Nearly 70 dogs and puppies surrendered from commercial breeding facilities throughout the Midwest have been airlifted to Missouri and Connecticut to be transferred to shelters.
On October 27, the BISSELL Pet Foundation, a national animal-welfare organization dedicated to ending pet homelessness. began a lifesaving mission to rescue dogs including French bulldogs, poodles and Shih Tzus.
“Across the country, shelters are full, while commercial breeders—otherwise known as puppy mills—are surrendering their breeding dogs and puppies at an increased rate, due to slowed sales,” Brittany Schlacter, spokesperson of BISSELL Pet Foundation, told Newsweek.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) reports that approximately 3.1 million dogs will enter U.S. animal shelters each year, and, of these, around 390,000 will be euthanized.
Meanwhile, The Humane Society of the United States says that there are at least 10,000 puppy mills in the U.S, with fewer than 3,000 of these regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
A puppy mill is an inhumane commercial dog-breeding operation in which the health of dogs is disregarded to maintain low overheads and maximize profits from selling the animals. Such places are known to breed all types of dogs, but are particularly likely to follow trends for popular breeds on social media.
To find these abandoned dogs the support they need, the BISSELL Pet Foundation undertook a huge mission to move the animals to shelters in the Northeast that still have space.
“BISSELL Pet Foundation is equipped to help shelters and the pets they serve through our various lifesaving programs,” Cathy Bissell, founder of BISSELL Pet Foundation told Newsweek.
“The excitement of receiving these commercially bred dogs will bring families into the shelter that may not have considered adoption before, giving all pets in their care a chance to be considered. We are committed to continuing this work to meet the ongoing need.”
The dogs and puppies flew from Springfield, Missouri, to Windsor Locks, Connecticut, where they have been transferred to partner shelters in that state, as well as Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
These pups will be spayed and neutered, and then they will receive any necessary veterinary care before being put up for adoption.
“We are proud to have made a difference in the lives of these dogs and puppies,” said Schlacter.
“We can’t wait to follow their adoption journeys, as these dogs have garnered significant attention in their new communities. Our hope is that their presence at these shelters allows potential adopters to visit and find out just how many wonderful pets are waiting for second chances.”
The post Puppies Among 68 Dogs Airlifted From Breeding Mills in ‘Lifesaving’ Mission appeared first on Newsweek.
