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Glendale, California Proposes Ban on Dog and Cat SalesBy: Carole Davis
08/17/11
The City Council of Glendale, Calif. is considering passing a ban on the sale of cats and dogs in pet stores, echoing a nationwide movement promoting the humane pet shop model. In June, 2011, CAPS filed an investigation report with Glendale’s City Attorney Scott Howard. The report included evidence of violations that were occurring in Glendale’s Pets R Us, which obtains its puppies from The Hunte Corporation in Goodman, Mo.. CAPS conducted a six month undercover investigation at Hunte, the largest dog brokering facility in the country, as well as investigating 50 of their breeders, which were mostly USDA licensed. Approximately 50 percent of these puppy mills had serious enough violations to warrant an investigation report to the USDA. The CAPS investigation of The Hunte Corporation revealed inhumane and substandard breeding facilities with multiple and repeat violations of the Animal Welfare Act. The dogs (and in some instances, cats) are not given even the USDA minimum standards of care. Some of the Hunte breeders have had their licenses cancelled. In the CAPS undercover footage provided to the city of Glendale, a Hunte commercial breeder was videotaped talking about shooting his dogs when they are no longer of use to him.
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KTLA: Glendale Considers Banning Backyard Pet Sales – Olga Ospina reports (video)
NBC LA: Glendale Considering Ban on Pet Sales (video) National Chain of Pet Stores to Stop Selling Puppies Announces Partnership With SPCACAPS collaborated with Marketplace, a Canadian TV news program, in 2009. PJ's Pets, one of the chain stores featured in the expose, recently changed to a humane business model. The pet store, which will be doing rescue and shelter animal adoptions, bought dogs from The Hunte Corporation, the largest broker in the U.S., and Lambriar, the second largest.
Michelle Dean became one of many frustrated pet shop customers after purchasing a sick dog at a PJ's Pets in Toronto. With the help of CAPS' investigative work, Dean soon found out that The Hunte Corporation bought Dinglehopper, a Pomeranian puppy, from commercial breeder Anna Leinback in Versailles, Missouri, not from a reputable breeder like PJ's Pets had promised. Dingle was sick for 3 months with Giardia and had to undergo kneecap surgery due to luxating patellas. After spending about $10,000 in vet bills, Dean also found out her new companion was going blind.
Leinback's USDA license was cancelled on July 18, 2011.
Marketwire
08/16/11
TORONTO, ONTARIO – PJ’s Pets and Pets Unlimited have announced that they will no longer sell puppies in any of their stores. As of September 1st, their focus will be to support pet adoption services in an effort to find homes for thousands of pets in local SPCA’s, Humane Societies, rescue groups and shelters across the country.
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Related articles:
cbc.ca: How much do you know about that puppy in the window?
Irvine Co. to ban dog, cat sales at all retail centersBy: Hang Nguyen
08/18/2011
On Sunday, for the second week, animal activists associated with the Companion Animal Protection Society picketed the I Heart Puppies pet store in Corona del Mar, demanding that the shop stop selling puppies from what the protesters characterize as “puppy mills.”
The owners of I Heart Puppies say they don’t sell puppies knowingly from puppy mills, and go to great lengths to disclose and provide information about where the puppies they sell do come from. They insist the animals they sell are healthy and have been checked out by multiple veterinarians.
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CAPS 'I Heart Puppies' Protest
By: Deborah Howard
08/09/11
On Sunday, approximately 160 animal people showed up to join a CAPS-sponsored protest of I Heart Puppies in Corona del Mar, California. Some of the protesters were from San Diego-based Animal Protection and Rescue League; others were concerned residents of Corona del Mar, which is part of Newport Beach, who do not want a pet shop that sells puppy mill dogs in their town.
This may have been the largest pet shop protest ever! We had more than 130 participants inside Westside Pavilion in Los Angeles to protest the Barkworks chain and were the first animal protection group to protest inside a mall. I have organized nationwide and North American protests in as many as 40 cities, but in terms of the number of people in one place, I doubt there has ever been anything this large in front of a pet shop. There were protesters on both sides of the street. Drivers honked and shouted in support and traffic was backed-up.
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Click here for information, pictures, videos, and news updates about I Heart Puppies
Facebook event page CAPS Making Progress in the Greater San Diego Area!Pups & Pets of Santee, CA
Following weekly protests by the Companion Animal Protection Society at Pet Works in La Mesa, CA which resulted in the ultimate closure of that store, CAPS protesters have moved to the neighboring city of Santee to Pups & Pets! Franco Cruz, Pups & Pets’ store owner, is notorious for moving his animal business around under new names. He first sold his Alpine pet store in the greater San Diego area after several complaints. Cruz then proceeded to set up shop in Chula Vista under the name Puppy Time. After more complaints from the local vet and community, he once again shut down and moved to his current location in Santee under the name Pups & Pets.
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CAPS San Diego Facebook group Happiness is Pets Supplier Caught on CameraA concerned citizen captured the following video (view) after spotting a truck unloading puppies at a Happiness is Pets puppy retail outlet in Lombard, IL. According to the witness, the truck had no A/C unit and the temperature outside was around 94 degrees Fahrenheit. The puppies were inside the vehicle for more than 10 minutes and appeared to be quiet and lethargic. 
The man who recorded this video was served a Cease and Desist Order from Happiness is Pets on August 24, 2011. They want him to take the video down and apologize publicly. PROTEST SATURDAY FROM 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. LOMBARD LOCATION, PROTESTERS NEEDED! To view video, click here.
