ASPCA uses USDA photos in fight over puppy mills

he American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is bolstering its campaign against puppy mills by showing photos of sick puppies and harsh kennel conditions taken by the federal agency that licenses commercial breeders.

The organization has added 10,000 photos to its “NoPetStorePuppies” website showing dogs at breeders across the U.S. with matted hair, bloody stool, long nails, injured eyes and dental disease.

The pictures were taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture over the past few years and were obtained through a public-records request. The breeders were warned or given citations to correct the problems.

The ASPCA wants people to boycott puppy sales in pet stores and on the Internet, the places where most puppy mill animals are sold. It included the photos in a database that can be searched by breeder, license number or ZIP code.

“A lot of pet stores will say, ‘We don’t get pets from puppy mills, but from USDA-licensed breeders,” said Cori Menkin, senior director of the ASPCA puppy mills campaign.

Rod and Lindsey Rebhan bought a miniature Australian shepherd for $1,000 at a Novi, Mich., Petland store in 2011. The newlyweds considered Jack “our first baby, our little boy,” Lindsey Rebhan said.

About a month later, the dog had its first seizure. After 25 seizures over the next four months, he had to be put down.

http://news.yahoo.com/aspca-uses-usda-photos-fight-183839521.html