October 2012

Update, 10/31/12: As New York City and the surrounding region continue to struggle with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the ASPCA is offering assistance to families evacuated during the storm. Our responders are delivering supplies, crates and food to evacuation centers, where hundreds of animals are being housed, in the five boroughs.

For those evacuees who need to report pets left behind in the storm, please call the city’s 24-hour hotline at (347) 573-1561. This number has been set up specifically to check on missing pets. For reports of stray animals, please continue to call 311.

Stay tuned to our blog and Twitter account for the latest updates on the ASPCA’s hurricane rescue efforts.

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Update, 10/30/12: As we begin to assess the damage wrought by Hurricane Sandy, the ASPCA is on the ground to assist animal victims of the storm. Our staff and responders are hard at work providing relief to families affected by flooding and power outages.

Thanks to your support, we’re able to respond.

Stay tuned to our blog and Twitter account for the latest updates on the ASPCA’s rescue efforts.

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Update, 10/29/12: The ASPCA is preparing to assist thousands of animals in the region affected by Hurricane Sandy, and wants to remind all area residents to stay indoors until the hurricane passes and it is safe for both people and pets to be outside. The ASPCA is also ready to assist with water rescues as needed.

If you have been ordered to evacuate, please do not leave your pets behind. All evacuation centers in New York City are required to accept pets.

Please stay tuned to our Twitter account and follow the hashtag #SandyPets for breaking information.

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Breaking Update, 10/27/12: In anticipation of Hurricane Sandy’s landfall early Tuesday, the ASPCA wants to remind New York City residents that all evacuation shelters accept pets. Please take your animals with you if you need to evacuate.

To locate your evacuation zone, please check the OEM's Hurricane Evacuation Zone Finder (or call 311), and the site will direct you to the proper facility.

Low-lying areas of the city that are most at risk for flooding and other damage are designated as “Zone A” and include: Coney Island and Manhattan Beach in Brooklyn; Far Rockaway and Broad Channel in Queens; South Beach; Midland Beach; low-lying areas on Staten Island; and Battery Park City in Manhattan.

Here are some ways you can prepare for a major storm:

Get a Rescue Alert Sticker for your home. By posting a sticker similar to the one found in the ASPCA Pet Safety Pack in an easy-to-see location, rescue workers will be alerted that there are pets in your home. You should include the number and types of pets present, as well as your veterinarian’s contact information.

Choose a safe haven. First, decide which room in your home will be the safest spot to ride out the storm. Then, know in advance where you can take your family and pets in case of evacuation. Check with evacuation centers and area hotels to find a pet-friendly location. In New York and New Jersey, all evacuation centers are required to accept animals.

IDs, please! Make sure your pet is wearing collars and ID tags with up-to-date identification. This is the perfect time to have your pet micro-chipped if you have not already done so.

Stock up. Make sure you have plenty of food—for humans and pets!—water, medications, batteries, first aid kits and other emergency supplies on hand in case of a power outage.

Stay indoors.  At the first sign of danger, bring your pets indoors and keep them with you.

For more information, check out our complete list of disaster preparedness tips.

The ASPCA will continue to monitor the storm’s progress. Be sure to check our blog, and visit our Facebook and Twitter pages for breaking updates.

Hooray for L.A.! Last night, the Los Angeles City Council voted 12 to 2 in favor of a proposed city ordinance to ban the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in pet stores. If the Council upholds the vote next week, L.A. will become the largest city in the U.S. to pass this type of law!

The ordinance is designed to stem puppy mill abuse by making sure that dogs from puppy mills don’t find their way to pet stores in the city. There’s good news for homeless pets, too: The new law will allow pet stores to sell animals who come from shelters, humane societies, and registered rescue groups—just not from commercial breeders. It also still allows people to buy directly from breeders.

According to our No Pet Store Puppies map of stores that sell puppies, there are 18 stores in Los Angeles that will no longer be able to prop up the puppy mill industry once the ban takes effect.

Kudos to our good friends at Best Friends Animal Society for spearheading this incredible effort and helping to turn the tide for puppy mill dogs across the country! Please help us keep momentum moving in the right direction by taking our No Pet Store Puppies pledge today! 

Update 11/19/12: Way to go, Los Angeles! On October 31, the L.A. City Council formally approved a new ordinance that bans retail sales of dogs, cats and rabbits. The ordinance will go into effect by the end of 2012, after which stores have a six month grace period to stop selling these animals. The ordinance will not affect responsible hobby breeders.

