Beware of stores that buy from puppy mills

The Humane Society of the United States is ringing in the new year with a well-aimed bonk to the bread-and-butter of the puppy mill business: pet stores.

In the last six months, the HSUS has conducted three in-depth undercover investigations into the main arteries of the puppy mill industry — puppy mill auctions, puppy mill compliance with state and federal laws, and the role of pet stores in the puppy mill biz.

Just what is the role of pet stores in the puppy mill biz?

They are the heart, they are the lungs, they are the easiest, most lucrative avenue to you, the dog-loving consumer.

And you — your dollars — are the blood, the oxygen, the water, the food — the essential components to keeping the whole despicable machine alive.

By now you've probably heard of Pets of Bel Air. It's an upscale pet store to the stars that has recently been accused by the HSUS of misleading customers, misrepresenting "merchandise" and pushing puppy mill puppies as "babies from private breeders." That's right, "babies." The store even displays the dogs in baby cribs. After all, presentation is everything.

But HSUS undercover investigators visited five of the suppliers Pets of Bel Air insisted were private breeders — suppliers with precious names like Kozy Kennels and Puppy Palace — only to find mass-breeding facilities in possession of hundreds of dogs, most with complaints filed against them for everything from cramped quarters to unsanitary conditions. One even had an inspector note that the stench of ammonia was so bad it burned her nose and eyes.

Feel free to visit the Pets of Bel Air Web site at www.petsofbelair.com. Or, for an entirely different perspective, visit www.hsus.org/pets. Click Pets and Pet Related News. Then, for a real shocker, watch the undercover video clip for the segment titled "Cruelty Caught in Hollywood Glare." It'll make you think twice about buying animals from pet stores.

According to HSUS President and CEO Wayne Pacelle, "No consumer is immune to the lies and deceit. It doesn't matter who you are or where you shop. This investigation shows that a high price and prestigious address are no assurance of a dog from a reputable breeder."

Some of the things you'll see and hear the manager and employees of Pets of Bel Air tell the undercover HSUS investigator:

"Never say the dog is sick. Ever, ever, ever, ever."

"Never say sick, parvo, distemper. Never. I usually say sniffles. It sounds cuter."