Animal Cruelty

Want to fight puppy mills? There are many ways you can help end this brutal industry. Here are top five actions you can take to make a difference:

Don’t Buy Puppies from Pet Stores
That puppy who charmed you through the pet shop window has most likely come from a puppy mill. In these facilities, dogs are caged in unsanitary conditions and bred as often as possible. They give birth to puppies who may present medical problems later in life. Instead, make pet adoption your first option.

Take the Puppy Mill Pledge!
Please sign our pledge against puppy mills and promise not to buy your next pet or any pet supplies from retail stores that sell puppies. With your help, we can put an end to this vicious cycle of cruelty.

Speak Out!
If passed, the Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety (PUPS) Act will require any breeder that sells or offers to sell more than 50 dogs a year directly to the public to be licensed and inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It needs your support!

Share Your Story with the ASPCA
If you suspect your dog is from a puppy mill, please tell us your story. The more we spread the word, the more we can build support to help ban puppy mills.

Tell Your Friends
If someone you know is planning to buy a puppy, please direct them to our puppy mill information page at ASPCA.org. Let them know that there are perfectly healthy dogs—of all breeds and sizes—waiting to be adopted.

ASPCA Field Investigations and Response Team members are in the process of rescuing more than 100 dogs from an Arkansas puppy mill where a search warrant was executed earlier today. ASPCA response team members and veterinary staff are working to evaluate the pups and ready them for transport to a temporary shelter.

FIR Medical Director Dr. Rhonda Windham and her forensics team are also at the site, working to document the condition of the dogs to help law enforcement build a criminal case against the mill’s owner, Pam Thomas. Thomas has been arrested and charged with three counts of felony animal cruelty.

During the raid earlier today, the team found more than 100 frightened and unhealthy dogs living in profoundly inhumane conditions at the mill, suffering from severe neglect and various diseases.

“Our goal is to help the local authorities by providing experts and resources to support the case, and see that these animals move on to a better place,” says ASPCA Director of Investigations Kathryn Destreza, who is leading the operation for the ASPCA.

We’ll have more on this developing story soon—stay tuned to the ASPCA blog.

To be honest, it's not always easy. While the elderly tend to be more at risk, animal hoarders range in age and can be men or women. The one commonality between all hoarders is their failure to grasp the severity of their situation.

Here are several signs that may indicate someone is an animal hoarder:

• The individual has numerous animals and may not know the total number of animals in his or her care.
• The person’s home is vastly unkempt with dirty windows, broken furniture, holes in wall and floor or extreme clutter.
• There is a strong smell of ammonia, and floors may be covered with dried feces, urine, vomit, etc.
• Animals are emaciated, lethargic and not well socialized.
• Fleas and vermin are present.
• The individual is isolated from his or her community and appears to be neglecting him or herself.
• The individual insists all of his or her animals are happy and healthy—even when there are clear signs of distress and illness.

If you think you know an animal hoarder, please pick up the phone and call your local police department, animal shelter or veterinarian to ask for help. A phone call may be the first step to get a suspected hoarder and the animals the help they need.

For more information about animal hoarding, see our Hoarding FAQ.

Schools were closed. Businesses shut down. And the majority of residents stayed locked in their homes as local law enforcement hunted down more than 50 exotic animals—including lions, tigers, wolves and bears—roaming loose on city streets. While this may sound like a scene from a horror movie, it actually took place yesterday in the city of Zanesville, Ohio.

The animals belonged to exotic animal collector, Terry Thompson, who freed them before committing suicide. According to the Muskingum County Animal Shelter, Thompson had a long history of neglecting his animals. Of the 56 roaming animals, only a grizzly bear, two monkeys and three leopards were captured alive.

“We are outraged and horrified by the events that took place in Zanesville,” says Nancy Perry, Senior Vice President of ASPCA Government Relations. “In response, we are strongly urging Governor Kasich to issue an emergency order to prevent any more needless loss of life for released or escaped exotic animals, as well as to ensure the safety of Ohio residents.”

In an official statement made last night, the ASPCA called on Ohio Governor John Kasich and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to restrict the sale and possession of exotic animals. Ohio is currently one of only eight states that do not regulate private ownership of exotic animals.

Since the vast majority of people who keep exotic pets cannot meet their needs, the animals often become the victims of abuse and neglect—they are caged, chained, tranquilized or even beaten into submission. Further, thousands of people are attacked and seriously injured by exotic pets each year.

“The exotic pet trade is a multi-billion dollar industry that contributes to the suffering of millions of animals and endangers countless people,” says Perry. “It needs to end.”

For more information about the exotic pet trade, please visit our Fight Animal Cruelty section.