Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS)
In November 2005,  Ervin Raber was quoted as saying to the New Philadelphia Times Reporter, “I am currently the president of the Ohio Pro Dog Breeders Assn. and in our opinion there is no such thing as a puppy mill." Sadly, there is much compelling evidence to prove otherwise.
In undercover investigations conducted by CAPS, many of the licensed dog breeding and brokering facilities represented at the Buckeye Dog Auction were found to be in clear violation of USDA regulations. During their investigations, CAPS rescued numerous dogs from these mills, because breeders no longer viewed them as profitable.
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Puppy Pipeline
Events like th e Buckeye Dog Auction have been taking place for years, and they are happening across the Midwest to feed the growing demand of commercial dog breeders. Over the past five years, states including Indiana, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Oklahoma and Michigan have seen the number of licensed breeders increase by a combined 303% in the region.
While puppies from commercial breeding operations are sold to pet stores, their parents are often left behind. Those dogs usually live their adult lives in a cage. The Hunte Corporation is one of the nation's largest puppy distributors. It buys puppies from licensed breeders and transports them from Missouri to Ohio.
Learn more about these auctions...
12/17/07 UPDATE: Please take a moment to view the latest undercover video of John Graber, an Amish puppy mill breeder from Odon, IN. WARNING - some graphic images!
There will be much more to follow, as PetShopPuppies plans to submit a comprehensive "package" of information to all elected officials in Indiana, as well as federal officials that have turned a blind eye to the problems in Indiana. 80% of the puppies supplied to a large chain of pet stores in the Indianapolis area are coming from unlicensed and untraceable sources. Ironically, this pet store is licensed by USDA (most pet stores do not have to be licensed, but this pet store acts as a broker by employing the Amish to pick up puppies for resale to other Indianapolis pet stores). PetShopPuppies obtained inspections reports on the pet store - which do document that they are buying from illegal sources - but to their knowledge, absolutely nothing is being done.
The Truth About the Pet Trade
Did you know that  more than 18,000 dogs were sold in dog auctions in 2007? In the U.S. dog auctions have increased from twenty-eight to sixty-eight in the past seven years, while the number of dogs exchanged increased from approximately 5,000 to over 18,000.
The dogs bought and sold are not treated as pets; they are bought and sold by puppy mill operators, and are valued strictly for their capacity to make money. These auctions are part of the multi-million dollar pet trade in America. The puppies generated by the breeding dogs are sold to an unsuspecting public via the Internet and through pet stores. Read more about dog auctions from 2000 - 2007...
Puppy Mills Invesigated
Dog auctions are ill egal in Pennsylvania, so many of those state’s mill breeders travel two hours west to Holmes County, where the Buckeye Dog Auction is legal. There, old puppy mill dogs are put out to pasture or their pups are auctioned off so they can start a new breeding cycle.
In May 2006, an undercover investigation conducted by WTAE-TV Channel 4 Action News reporter Sheldon Ingram, revealed evidence that dogs brought to this sale are “fed and bred” – they eat and relieve themselves in the same 2-by-2-foot cage for about eight years until their breeding days are done.
Read the story...
Humane Society of United States
The Humane So ciety of the United States (HSUS) strongly opposes the sale, through pet shops and similar outlets, of puppies and dogs from mass-breeding establishments such as those represented at the Buckeye Dog Auction.
Unfortunately, a dog's lifespan is often longer than a consumer's desire to maintain their "product." As a result, millions of dogs are sent to animal shelters every year, where roughly half will be euthanized. The HSUS estimates that one in four dogs that enter U.S. animal shelters is purebred.
Watch their undercover video exposing dog auctions...
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