An Article I wrote

Well I posted this in The Fire Hydrant, but I just realized this should go in the Dogs and General Dog Chat Section...you can delete the other one if you want.

Anyway, I wrote this article for a magazine I would like to start. I am open to suggestions, comments and criticizems.

PUPPY MILLS: THE TRUTH ABOUT PET STORES

So…where do you think pet stores get those dogs? Do they get them from a responsible breeder? In your dreams.

Pet stores get their puppies from Puppy Mills. These dog breeding factories breed hundreds of thousands of dogs for the profit, and are kept in little cages so that they can fit more puppies. All they care about is the money. Some dogs are forced to live in a puppy mill for their entire lives, and are killed once they cannot produce as many puppies as they did. These puppy mills are required to feed and give water to the puppies, but not required to give them proper care and to be given love and companionship. These puppies stay in tiny cages, with puppies literally crawling over each other, until they can be shipped to some near or faraway place and to be sold.

Because of these horrible conditions in their early puppy life, people who buy dogs from newspaper ads, online advertisements or pet stores will find their once loving dog developing aggression. This consequence may even take three years to reveal itself. These puppies may often be dumped out in the street or given away only to be put down because of the poor life they had. What do the puppy mills get from torturing these poor puppies? The reward of money.

So please, if you are thinking about getting a/another dog, please rescue a dog from a nearby animal shelter. You are most likely to find a perfect dog (including purebreds) that is house trained and healthy. Going to an animal shelter is also a very inexpensive way to bring a companion home compared to going to a pet store or buying a puppy on a newspaper ad.

If you want to help get rid of these horrible puppy mills, adopt from a shelter. Educate your friends and family, and write to your local newspaper. Give out fliers. Or, donate to the HSUS on their mission to stop puppy mills by visiting www.stoppuppymills.com

Remember, one person can make a difference.

(Information from this article comes from www.stoppuppymills and is not all of the information that they have. For more information about puppy mills, visit the website.)

How do you plan on starting a magazine? And remember that good journalism leaves your opinions out of it and shows both sides of the story ... unless you are writing for the opinion page or a review.

Let me know if you need any help You write nicely

Thanks. Yeah, I'll have to think about that...do you know of anything that the people at the puppy mills think? Or are you just saying that I should leave some things out?

I dunno, I just got this idea one day that I could start a dog magazine. Hopefully Zoom can help me out...she said she probably could.

Well, if I was going to write the article I would write boths sides of the story by calling and talking to people on both sides. Sometimes that's hard to do. You've written it as a personal, first-person feature which is fine.

I'd start by calling groups or organizations that are trying to stop puppy mills. Ask them about there work and make sure you include the 5 Ws (who what when where why...) and then see if you can find some 'puppy mills' - they won't be listed like that - and allow them to defend themselves. You have to let the reader come to their own conclusions. Ask the breeders the tough questions like: Do you think what you are doing is wrong? Why/why not? Why don't you test for _____? Why did you get into the business?

They'll probably put their foot in their mouth.

If that's something you really want to do why don't you start writing and submitting articles to magazines? You'll learn from it. You probably won't get paid should any get accepted but if you are successful you can end up making money at it.

http://www.world-newspapers.com/dogs.html

Thanks Saje!! I will definitely look into that.

K, to save on confusion (I hope) I've copied the posts from the other thread you started and posted them here:

one more...

Ok it would have been easier to delete this thread... it's late!

...I'm confused, lol

Sorry! I was trying to help since we had two threads on the same thing going... I didn't want to delete anyone's posts.

I actually had an opportunity? to visit a puppy mill. We answered an advertisment in the paper for a Boxer pup. From the way the lady spoke on the phone she just had a few litters a year and blah blah blah... Words can not describe what I witnessed when we got to this place. We drove up to and parked on the property and heard a woman hollar from an out-building "I'm back here". As we walked "back there" we noticed a red barn with runs coming out of the side and many, many beagles. The building we entered was like a large Morgan building that had runs but I don't honestly remember if we saw any dogs in the runs. We walked into a make shift groom shop and the woman was working on the most pathetic, dirty, matted maltese I had ever seen. I honestly expected her to tell me it had been dumped and she picked it up since she was so far out in the boonies and I'm sure it's common out there... But, she didn't... She said it was one of hers and she had gotten a bit behind. Also in that room was a super tiny young Chihuahua pup that was under a heating lamp with a bowl full of mush and flies buzzing all around.
Of course at this point the red flag was up and I should have just walked out then... She then led my husband, daughter and me through a door into the main part of the building. There were at least a hundred if not more dogs crammed in these make shift cages that were little more than boxes. She had larger chain link kennels or runs for the large dogs, but there were just so many of them. There was a cat walk around the top of the building with even more cages and more dogs... It was absolutely heartbreaking. The only thing positive I can say about this woman is that everything appeared clean and the dogs (or at least the ones we saw and not counting the Chi. pup appeared well fed). But being clean and fed aren't the only criteria in proper animal husbandry imo.
The Boxer pup broke my heart. I felt so sorry for it and it was all I could do to not buy her. She was 5 months old and had serious issues (I wonder why?). But I knew that at that point in my life I did not have the time or the knowledge to try to work her through her problems. My husband was shocked but relieved when I told her that I didn't think this was the dog for us... I so badly wanted to scream at her but the words just wouldn't come out... She had the audacity to hand me her business card and ask me to tell people about her. HA! I cried all the way home... I just don't understand people...
Sad thing is, I really don't think this woman realizes she's doing something wrong. She raises dogs for profit same as her neighbors raise cattle I guess... The local HS surely knows about her, she advertises in all the local papers and even on the net. In fact, she prides herself in not selling to pet shops! Go figure...

See Keyodie? There's a good start. You could interview chithedobe