On September 20th, animal welfare advocates, volunteers, animal-lovers and pet charities alike are supporting organizers from the state of Ohio who are partaking in a very important national event: Puppy Mill Awareness Day.

Puppy Mill Awareness Day makes it easy and fun to help raise awareness with downloadable flyers, lawn signs, sample letters to newspaper editors, t-shirts, buttons and more! On PMAD, you can meet up with event organizers and volunteers to hand out flyers and information to people who need to know the truth about puppy mills and the pet trade. You’ll give out information about pet adoption options (so people don’t go to the pet store!) and basic information about puppy mills. (All the materials are positive and educational.)

The PMAD website also recommends the following activities leading up to Puppy Mill Awareness Day:

- Join a meetup group in your area (or start one). Meet and join others who want to educate the community about puppy mills by handing out flyers, tabling at PetSmart, PetCo and other animal-friendly businesses that don’t sell puppies. If you live in Ohio and want to join the campaign, click here. Visit the PMAD website for a list of currently participating cities.

- Send a Letter to the Editor at your local newspaper about Puppy Mill Awareness Day. You can download a guide and sample letter, as I said above, on the PMAD website.

- Hang a flyer at work, the grocery store, the dog park, veterinarian’s office, groomer etc. There are flyers available for download on the PMAD website.

- Organize a pet store protest in your area. Click here to learn how.

For all kinds of other information and more details, visit the Puppy Mill Awareness Day website.

I received this email from Wayne Pacelle, author of A Humane Nation (the United States Humane Society (USHS) blog) and CEO of the USHS. Wayne distributed this informative email after Oprah Winfrey last week featured an expose on the horrible puppy mill industry (and problem) across the United States. Her broadcast reached millions across the country, undoubtedly encouraging thousands of people into action.

Wanye released this email to newsletter members on Seven Things You Can Do to Stop Puppy Mills after Oprah’s show aired.

Undercover footage showed dogs in filthy, overcrowded conditions, where they are confined for their entire lives, without human companionship or adequate veterinary care. These dogs are often killed once their reproductive capacity wanes.

The HSUS has been investigating and fighting against puppy mills for decades. With your help, we can advance our fight to stop puppy mills and the tragic consequences of pet overpopulation. You’ve already shown your commitment to help stop puppy mills by signing our Stop Puppy Mills pledge.

Here’s more that you can do right now:

	If you are thinking of bringing a new dog into the family, or know someone who is, request a free copy of our puppy buyer’s guide for information on how to find reputable breeders, shelters, and rescue groups.
	Ask your federal legislators to crack down on puppy mills.
	Get the word out about puppy mills: write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Visit StopPuppyMills.org to educate yourself.
	Download one of our Stop Puppy Mills campaign badges or banners to your own MySpace or Facebook page, blog, or website.
	Did you adopt your canine companion from a rescue group or shelter? Then order our Proud to Adopt care package.
	Download Puppy Mill Cruelty flyers and post them or give them out at your neighborhood dog park, to engage fellow dog owners and help spread the word.
	Help us place advertisements and billboards to spread the word about puppy mill cruelty.

The puppy mill industry will thrive as long as consumers are kept in the dark about the “mass production” of purebred and designer dogs. With your help, we’ll shed light on the cruelty of puppy mills and put them out of business for good. We can’t do it without your help!

 

Thanks again to Wayne Pacelle for this information. Visit Wayne’s wonderful blog for all kinds of information, tips and updates on animals in the news and legislation for animal welfare.