We are thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2012 ASPCA Humane Awards. This group of outstanding people and animals includes a rescue dog with more than 5.5 million views on YouTube and a 10-year-old horse advocate who has appeared before Congress.

The 2012 ASPCA Humane Award winners include:

ASPCA Dog of the Year
Abandoned in a trash heap, Fiona, an 11-year-old Poodle mix, was sick, covered in dirt, matted, infested with fleas and blind in both eyes. A Los Angeles-based animal rescue group Hope for Paws, came to Fiona’s aid, and with the help of hundreds of donors all over the world, they raised the funds for Fiona’s surgery. Fiona’s miraculous story of survival has since garnered more than 5.5 million views online, a testament to what can be accomplished when homeless animals get a second chance.

ASPCA Cat of the Year
Scooter the cat was found on the street with no use of his back legs. He was rushed to Harts Run Veterinary Hospital in Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania. Visitors to the hospital instantly fell in love with the fluffy black and white kitten, and donated funds to purchase him a custom-made wheeled mobility device. Scooter now visits a nursing home and rehabilitation hospital every week and serves as a constant inspiration to the elderly and to patients who lack mobility due to injuries and strokes.

ASPCA "Tommy P. Monahan" Kid of the Year
After hearing about the inhumane and cruel practice of horse slaughter, now 10-year-old Declan Gregg of Greenland, New Hampshire, decided to raise his voice and get involved. Declan started his own blog, Children 4 Horses, to spread the word about horse advocacy issues. His dedication to horse advocacy brought him to the nation’s capital twice in recent months, where he represented more than 1,000 children from the U.S. and abroad by presenting the letters to legislators in Congress.

Meet all the winners of the 2012 ASPCA Humane Awards! Do you know of a heroic pet or a person who dedicates his or her life to animals? Tell us about your hero in the comments!

And stay tuned to the blog for photos from the annual Humane Awards Luncheon, sponsored by the Hartville Group, Inc., on November 8 in New York City.

Have you heard the myth that black cats are unsafe in October, in part because witches may try to adopt them for rituals? We sure have. But guess what? Top ASPCA experts agree that it’s just not true.

Unfortunately, the truth is kinda scary, too: Year-round, black cats are the least likely to get adopted in shelters across the U.S. In fact, black animals in general take more time to find homes, says Gail Buchwald, Senior Vice President of the Adoption Center.

At the ASPCA, we LOVE black kitties. (Some of our friendliest cats, like Marissa, are black—yet Marissa has waited more than nine months to find a family. What’s up with that?)

Aside from the most important reason to adopt black kitties—that they really need extra help finding homes—here are a few reasons to take home one or two:

• Their fur won’t show on your little black dress.
• You can tell your kids you adopted a mini panther.
• Black cats go with everything.
• In most cultures, black cats are a sign of good luck.
• You already know black cats are awesome—you have one at home! If you’ve got a great black kitty, tell us about him or her in the comments. You just might persuade someone else to give these felines a little extra attention.

Some dogs are naturally inclined to dig, and though it is perfectly normal behavior most of the time, it can be troublesome for pet parents who don’t particularly care for holes in their yard and furniture.

So why do they do it? Dogs often dig at the ground and circle before lying down, as though they’re trying to make a softer resting place. Dogs also dig when trying to get warm or stay cool, to entertain themselves, to bury valued items, and when hunting ground-dwelling animals.

What to Do If Your Dog Digs

• If Your Dog Digs to Keep Cool or Get Comfortable

Dogs living outside in very hot or cold weather often dig holes to sleep in, especially if they don’t have access to proper shelter, like an insulated doghouse. Even with a suitable doghouse, some dogs prefer to retreat under a deck and dig a big hole.

• If Your Dog Digs to Entertain Herself

Many dogs dig for the fun of it. This type of digging is the hardest to treat because the action of digging is rewarding in and of itself. To achieve success, rather than attempting to eliminate the behavior, try to redirect your dog’s digging to an acceptable place.

• If Your Dog Digs to Bury Her Stuff

The best way to eliminate this type of digging is to refrain from giving your dog treats, food or chew bones that she will not finish immediately. Alternatively, you can build your dog a digging pit and encourage her to bury items there, instead of in your favorite flower bed.

• If Your Dog Digs to Hunt Small Animals

Most dogs love to chase small, fast-moving furry creatures, even if they never actually try to catch them. If your dog digs to pursue small animals like moles, chipmunks and ground squirrels, you can set live traps and humanely remove those animals from your property.

