WHY: Pet store Pet Fashion 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.

• Kathy Bauck, using her husband’s name, sold puppies to Pet Fashion in August. Bauck, who was one of the largest dog brokers and breeders in the country, was convicted of animal cruelty in March 2009 based on evidence from a six-week undercover employment investigation by CAPS. The USDA terminated her licensed on September 29, but she has appealed the agency’s decision.

• CAPS completed several very successful protests in the Los Angeles area, resulting in pet shops converting to humane business models that provide shelter animals for adoption.

• Millions of healthy and treatable dogs and cats are killed each year in shelters. CAPS urges consumers to adopt companion animals from shelter and rescue organizations rather than through pet shops, the Internet and breeders.

HOW: CAPS wants to alert consumers to the problems associated with purchasing puppies from pet shops. At these peaceful protests, CAPS will distribute fact sheets on pet shops and where to adopt in NYC and CAPS brochures. CAPS protestors along with concerned, local residents want Pet Fashion to convert to a humane business model that dogs from local shelters, especially kill facilities, rather than from puppy mills.

Editorial note: video footage from a CAPS investigation of Kathy Bauck

Please note this footage contains graphic images

Media Contacts:

Deborah Howard, cell: 339-236-0978, caps@caps-web.org

Sheila Bohan, sbohan@emergepr.com

About CAPS:

Founded 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.

759 CJC Hwy., #332 • Cohasset, Massachusetts 02025
Phone: (781) 210-0938 • Fax: (781) 210-0928
caps@caps-web.org • www.caps-web.org