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Ban Ohio Dog Auctions Ballot Initiative: Hit Puppy Mills and Auctioners Where it Hurts
It was a rousing success this weekend at the Columbus Pet Expo in Columbus, Ohio for the Ban Ohio Dog Auctions case. Ban Ohio Dog Auctions, near the end, I would say gathered anywhere from 750 to 1,000 signatures on its petition. What petition you ask? Well it’s only one of Ohio’s most important proposed ballot initiatives for 2012. It’s the Ban Ohio Dog Auctions Act and it’s damn important. It’s downright vital. Vital to whom? To the thousands of precious puppy mill dogs who face the auction block in Holmes County, which should be named Hell Country for the atrocities that occur there once a month and day in and day out. (Holmes County is home to numerous Amish-run puppy mills.)
The dog auctions serve as a major distribution channel for buyers and sellers from 15 states, many of whom have long standing, repeated violations of the Animal Welfare Act and/or
Amish Millers Prepare for an Auction
have been convicted of animal cruelty.
Breeders who participate in the Ohio dog auctions are raising large numbers of dogs and puppies with profit as the primary motive for existence. Many of the puppies are found to be unhealthy, they’re not screened for genetic diseases, and they do not show resemblance to the breed standard, plus they lack good temperament. Nonetheless, multiple pet stores, like Petland for example, as well as big buyers from small family-owned pet stores come to these Ohio dog auctions to get puppies and dogs at a bargain price.
Click here to view inside a dog auction used by puppy mills…
The proposed Ban Ohio Dog Auctions Act was spearheaded by Ban Ohio Dog Auctions; it’s a citizen-backed initiative. The measure, similar in language to PA’s Statute 459-603, will establish a statute to the Ohio Dog Law making it illegal for anyone to auction or raffle a dog in the State of Ohio. It would also prohibit bringing dogs into the state for sale or trade that were acquired by auction or raffle elsewhere.
These ramifications were put into the bill because millers from all over the Eastern and Central US come to the Holmes County dog auctions, where there are about 400 dogs on the block per month. There is one dog auction a month in Holmes County right now.
Ohio dog auctions, like the ones revealed during a 2007 undercover investigation by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Best Friends Animal Society, are a symptom of the puppy mill industry. They are a tragic embarrassment to Ohio and its humane-minded citizens.
The proposed ballot initiative to ban the auctions is really a tactical maneuver, a one-two punch if you will. By taking away or banning the auctions, we are looking to hit the puppy millers where it hurts: their pockets. The ban will take away their primary source of funding, thereby reducing them to rubble. The millers will have nowhere to “showcase,” buy or sell their “wares,” the dogs. It was brilliantly crafted in this manner. Holmes County millers, who have become infamous in the state of Ohio, will have to turn to other means, like making direct connections with pet stores and other (Internet) buyers, which will take them LOADS more time, which they don’t want to do anyhow because it’s a suspicious activity. Millers across the state will be put into a horrible business position and will thereby be forced to shut down.
A crammed puppy mill
Click here to see the ABC news investigation into puppy mills. This video discusses the fact that many Ohio puppy mills are Amish-run, which comes as a surprise to many, many people.
All this being said, we are close to our goal. We need near 121,000 signatures and currently have about 85,000. We still have near six months to collect the remaining signatures that we need.
If you are a registered Ohio voter and want to sign the petition to get this on the 2012 ballot, email me at thoughtsfurpaws@gmail.com. I will direct you towards where you need to go to sign. Please let me know what county you live in in your email.
If you want to get involved with the movement and hold your own signature gathering event, come to one of ours, or perhaps attend the Humane Lobbying Day on April 6th, which gives you the chance to sit down for a bit with your legislators and talk face to face, email me and I will put you in contact with the person running this fantastic campaign, Mary O’Connor Shaver.
To join the Ban Ohio Dog Auctions movement on Facebook, click here. To visit the website, click here.
To sign up for the aforementioned Humane Lobby Day, visit www.ohiocompanionanimallobbyday.com.
Kudos to you for what you do JL, really really awesome work. You are inspiring
AWESOME!!! God I wish I lived there so I could sign and shut those a-holes down. You rock JL!
SWEET!! This is, as you say so eloquently, expertly crafted because its like a double edge sword for the millers. Thank GOD for people like you and the folks who do this. Bravo.
I have a few questions why are all the pictures old, where do you get all your info i go to auctions all the time and no pet store buys young to old adult dogs for pet stores, 99% of the dogs are adults being sold at these auctions can anyone tell me what store sells 4yr old dogs to familys.
Man some people ^^ Just to clarify to all the half wits around. People buy the dogs to breed with and then sell the PUPPIES to petstores.
Thanks Lauren! You took the words right our of my mouth!
The 99% statistic cited by ‘your info in ?’ is incorrect – the majority of dogs sold by OH breeders who consign dogs at these auctions are not adults (again, not sure how you’re defining adults). If you go to these auctions, you know the dogs are in pretty bad shape, being sold by breeders who have long standing, repreated violations of the AWA. What difference does it make if they’re puppies, adults, seniors, etc. – the bottom line is that dog auctions are bad for Ohio, dogs and people!
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Nice blog! Somebodies opinion is that dogs shouldn’t be sold in auctions but they are animals same as parrots, rabbits, pigs and other animals and it’t normal that these can simply be auctioned. Its a matter of opinion.