For more information about helping curb your pooch’s digging habit, please visit our Virtual Pet Behaviorist.

Is your dog a digger? Tell us in the comments below.

ASPCA Government Relations intern Young Kang.

Guest blog by Jessica Johnson, Grassroots Advocacy Manager for the ASPCA’s Government Relations team.

One of the highlights of my work at the ASPCA is supervising our incredible Government Relations interns. I am so grateful for the many mentors and hands-on experiences I was lucky to have over the years, and I love being able to pay that forward to future animal welfare professionals.

If you are a student with an interest in pursuing a career working in animal welfare, policy, law, or other similar field, we have a great opportunity you should know about. Apply for an ASPCA Government Relations internship in our Washington, D.C. office where you can work side-by- side with our Government Relations staff! There is no better window to our world than interning with us, and you can make a real difference while learning about public policy as it affects animals.

Our interns were incredibly instrumental in our work last summer. They reached out to members of our ASPCA Advocacy Brigade to mobilize them on key initiatives, responded to constituent requests for information, and helped me organize citizen lobby days. They tracked the thousands of state and federal laws and administrative regulations pertaining to animals, and they drafted letters, memorandums, and fact sheets to support our lobbying efforts. Throughout the summer, they served as our eyes and ears at many hearings and briefings on the Hill, and accompanied us at meetings with legislators. They sat in on our internal staff and strategy meetings, getting a real insider’s view of our work.

We appreciate interns’ contributions more than words can say, but I also want to share what some of our former interns have said:

“I feel extremely fortunate for the learning experience that the ASPCA internship provided because I think that few interns are exposed to such a wide variety of work. This internship has taught me what nonprofit government relations work really is, and it has confirmed my desire to work in this field after graduation.”
- Rachel Easter, first-year law student at Stanford Law School

“Working with the ASPCA Government Relations team has made for an awesome internship. I enjoyed working alongside the fun and supportive staff, and I feel that I was able to work on a diverse group of topics and have become much more familiar with animal welfare issues than I was before.”
- Joshua Loveall, second-year law student at Georgetown Law School

“My summer internship at the ASPCA was the perfect transition between school and working, and provided me with so many valuable experiences and skills with which to start my job search. I learned a ton about policy in a short amount of time, and everyone was welcoming, gracious and so much fun. I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with the government relations team!”
- Melissa Rothstein, graduate student, Master of Animals and Public Policy at Tufts University

If you’re ready to make your mark on Capitol Hill and work on animal issues across the nation, I strongly encourage you to apply for a Government Relations internship! Learn more about the position and how to apply [PDF]. And feel free to email me with any questions at GRinternship@aspca.org.

I hope you’ll join us in our work to change laws and save lives!

Check out our Advocacy Center for more information about laws affecting animals in your state and in Congress.

“Pit Bull.” There is no other breed of dog—or arguably, any other animal at all—whose mere mention can elicit such strong opinions. Try a word-associate game with your friends: Ask them what they think of when you say “Pit Bull.” Chances are that by the numbers, their responses will be more negative than positive. And it’s no wonder: No other type of dog is as widely banned from housing, legislated against, or incorrectly vilified by the media.

How did we get here?
Pit Bulls were once widely considered ideal family pets—affectionate, loyal and gentle with children. But in recent years, these dogs have suffered tremendously from a combination of overbreeding, bad publicity and irresponsible owners. In reality, the overwhelming majority of Pits and Pit mixes are sweet goofballs who have gotten a very bad rap.

Learn the truth.
National Pit Bull Awareness Day, on October 27, is a day of appreciation and education designed to change perceptions and stereotypes about Pit Bulls and their responsible owners. Please take a moment to learn the truth about these wonderful dogs and consider rescuing one of them from a shelter.

Are you a proud Pit Bull parent? Please participate in National Pit Bull Awareness Day, and help us dispel the myths about these dogs by leaving a comment below about your wonderful pooch.

The findings of a dairy farm investigation were released last week, and they aren’t pretty.  Video footage reveals workers beating, kicking, jumping on and shocking cows at Bettencourt Dairies, a major Idaho dairy. In one appalling scene, a cow, apparently unable to stand, is dragged by her neck with a chain attached to a tractor. Five Bettencourt employees have been fired and three face charges of animal cruelty.

