Dogs and cats are found in hundreds of millions of homes worldwide. While animal companions are beloved family members to many, they are also common victims of exploitation and cruelty. Please use your voice for these vulnerable animals who need our care and compassion to survive.
TAKE THE PLEDGE!
Adopt, Don’t Shop: Pledge to Save Animal Companions from Suffering!
TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT ANIMAL COMPANIONS!
United States: Ban Puppy Mills in Your State!
Tell the USDA to Finally Shut Down Puppy Mills!
Watch & Download Resources to Fight Retail Pet Sales in Your Area
Large-scale, commercial breeding operations, such as puppy and kitten mills, force vulnerable animals to reproduce in filthy, cramped conditions. Little to no efforts are made to address their health, needs, or wellbeing. In some cases, hundreds of suffering dogs and cats are confined in these facilities. The animals are typically discarded or destroyed once they can no longer reproduce. Puppies and kittens are separated from their mothers at a very young age to maximize profits, causing them a devastating sense of loss and fear. These cruel operations often sell the animals to pet stores, retailers, or directly to consumers.
Backyard breeders often aim to produce purebreds or “designer” dogs and cats by breeding specific breeds together on a smaller scale. Like puppy mills, breeders prioritize profits and pay little attention to the animals’ needs. Breeders are often reluctant to show how and where the animals are raised since the conditions are often so poor. Customers are not typically required to provide much information about themselves, their homes, or their intentions when purchasing an animal.
While customers purchase animals from pet stores and breeders, dogs and cats are abandoned at alarming rates. Many are left on the streets to fend for themselves, and millions of dogs and cats desperately await adoption in shelters. In many cases, it is the difference between life and death.
Animal companions also face cruelty, neglect, and harm in many other ways. Dogs are tethered outdoors for prolonged periods in extreme heat or cold or they may be forced to fight for their lives in dogfighting rings. They are subjected to painful ear and tail docking as puppies, often without anesthesia. Cats are forced to undergo the unnecessary and agonizing procedure of declawing. Stray cats are generally ignored in locations where they reproduce and add to growing communities of homeless animals. They may be trapped and euthanized, hit by cars, develop diseases, or attacked by larger animals. Tragically, dogs and cats have also become victims of disturbing, brutal acts of violence on social media.
Please take action today!
