educational ads in the newspapers where people are "shopping" for pets, and let them know the facts about pet profiteers vs responsible breeders.

       Click here for some sample ads placed by the Wisconsin Puppy Mill Project.

DO FUND AN AD IN THE CLASSIFIEDS FOR A LOCAL SHELTER OR RESCUE.

       Many shelters or rescues just don't have the funds even for classifieds to advertise their adoption events, fund-raisers, general contact info, or wonderful pets for adoption. Most would be thrilled with the offer of a one-time or ongoing "sponsorship." Click here for a few examples from actual classified ads.

       Donations to the Wisconsin Puppy Mill Project Classified Ads Campaign are also cheerfully accepted! Please see our Donate to WPMP or Classified Ads pages for details, or click on the PayPal link below!

DO REPORT CASES OF SUSPECTED ANIMAL ABUSE OR NEGLECT TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND YOUR AREA HUMANE ORGANIZATIONS.

        Contact your local humane society, animal shelter, animal control facility, or law enforcement agency immediately. You may do this anonymously, but many animal abuse/neglect cases have gone unprosecuted because witnesses refuse to sign a complaint or testify in court against the abusers.

       Please see our Reporting Animal Abuse page for details on whom to call, what to say, and why investigating reports of animal cruelty should be important to law enforcement authorities.

Again, always, always, ALWAYS be courteous and respectful when dealing with law enforcement officers, animal control representatives, and the people in the prosecutor's office.

DON'T TAKE MATTERS INTO YOUR OWN HANDS.

       Many neglect investigations have been compromised because well-intentioned people have provided food, water, and bedding to the animals being investigated. If the animal has these things when an investigator arrives, it doesn't matter who provided them -- the investigator has to report that the needs are met and the neglectful owner is "off the hook" once again.

      Do NOT, yourself, "confiscate" an animal you believe to be abused or neglected. There have been cases of well-intentioned would-be rescuers ending up before a judge for pet theft, and the animals have gone back to their abusers. Even if the owner doesn't report you for stealing his pet, you have done nothing to stop him from immediately getting another animal and treating him/her the same way.

DO SPAY OR NEUTER YOUR PETS, and urge your friends, collegues, and acquaintences to do the same!

       An altered pet can never be used for pet mill “breeding stock,” and altered pets are much healthier and easier to live with. Spaying and neutering is the single most effective way to combat the problem of pet overpopulation. And if you don't believe there is a problem, please see: In Hope, An Animal Shelter Story and view their movie. (Note: images on this link may be disturbing.)

DO research and support community spay/neuter efforts.

       Donate if you can, or volunteer to help out at clinics and "neuter-a-thons," shelter/resuce informational displays at fairs, community awareness events, etc.

DO VOLUNTEER!  

       Offer to help set up an informational table at a fair, pet-themed event, etc. and educate people about conditions that the pet industry deems "acceptable," or join a peaceful protest of a pet store or dog auction.

        Or -- Find a shelter or rescue near you, and offer your services. Help people adopt rather than buy!

       You'll be surprised at the number and different types of volunteers who all come together to create a successful organization in addition to dog walkers & cat socializers. Here are just a few:

• Crafters to help with bazaar items or catnip bags for fund-raisers;

• Cooks to prepare goodies for bakesales or work on fund-raising pot-lucks;

• Typists who know their way around a database for shelter tracking, reporting, or putting together mailing lists;

• Amateur photographers to snap pics for websites and publicity;

• Writers to help put together fund-drive letters, educational materials, newsletters, press releases, ads, etc.;

• Folks to enter pets for adoption on one of the listing websites;

• "Media liaison" volunteers who build relationships with newspapers, radio and TV stations -- and aren't afraid to appear on camera to showcase a pet, publicize an event, or discuss an investigation;

• Volunteers to present humane education programs to school children and/or civic groups;

• Set-up and tear-down volunteers for events and fund-raisers;

• Volunteer drivers;

• Youth groups for service projects such as putting together adoption "goodie bags" for shelter pets.

• Use your imagination — if you have a talent, create your own niche!

DO HELP RAISE FUNDS.

       Raising awareness about puppy mills -- and cleaning up after millers when mills are actually "busted" -- is expensive. Costs of outreach materials (flyers, factsheets, brochures, etc.), the price of gas to get to events, and, of course, the veterinary, food, grooming, fostering/sheltering, and sometimes rehabilitation costs of already over-burdened shelters and rescues caring for puppy mill survivors add up VERY quickly!

       Donations are always appreciated. However, many people cannot afford to give as much as they'd like to, so imaginative fund-raisers are a perfect solution.

       Fund-raisers need not be complicated, formal affairs. Our supporters have planned garage sales and "Paw-ties" and "jeans days" at work to combine education with fund-raising and have some fun besides. Crafters have set aside portions of their craft show booths for pet-related items whose sale benefits a rescue or shelter -- or made hundreds of small toys such as the crocheted Catnip Balls pictured in the Spay/Neuter section, above, to sell for $1 apiece at participating veterinarians' offices, groomers, pet supply stores -- even beauty parlors and gift shops!

       Businesses donate goods or services, or set aside certain days when a percentage of profits will be donated to an animal organization.

       Young people get involved by choosing to do a food drive for local shelters or rescues instead of having traditional class holiday parties, or by asking guests to birthday parties to bring a donation for a shelter in lieu of a birthday gift.

       Many organizations, such as Wisconsin Puppy Mill Project, are also registered with online funding resources such as GoodSearch (a search engine powered by Yahoo) and GoodShop (with links to hundreds of online stores), where all you have to do is visit the GoodSearch/Goodshop sites, choose the organization of your choice, and click "verify" for them to receive donations from your searches and purchases, and Amazon.com, from which an Associate organization will receive a referral fee from every purchase made through a link on the organization's website. That way, supporters can donate at no cost to themselves, just for doing something they would anyway!

       Please note that rescues, shelters, and other animal organizations are generally overworked and understaffed; they will be delighted to help you however they can, but may not always have volunteers who can help staff outside fund-raisers.

DO TELL TWO FRIENDS.  

       And they'll tell two friends, and so on, and so on, and so on.... Give them this website URL and let them see for themselves. You may also download our Brochure and some printer-friendly fact sheets to hand out, or order a bumpersticker.

       Take any opportunity that presents itself to educate people. The more people who know and understand what is going on, the better chance we have of stopping it!