As hard as the video is to watch, these acts of cruelty are sadly not unusual. With every new investigation released, we learn that cruelty is rampant on factory farms all around the country. Some of the cruelty comes in the form of obvious violations like in this recent investigation, while some is inherent in the standard practices of factory farming. Unsurprisingly, cruelty and cleanliness are often linked, and raise food and worker safety issues: This video showed extremely unsafe and unsanitary conditions.

Farm investigations are one of the few tools animal advocates have to bring criminals to justice, and to pressure the food industry to adopt higher standards of animal welfare and food safety. Aware of the power of these videos, Big Ag lobbies to criminalize investigative workers and keep consumers in the dark. “Ag-gag” bills, introduced over the last few years in states around the country, attempt to make it a crime to document animal abuse on factory farms. Last year we fought hard to defeat these bills in many states. But this year will likely bring a fresh onslaught. Ag-gag bills will continue passing until every one of us stands up to the industry’s effort to block reforms for both consumer and animal welfare.

Learn more and find out where your state stands on ag-gag today! 

It’s confirmed: Michael Vick has a new dog. To truly become a model of the type of behavior Vick wishes to teach his children—that animals deserve to be treated with compassion and respect—Vick should take the opportunity to “break the cycle” and “be an instrument of positive change” by expressing remorse about the dogs he brutalized and killed with his own hands. This is something that we’ve never heard him do publically.

Because of this, we have serious concerns about Vick’s ability to be a responsible pet owner. We can only hope that he will set the right example for his children by teaching them to foster humane habits and a lifelong bond with their family pet. 

What’s your opinion?

We’ve all had this conversation. A friend wants to bring home a new pet, and despite your best efforts, she’s set on buying from a pet store. How can you convince to her adopt, not shop? Here are four things we hear a lot, and how you can respond.

If I don’t buy that puppy in the pet store, who will?
Pet stores usually sell their puppies quickly, and the store will slash the price on slow sellers until they’re bought. If people stop giving their business to pet stores that sell puppies by not purchasing puppies or anything else from them, ultimately, the puppy mills that they support will shut down from lack of demand. Hurray!

I want a purebred/a puppy, and they don’t end up in shelters.
Some people want a Golden Retriever no matter what. Tell your pal that a one-of-a-kind mutt from a shelter is just as healthy and lovable, but that 25% of animals who enter shelters are purebreds, and that most breeds have a breed rescue—a group that re-homes dogs of a specific breed. Oh, and show them some videos of ASPCA puppies.

Shelter pets aren’t likely to be healthy.
Explain to your pal the many physical and mental ailments puppy mill dogs—most of those in pet stores—can develop. Remind your pal that any animal can become sick or injured, regardless of where he came from, but that at a shelter you know up front if your new pet has any chronic health issues. Let your friend know that pet store dogs are actually somewhat more likely than shelter dogs to need vet care for an illness.

My friend has a shelter dog, and he’s hyper/destructive/scared/shy.
Here’s where those of you with shelter pets can point to them and say, “Uh, what about Mr. Fluffy here? He’s a model dog and he came from a shelter.” Then point out that just like dogs from anywhere else, some shelter dogs have behavior issues to work on. Adopting from a shelter allows you to know exactly what you’re getting and whether you’re prepared to handle any issues that may arise.

Good luck! If you have other suggestions, share ‘em with us. And if you’ve persuaded someone to adopt, not shop, tell us about it.

Jake Grupp came to the ASPCA to check out smaller dogs, but his girlfriend, Mary Yukevich, urged him to just take a peek at the larger ones. That’s when they saw Phoebe, a sweet little Pit mix, sitting quietly in her habitat and wagging her tail hopefully.

“We weren’t really expecting to adopt a dog that day,” Grupp tells us, “but when we met Phoebe we fell in love.”

A visit with Phoebe and an ASPCA behavior counselor sealed the deal, and Phoebe joined the family on the spot.

In the cab ride home, Yukevich knew she’d already fallen hard for Phoebe, but it wasn’t until Grupp was down on his luck that he knew Phoebe had stolen his heart for good.

“I had some teeth pulled and was in a lot of pain,” Grupp tells us. “Phoebe sat near me all the while, and eventually I invited her to climb into the chair with me. It felt like she was making sure I was OK, even though there wasn't a whole lot she could do.”

Phoebe went home already housetrained and knowing a few basic commands, and Grupp and Yukevich spent the first month doing “intense training” with their new pup, deepening their bond and helping their dog become the well-mannered princess she is today.