For more information about the next CAPS Happiness is NOT Pets protest in the Lombard, IL location (08/20/11), visit the Facebook event page.
Founded more than 25 years ago, Happiness is Pets is a six store chain in the Chicago area that obtains puppies from puppy mills. CAPS has been receiving complaints about sick puppies from Happiness is Pets stores for about 20 years. Some of these stores were protested during nationwide pet shop protests we held in the early 1990’s. We worked on a four-part pet shop/puppy mill series with FOX News Chicago that featured customers who had purchased sick Happiness is Pets puppies.
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For more information about Happiness is Pets, click here.
CAPS Chicago Facebook group CAPS President Deborah Howard interviewed for Angie's List articleDon’t get bitten by online, pet store purchases
By: Staci Giordullo, Angie's List
07/15/2011
Consumers should pursue due diligence to protect animal welfare – and their pocketbooks.
Mark Stettner had no idea how Thanksgiving Day 2008 would change his life. His daughter, then a college sophomore, returned to their Allentown, Pa., home with the news that she had a dog – and it wasn’t permitted in her campus housing. “That’s when I inherited Max – and the problems,” says Stettner, an Angie’s List member.
Stettner’s daughter bought Max, who was advertised as a purebred toy poodle, for $1,347 from an online pet broker called Breedersdirect.com.
“Thanksgiving weekend he had some stomach problems, and was initially diagnosed with colitis,” Stettner says. “But Max didn’t get really sick until the following July.”
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Irvine Co. to ban dog, cat sales at all retail centersBy: Hang Nguyen
08/18/11
In a letter sent to the Irvine mayor late last month, the Irvine Company said it will no longer lease new space to retailers selling dogs and cats at any of its retail center.
The Irvine Company owns Fashion Island in Newport Beach, The Market Place in Irvine and Tustin and Irvine Spectrum Center as well as a slew of neighborhood shopping centers in Orange County.
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Fall of Puppy Sale Ban Bill Draws Mixed ReactionCAPS President Deborah Howard spoke at the hearing that took place on June 21, 2011 for the proposed puppy sales ban. CAPS worked with
Legislator Jon Cooper to help draft the ordinance.
By: James Tuthill
08/04/11
Puppies will remain on the market in Suffolk County, as a proposed bill to ban puppy sales was abandoned by supporters last week. The proposal was intended to crack down on puppy mills, in which millions of dogs are often bred in dangerous and unhealthy conditions.
The bill was pulled by Leg. Jon Cooper, D-Lloyd Harbor, despite his previous support for the ban, because the legislation would have violated state laws concerning illegal restraint of trade.
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Related article:
Times Beacon Record: Puppy mill sales ban in the works Celebrating Your Victory for Animals
“Because You Care, Other Dogs and CatsWon’t Suffer the Way I Did.”
On July 21, 2010, Logan’s Law took effect in Massachusetts, prohibiting devocalization of dogs and cats–an inhumane convenience surgery in which vocal cords are cut solely to stifle or remove the voice.
Animals face serious risks, some life-threatening, without benefit: Devocalized dogs and cats are given up just like any other, such as when they’re not useful for breeding or exhibition.This landmark humane law has inspired similar legislation, including a pending federal bill that would award cruelty prevention grants to states banning devocalization.
You Made It Happen Without Donating or Asking Others for a Dime.
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INFO: Coalition to Protect and Rescue Pets, CPRPets@aol.com | CAPS Needs Your Support!CAPS needs your help more than ever before! Make your tax-deductible donation to CAPS today! 
CAPS plans to continue its extremely important work -- but we simply cannot do this work without your support. With just over 7,000 members, we are very dependent on foundation funding, which is limited (we lost two foundations this year). It is difficult for us to compete with large nonprofits that can afford to mail as often as every month. Unlike the large organizations, we have no investments to fall back on.
Please help ensure that CAPS is there for companion animals – particularly those dogs suffering in pet shops and puppy mills – by giving as generous a donation as possible. Your help is vital. On behalf of all companion animals, CAPS thanks you for your compassion. Puppy Mill Life Cycle
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Thanks to all of you who are already my FB friends. Since FB won't allow me to accept more requests on my profile, I'm encouraging everyone, even those who are already on my friends' list, to please "Like" my new fan page. Thanks so much for supporting me, CAPS, and the animals.
Kindly,
Deborah Howard
P.S. Please join the CAPS Facebook group page and the San Diego and Chicago pages. We frequently update with newsworthy articles, videos, websites, and protest events. We need your support! 
Investigations and MediaCAPS is known for its investigative expertise. The media, animal advocates, prosecutors, law enforcement and state attorney generals’ offices rely on our investigative evidence. CAPS is working with TV news stations in large cities on in-depth investigative pieces about the pet shop and puppy mill industry. CAPS’ investigation evidence was used by animal advocates in Iowa and Oklahoma to help get inspection legislation passed in those states. Animal advocates in Minnesota, Iowa, and other states still need our help. We have also submitted an investigation proposal to the New York Attorney General’s Office.
Please help us by continuing to fund these efforts and others like them. About CAPSFounded by President Deborah Howard in 1992, Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS) is the only national nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to protecting companion animals from cruelty in pet shops and puppy mills. CAPS actively addresses the abuse and suffering of pet shop and puppy mill dogs through investigations, education, media relations, legislative involvement, puppy mill dog rescues, consumer assistance, and pet industry employee relations. Find Us!
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