As a pet owner there are many thing that I did not know about the reality of the pet purchase industry. According to the ASPCA there are presently an approximated 10,000 puppy mills, but licensed and unlicensed, in the United States alone. When people hear the word “puppy mill” the images that come to mind include sickly dogs deprived of food, water and humane living conditions. While this may be true, these images are not always what one sees when they encounter a puppy who comes from such a place. In fact, that is exactly what I did not see when I brought my sweet Cookie home back in 2011.

In spring of 2011, I decided that in anticipation of having to move from Northern to Southern California, away from all of my friends and family, there was no better time to give a home to a pet who could bring me comfort and companionship. Naïve, I began searching the internet for the perfect puppy to bring with me to San Diego. At the time, my idea of the perfect puppy was a Pomeranian: small enough to keep in an apartment, cute and fluffy. Even writing this, I am ashamed to admit that not once did I even think of adopting a pet from a shelter or even put the right amount of effort into researching for reputable and ethical breeders of such puppies. Upon conducting a google search for “Pomeranian puppies” I was directed to Affordablepup.com. This is the website where I found that perfect puppy. He was listed as “Teacup Larry”—a Teddy Bear Pomeranian. I was allowed to skype with the puppy. I thought this was great, but in hindsight I realize just how foolish I was. I paid a small fee to watch the puppy on a video camera, running around a small area where he certainly had been placed for this very purpose. There was no interaction with the individuals who were selling him. Nothing. After seeing him, I impulsively decided he was the one and made arrangements to pay for him and have him shipped from Ohio to San Francisco. At the time, I didn’t think anything of the fact that no questions were asked of me. No questions about how old I was, what did I do (was I a student? Did I work long hours?), whether I had a family, what my living situation was (did I have a yard for the puppy?). There was no inquiry as to whether I was able to properly provide for my pet. The things that would alert me today, never even raised the slightest of red flags in my young self.

When I picked my puppy up from the airport I instantly adored him. I decided to name him Cookie and couldn’t wait to get him home. He had loads of personality and was exactly the companion I needed as I spent the three most difficult years of my life attending law school far from my friends and family back at home. It was in February 2014 that I got the news that something was wrong. In anticipation of graduating and moving home to my parent's house to study for the bar exam, I took Cookie home to my parents. In January I noticed Cookie had been scratching a lot and noticed a hot spot. I had my mom take him to the vet for me while I returned to San Diego for school. The vet thought it was allergies and prescribed some anti-histamines. However, when his condition continued we took him back to the vet where they did a biopsy. Then, on February 18th, I got the call. My mom called me crying telling me that Cookie had T-Cell Lymphoma of the skin. I cried and asked a million questions, then immediately called the vet to get the information myself. His vet, who could not have been more compassionate or helpful, informed me that his was a type of skin cancer that was much more aggressive than B-Cell Lymphoma. She told me that Cookie had, at best, an estimated 3 months to live. I then asked her what could have caused this. Cookie had never had any medical problems, so to hear he was going to pass soon was unfathomable. She told me that it was almost guaranteed to be the result of genetics and over breeding. My heart sank. She told me that his cancer was “rare” and most common in dogs who had been overbred.  

After the shock subsided slightly, I re-visted Affordablepup.com. All of the red flags that my 21 year-old self was blind to, my heart-broken 24 year-old self saw staring at me right in the face. I was infuriated that I had missed the signs. All of the waivers of liability for any health problems. The fact that they indicated that they worked with over 200 different breeders yet claimed to deal with only the best of the best. The website itself screamed irresponsible breeding and business practices. The fact that they never conducted interviews (perhaps the most demanding and common practice of shelters and ethical and responsible breeders alike) should have been enough. Unfortunately, I can’t go back in the time, and even if I could, I am not sure that I wouldn’t have wanted to give my Cookie a home. He brought an immeasurable amount of joy to my life, and for that I cannot lament.  Cookie ultimately lived 3 months. He probably could have “survived” a bit longer, but he wouldn’t have been living. I made the decision, fully informed with my vet and my family that Cookie should be put down before his organs began shutting down in a way that would cause him to suffer. By the time I said goodbye, Cookie’s physical appearance had worsened even more than in the picture on the right, above. It was the hardest decision. However, he went peacefully with me and my mom in the room, telling him how much he was loved. Even writing this, more than a year later, brings tears to my eyes.

The reason I started this campaign is not only for Cookie, but for pets everywhere. I started it because I believe that there are many people out there, just like me, who don’t even think about the implications of purchasing a pet. The sad fact is that commercial kennels and puppy mills don’t always appear like they do when the words come to mind. People don’t realize that purchasing a puppy or pet from a puppy mill doesn’t mean you went and got them from a dirty and horrifying farm where they keep the pets in outwardly deplorable conditions. Just like Cookie, they can come from a place that looks okay. A nice website that looks like a legitimate, well-run, business. They can come from a local pet shop with puppies playing together in the store-front window. Those places don’t generally give people a reason to think “oh, these puppies must be from puppy mills.” That is because places just like where Cookie came from work with outside breeders who often are puppy mills. The unfortunate part is that these businesses often claim that they only deal with reputable breeders, yet they fail to provide information as to who their breeders are. I will not apologize for saying that I find it hard to believe that Affordalepup.com can work with over 200 breeders and claim they don’t work with a single puppy mill.

After filing a complaint with the US Humane Society and writing a negative review on Yelp (my goal is to bring as much awareness as possible to this issue), I was informed that the problem with this industry is that most commercial kennels are operating as legal businesses. This is because sometimes the state in which a particular business operates either has no relevant laws, or the laws are written in a way that allows them to operate in an unethical manner. Despite their claims, the health and safety of the pets are never the main concern of these types of businesses. Commercial kennels will often ship puppies in temperatures too extreme for a young puppy. Many of these places operate out of the mid-west where temperatures can be freezing, leaving puppies without sufficient heating. I hate to make generalized statements, but many online puppy retailers and pet shops only have one concern: money.

The reality is, I may never be able to get Affordablepup.com shut down, or even investigated. However, I can at least say that I tried to bring awareness to this issue and prevent the suffering of other animals and their families. What I am hoping for and asking is a large-scale goal. I know that asking businesses like commercial kennels and puppy mills be shut down is a lot. However, I don’t believe that anything is impossible. It may take time, and it will take more people than just me to spread the word, but I do believe that ultimately, this is an issue that can be resolved. We can start by asking that the Ohio Department of Agriculture and Better Business Bureau conduct a very thorough investigation of Affordable Pup's business operations. To obtain information on all of the approximated 200 breeders with whom Affordablepup.com is contracting with, and to investigate the conditions of the dogs in their care. 

I am glad that I rescued Cookie from a place where he likely would have been euthanized or used for breeding. I am comforted knowing that he lived a great life. You can see in these pictures what over breeding means for these innocent dogs and puppies. Please, don’t make the same mistake I did by unknowingly supporting puppy mills and commercial kennels. This industry needs to be shut down. There are plenty of pets out there who need rescuing from shelters. If you can’t adopt, at least bring a pet into your home who comes from a reputable breeder. One who will ask you questions, ask you to come to their home and see the conditions where the puppy resides, etc. Take the time that I didn’t know I should have taken. Because as much as any owner who is heartbroken and in pain over the illness or loss of a pet who has come from a commercial kennel (like Cookie), the real victims are the pets we lose. We must speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.