Soon, Phoebe was working on off-leash training, and the family put it into practice on a recent trip to the beach, where they discovered Phoebe’s special talent as a doggie mentor.

“There was a chocolate Lab puppy named Einstein who was afraid of the water,” Grupp remembers. “Phoebe would go bounding into the ocean and Einstein would follow her until she went in the water, until eventually he went in. It was really special to see that she encouraged him to take the plunge.”

Getting to know Phoebe has even had unexpected effect on Grupp: It changed his mind about Pit Bulls.

“I was wary about adopting a Bully mix at first,” he says, “but after having had Phoebe since June I'm extremely pleased. I'm glad that she picked us that day!”

We are, too, guys!

To read more happy endings, check out our Happy Tails archive.

With Halloween just around the corner, you might be tempted to make your cat or dog a star by dressing him up in the cutest mini-sized costume you can find. But wait—is trick-or-treat apparel really safe for your furry friends?

Our experts suggest putting your pet in a costume only if you’re sure he will enjoy it. Some pets love the limelight: wearing a costume and posing for pictures is a blast! Others prefer to stick to their birthday suits for all occasions, and being dressed like a pumpkin for their pet parents’ amusement can cause unnecessary stress.

If you decide to have your pet wear a costume, here are some helpful safety tips to keep in mind:

• Your pet’s Halloween garb should not constrict his movement or hearing, or impede his ability to breathe, bark or meow. Be sure to try on costumes in advance—and if your furry friend seems distressed, you’ll want to ditch the mini-pirate hat and vest.
• Examine your pet’s costume and make sure it doesn’t have any small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that he could choke on. Also, ill-fitting outfits can get caught on external objects or your pet, leading to injury.
• IDs, please! Make sure your dog or cat has proper identification on underneath that cute costume. If for any reason your pet escapes and becomes lost during Halloween festivities, a collar and tags and/or a microchip can be a lifesaver.

For a complete list of animal safety guidelines for this spooky holiday, check out our expert Halloween Safety Tips for pet parents.

Tell us: Are you planning to dress up your pet for Halloween?

On a cold December day last year, eight-year-old Hennessy came to us limping and suffering from multiple untreated conditions. In January our veterinarians repaired her torn ACL and gave her other treatment she needed. Almost two months after arriving at the ASPCA, Hennessy was ready for adoption.

But though she’s one of the world’s most loyal, sweet-natured and easy-to-care-for dogs, Hennessy has been waiting almost 10 months to find a home. She needs to be an only dog and she takes two medications (though they’re inexpensive and she takes them so nicely!), and that means lots of people pass her by without noticing how great she is.

How great, you ask? Hennessy’s biggest fan at the Adoption Center, Behavior Department Manager Marny Nofi, says Hennessy is housetrained, smart, quick to bond, and very eager to please. And while she has some pep in her step, she’s a fairly low-key dog who loves to lounge around with something good to chew on—perfect for city, country or suburban life.

Like most adopters, Marny didn’t notice Hennessy’s particular charms at first—then she started working with her for our talent show.

“Right away, I knew she was special. In just two short sessions, she already was catching on to the tricks I was teaching her.” Marny says. “You know she loves you back when she does her little dance when you go to see her: She’ll hop around in a circle with a big goofy smile on her face.”

“I expect she’ll be a very polite and easy dog in the house,” Marny tells us, adding, “How can you not get hooked on a dog that shouts ‘I love you!’ in her behavior every time you see her?”

We don’t know, Marny! All Hennessy really wants is a family (teens and up without other dogs, please) and we know they’re out there. We’re hoping you’ll help us find them.

This diamond in the rough needs a home, and she doesn’t deserve to keep waiting. So start sharing, tweeting and emailing! It worked for Britney, Reina, Tammy, Spruce and many other ASPCA pets. Let’s make it work for Hennessy!

It’s hard to believe that we’re just about a month away from Election Day! With so much attention on the race for the White House, it’s easy to overlook that fact that there are a lot of other elections happening that day, too.

On November 6, all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are up for grabs, and so are 33 out of 100 Senate seats. And when you go to vote, many of you will also be choosing city council members, mayors, state-level representatives and governors. We can’t tell you who to vote for, but we encourage you to use online resources to research your candidates’ positions and voting records on the issues that matter to you.

It’s not too late to register to vote, but please don’t delay—there are several states with voter registration deadlines as soon as Saturday, October 6. In many states, you can register online in just minutes through sites like registertovote.org.

