Vegetarian Star

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The Today Show recently featured a segment on AKC breeders and how the seal of the organization’s approval doesn’t necessarily equivalate to an animal bred in healthy conditions.

Animal welfare groups such as American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Humane Society of the United States claim some of these certified breeders are actually raising dogs that are sick, diseased, malnurished and living in filthy conditions.

Wayne Pacelle, CEO of the HSUS says that a breeder’s certification from the AKC is nothing more than a “piece of paper without any value for dog welfare.”

On his blog, he ties the problem to the AKC’s connection to puppy mills, known for churning out generations of dogs through less than ideal breeding methods and housing them in inferior conditions.

“The central problem, also picked up in today’s news report, is that the AKC is financially beholden to the puppy mill industry through its puppy registration program. It is estimated that about 75 percent of its constituency are commercial puppy producers.”

This problem can be partially combated by encouraging people to adopt from shelters, where even some pet stores have started to source their animals.

“Sales of dogs in pet stores, one of the primary ways puppy millers sell their dogs, have been steadily declining as a result of our investigations, consumer education and outreach campaigns, and policy reforms. The country’s two major pet supply chains – PetSmart and Petco – do not sell dogs from breeders, and make dogs available for adoption from shelters and rescues.”

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