Thursday, December 17, 2009

Barkworks Pet Store sells puppies from puppy mills with USDA violations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Companion Animal Protection Society Plans Landmark Anti Puppy Mill Awareness Drive.

WHO: Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS), www.caps-web.org

CAPS is the only national non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to investigating and protecting companion animals from cruelty in pet shops and puppy mills.

WHAT: CAPS is conducting a pro-adoption/anti puppy mill awareness boycott of Barkworks, a pet store chain that sells dogs from large, commercial breeding facilities, puppy mills, in the Midwest. This is a landmark demonstration for the California animal protection movement because pet stores that sell puppy mill dogs inside shopping malls, have, until now, been immune to the increasing public outcry over the puppy mill issue. Protests have been obstructed by the Mall, which has placed unreasonable limits on constitutionally protected free speech, claiming that the mall is private property. This peaceful demonstration will open the doors of every mall in the state of California to animal welfare activists who will bravely uphold CA Supreme Court Law.

Local activists will be gathering in front of Barkworks in silence to grieve for the millions of companion animals who died this year in our nation’s shelters because there are not enough homes for them. Animal welfare activists are asking shoppers to be mindful that over 60% of pets are bought during the weeks leading to Christmas and that the true spirit of Christmas is in giving—as in giving a homeless pet a loving home. During this severe economic downturn, we are asking people to help our community by adopting a companion animal from our local shelters.

WHEN: Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 2:30 PM

WHERE: BARKWORKS 10800 West Pico BLVD #391 in the West Side Pavilion

WHY: Barkworks sells dogs from puppy mills - commercial breeding facilities that mass-produce puppies for resale through pet shops and brokers. USDA licensed facilities are puppy mills.

“Saturday is a history-making day for the animal protection movement. Pet stores are routinely defrauding customers by telling them, like Barkworks has told our under-cover operatives, that the dogs sold in the store are “family raised in homes” and “only bred a few times.” The public is becoming increasingly aware of the cruelty of the pet industry and consumers are outraged that puppy mills are still legal. The parents of the dogs sold in these stores are kept 24/7 in cages, raised like livestock and bred like machine parts until they die. The public wants action and the stores selling the offspring of this cruel business, after Saturday, will no longer be able to hide inside the malls. This is the beginning of the end for them. Consumers want a cruelty-free pet, just like they want cruelty-free products and greener cars.” --- Carole Raphaelle Davis, West coast Director of CAPS, author of “The Diary of Jinky, Dog of a Hollywood Wife and investigative reporter for American dog Magazine

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