There are a lot of weighty issues facing our country, and you can help make a difference this election. Please register to vote!

“I’m buying a dog from a breeder because shelter dogs are too much work.” “I’m getting my dog from a pet store because shelters don’t have puppies.” “I don’t want a pre-owned dog. It won’t love me as much.”

Ever heard someone say this totally wrong-headed stuff? We have too, and it we bet it makes you as crazy as it makes us! We know shelter dogs and puppies are awesome—maybe you’ve got one making your house a home right now—but it seems like not everyone does…yet.

So what can we do about it? Spread the truth about shelter dogs, of course! That’s why we created our “Proud Parent of a Shelter Dog” and “I <3 My shelter Dog” tees, totes and more: so advocates for shelter dogs like you can help change minds. Sporting these is the easiest way to lead by example and help get the word out that shelter dogs are the best.

In honor of Adopt a Shelter Dog Month (that’s October, folks!), the ASPCA Store is taking 20 percent off all apparel and gifts that promote shelter dog adoption.

Remember: All proceeds from the ASPCA Store are used to help save animals’ lives.

Own some of this gear already? Yay, you! Tell us about it in the comments. Oh, and give your shelter dog an extra belly rub today from the ASPCA.

When Autumn Giles and her boyfriend visited the ASPCA Adoption Center in New York City in search of a feline friend, they found a perfect match in a beautiful gray kitty named Christopher. They soon renamed him Butternut. Giles shared the following story with us:

My boyfriend and I had been talking about getting a cat for a while, and it finally felt like the right time! Getting a cat via adoption was really the only option. As the woman who showed us around the Adoption Center observed, Christopher chose us!

Going into it, I thought I wanted to adopt a fluffy cat because I had very fond memories of a long-haired cat that I had as a kid. Christopher is not super-fluffy, but when we met him we knew almost right away that he was ours—and he was immediately so affectionate! He gave us head butts and licks within seconds of meeting us.

After bringing him home, we discovered Christopher had an allergic reaction to something in his food. The folks at the ASPCA were very helpful in getting him well again. In a strange way, having this experience with Christopher made me feel like he was even more of a match for our home because I can't eat gluten and am lactose intolerant, so he and I have special diets in common.

He's doing much better and getting increasingly comfortable in our apartment. I love waking up in the middle of the night to find him in the windowsill. I know he's just a cat, but it feels like he's watching out for us! We can't get over how much love he has to give. Even when he wasn't feeling well, he's was still so affectionate. We're so happy he's in our lives.

To read more happy endings, check out our Happy Tails archive.

October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, and that means it’s time to celebrate all things canine and get more homeless pups into forever homes. To get the party started, we’ve prepared a special Adopt a Shelter Dog Month section on ASPCA.org devoted to the lovable shelter pooch.

Speaking of Pet Adoption…
Earlier this year, we polled hundreds of pup parents—some who adopted from shelters, and others who purchased their puppies at pet stores—about their experiences during and after acquiring their four-legged family members. You’d think that the pet store-pup parents, who got exactly the puppy they wanted, would be happier, but that’s not the case!

Our poll showed that people who adopted a dog from a shelter were much more likely to be pleased with their experience than those who purchased a puppy from a pet store. Shelter dog adopters are also almost twice as likely, compared to pet store customers, to feel that the process by which they got their dog was honest and transparent.

Here at the ASPCA, we’ve long been convinced that shelter dogs are awesome and that adoption is way better than buying a puppy from a pet store. Now we have the data to prove it!

“The ASPCA’s research confirms that adoption really is the best option when it comes to adding a new dog to your home,” says Cori Menkin, Senior Director of the ASPCA Puppy Mills Campaign. “Most pet store puppies come from puppy mills, and we continue to urge those who are looking for a new companion to adopt a dog from a shelter instead of buying a puppy from a pet store. By doing so, you’re not only giving a shelter pup a new chance at life, but you’re also helping fight puppy mill cruelty.”

“And once you do adopt,” adds Menkin, “be sure not to buy any of your new pets’ supplies at pet stores that sell puppies!” Take the No Pet Store Puppies Pledge today.

Get Involved
There are tons of ways to get involved this October, ranging from sending a single tweet to volunteering at your local shelter. Head over to ASPCA.org to read all about it, and remember—there are millions of wonderful, adorable dogs in our country who need homes, so please opt to adopt!