I think most of us who care about dogs are well aware of the horrors of puppy mills. But then again, we need to be reminded of them from time to time - hopefully to try to do something to abolish them. If you live in a state like N. Carolina, your work is cut out for you.

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Sadly, the pieces I am referring to in my title are real living beings found in a North

Carolina puppy mill. Today HSUS' Wayne Pacelle wrote about Paul Solotaroff's feature

in this month's Rolling Stone Magazine. The title-"The Dog Factory: Inside the Sickening

World of Puppy Mills." Of course, the title really says it all.

I marvel that we as a country can't do something to stop this cruelty where dogs are

kept in squalid and filthy conditions in wired cages to breed ad infinatum. Can you imagine

how painful it must be for them to stand up in or lie on a wired bottom for months or even

years? And this is certainly not a comfortable place for the poor female dogs who have to give

birth over, and over, and over again.

Per Pacelle -this is Solotaroff's second venture into exploring animal issues. His first foray

in this regard was to expose agribusiness and its ag gag measures to silence critics for their

cruelty to farm animals in raising and slaughtering them.

Solotaroff also learned that there was probably a connection between ag gag measures and the

puppy mill trade. So he was happy to be able to explore this idea by joining the HSUS Animal

Rescue Team -when with the help from the Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office in North

Carolina, they raided a puppy mill.

Sadly -though despite this being perhaps HSUS' 25th raid in recent years in this state -- North

Carolina legislature refuses to take action despite videos and photographic pictures as well as

testimonials from enforcement personnel re this cruel industry.

This rescue- as with so many other puppy mill rescues, appalled the rescue team. This is

the description Solotaroff gave- which in my opinion, is akin to comparing it to someone

entering a place from hell: "It was pitch-black inside, and the smell was a hammer. Here

were the parent dogs in desperate shape: blinded by cataracts and corneal ulcers, their jaws

gone or missing entirely for their teeth had rotted away. Some were so feeble they couldn't

stand erect; their paws were urine-scalded and their wrists were deformed from squatting

on wire their entire lives."

I am deeply saddened that the people of North Carolina and their legislators -- especially the

latter who have done nothing to address this cruelty in their state. Of course, more agitation

from the people could very well alter their refusal to do something compassionate for a change.

Solotaroff also noted that not only are the plight of the dogs in North Carolina a burden placed

on law enforcement and animal welfare groups, but it is these groups who pick up the costs of

addressing the needs of these poor rescued dogs. He notes that the HSUS expects to spend at

least $100,000 on the raid because of the needed medical care for these poor dogs. And sadly -

not only agribusiness groups stand in the way of correcting this cruelty -but even the AKC is

complicit and unconcerned. I found that out years ago and absolutely refuse to support the AKC

in any way, shape or form because of their lack of compassion for the dogs in the puppy mills.

Thank you HSUS for your work in closing down as many puppy mills as you can. And thank you

Paul Solotaroff of Rolling Stone for your compassionate voice for the poor dogs in puppy mills

in North Carolina and wherever else they are found. Sadly there are probably way too many

of them in the United States. For people who care about this matter --much needs to be done

including Congress stepping in. Likely? I really don't know.

Authors Bio:
I have been concerned about animal suffering ever since

I received my first puppy Peaches in 1975. She made me take a good look at the animal kingdom and I was shocked to see how badly we treat so many animals. At 77, I've been a vegan for the past 30 years and I thank God every day that I am. I am most disturbed at how little the Catholic Church and Christian churches generally give to concern re animal suffering in their ministry. I wrote to 350 bishops in 2001 and only 10-13 responded. I feel that the very least they can do is to instruct that the priests give one sermon a year on compassion to animals. I am still waiting for that sermon. I also belong to Catholic Concern for Animals - founded in England in 1929. (They are on the internet) I recently sent a sample copy of their bi-monthly publication called the ARK to the 8 Catholic bishops of Ohio. Only ONE kindly responded. Somehow we have to reach the Christian teaching magisterium. There is next to nothing re animal concerns and compassion for them. They basically believe that animals are the lesser of God's creation and that gives us the right to do anything we want to them. Way wrong. We need to change their mindsets. The animals are God's first and He expects us to treat them compassionately.