While our sweet pets are not at risk from COVID-19, the pandemic is still affecting our animals in other tragic ways. Irresponsible, nefarious dog breeders are taking advantage of the global crisis and the increased demand for companion animals to cozy up with as we stay home and slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Things have gotten so bad that reports of puppies dying just days after unknowing buyers bring them home have become commonplace.
A spike in COVID-19 cases, in addition to the quickly approaching the holiday gift-gifting season, means that more people will likely be in search of their own furry friend this winter.
If you or anyone you know is looking to add a sweet pup or any other animal to your family, please remember: ADOPT, DON'T SHOP! Sign the pledge today!
Take, for example, sweet little Nugget. He was a tiny bulldog-pug mix, with big, dewey eyes and the tiniest paws you've ever seen. His Scotland-based family bought him from a breeder thinking he would be in their lives forever -- but just three days after they adopted him, Nugget died. The Scotland SPCA said that Nugget's condition was horrible, and bore all the signs of puppy farming. He was also less than 8 weeks old, meaning he should not have been separated from his mother yet!
The short life Nugget did lead was painful and riddled with abuse, just like all of the lives that come from puppy farms. These facilities, also called puppy mills, are nightmarish places. Mothers who are used as birthing machines are not allowed to have full lives of their own, normally confined to cramped, dirty cages and thrown away when they can no longer produce offspring. Puppies and their mothers are rarely given proper veterinary care, nutrition, or socialization.
A combination of tightened COVID-19 restrictions on physical gatherings and heightened demand for pets has allowed irresponsible puppy farms and the profit-hungry scammers that use them to flourish. Nugget's story is now the rule, not the exception.
Meanwhile, there are countless older animals waiting patiently in shelters across the world for their forever families. With the proper medical care, socialization, and behavioral analyses that shelters can provide, families can be sure that they will get a perfect -- and abundantly grateful -- companion.
We must not add fuel to the fire by buying from breeders! Let's put the negligent industry out of business, and save the lives of animals who are already looking for homes. Sign the pledge today that you will adopt, not shop!
