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COVID-19 Demand For Dogs: Making Responsible & Humane Choices
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COVID-19 Demand For Dogs: Making Responsible & Humane Choices

Throughout COVID-19, the demand for pets, specifically puppies and dogs, has steadily grown. We have seen this demand firsthand at our shelter; the influx of interested adopters contacting the shelter and submitting online adoption applications has been constant throughout the last year. 

What has caused this dramatic increase in demand for puppies and dogs? Essentially, individuals have found themselves working from home with more time and attention to offer a new furry family member. Although there are many positive and negative opinions about individuals/families bringing a new pet into their life during a pandemic, HSLM believes that this can be a favourable time to adopt a new furry family member. Assuming that they have made the informed and educated decision to do so.

HSLM interviews each potential adopters to ensure that they are adequately prepared for the responsibilities that come along with a new pet (time, financial, mental/physical requirements, etc) and that their household is well-suited for the specific animal they are interested in. This, however, this is not the case when purchasing a pet from an unethical source such as a puppy mill; where the only concern is making money from the sale of animals. 

Although many potential pet owners know better than to purchase a pet from a puppy mill, there is quite a bit of confusion as to what a puppy mill is. The recent petition initiated by Margaret McCullough from Victoria, British Columbia was submitted to The Government of Canada in an effort to ban the operation of puppy mills in Canada. This petition outlines the following:

  • Animals in puppy mills are kept in cramped, filthy conditions with no opportunity for exercise, socialisation or veterinary care;
  • The living conditions for animals in a puppy mill include tiny wire or wooden cages, old tractor cabs, and mother dogs being chained to trees;
  • Mother dogs are repeatedly bred, spend their whole lives in appalling living conditions and often suffer debilitating eye, skin, ear, foot and other diseases;
  • When mother dogs are unable to breed anymore they are discarded, and in some cases killed; and
  • Inbreeding is common in puppy mills, puppies are often sick and suffer horrific genetic disorders.

We are urging  our supporters to join us in bringing this issue to the Government of Canada. We are advocating for the ban  of puppy mill operation in Canada by signing the petition before March 15, 2021. You can sign the petition by clicking the link HERE.

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