A Special Message from Frances Jonon on Puppy Mills
Dear Friends,
Today, I need to tell you about something affecting my family and my Olivia, our two year old Pug adopted from the Austin Humane Society. Yesterday, I found out my Olivia has as a malignant tumor on her belly. She is in surgery today. Hopefully we won’t find more tumors in the future, but you can imagine what a scare this is for us.
Olivia’s mother was raised in a puppy mill where she was forced to birth litter after litter in deplorable conditions. I was there and saw the outdoor pens where over 135 Pugs, Dachshunds, Boston Terriers, and Chihuahuas were kept. I went into the house where the smell and sights were too horrible to detail here.
 Dozens of Chihuahuas and Dachshunds living together
in this very small unshaded pen without fresh water |
Through our efforts and your donations, AHS
was able to give this senior girl a chance to finally
be a family pet rather than a lifetime breeder. |
Olivia was born just days after Austin Humane Society workers carried her mom out of this inhumane puppy mill and I took her home soon after. I wasn’t looking for a dog at the time but the story of her circumstances touched me. I just fell in love with her and she’s been a delight ever since.
Puppy mills are a cruel industry in the United States and there are “backyard breeders” and small scale puppy mills throughout Central Texas, and even in our own Austin neighborhoods. Dogs coming from these mills typically have an array of congenital diseases, bone structure issues, predisposition to cancers, as well as medical issues related to their abuse such as severe malnutrition, rotting teeth and skin problems.
It’s likely that Olivia’s malignant tumor is a result of her improper breeding.
Today, there are two simple things you can do to help end puppy mills.
1. Today, Friday, April 4, 2008 Oprah is airing an hour long segment on puppy mills on her show. The program can also be viewed here online. Please watch it and thank her for exposing this cruel practice.Email her here.
2. To help stop puppy mills, click here to donate to the Austin Humane Society today. Tens of thousands of dollars are required to break up each puppy mill and rescue and re-home abused dogs. No amount is too small to donate to help end this practice. Funds are needed to pay for medical treatment, shelter, and to send our veterinarians and experts to testify in cruelty cases.
Donate today and together we can provide a better life for all animals like Olivia that deserve to be healthy and happy and loved.
 Olivia Now |
Best Wishes,
Frances Jonon
Olivia’s Mom &
Executive Director, Austin Humane Society
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Austin Humane Society
124 W. Anderson Lane
Austin, Texas 78752
512.646.PETS
www.AustinHumaneSociety.org