Puppy Mill Awareness Week Continues

Today is Day Two of ACHS's Puppy Mill Awareness Week, and a quick jaunt up to College Gate will show just how determined ACHS volunteers are to spread the message. Braving bursts of wind meant to halt their efforts, they continued setting up and resetting up posters and flyers that inform people passing by about the horrific realities of puppy mills.

Now, I know what it's like to feel bombarded at College Gate with flyers and sign up sheets (did you register to vote?), but the ACHS table is obviously different. Their goal is not a self-serving one. It is, according to ACHS Vice President Shelley Lieberman, to let "people know what puppy mills are and that they supply to pet stores." Hopefully, students walking by receiving free cookies and puppy chow with little flyers attached will take the time to read and understand the message, and then remember the information when they go to adopt their next pet.

The tables, set up in front of College Gate and Baker Center from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., are part of Puppy Mill Awareness Week, an ACHS initiative to inform people about the horrors of puppy mills. The initiative actually started yesterday, and ACHS volunteer Mary Quinn has been pleased with the results. "Students were very receptive," she said. "It was nice to see them walking away and actually reading [the brochures]."

Shelley Lieberman and Mary Quinn fight against the wind while trying
to set up their informational table in front of College Gate

Mary manned one of the tables yesterday form 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and during those short two hours the group actually ran out of flyers and had to go print more. "It was really exciting," she said adding that a lot of students were surprised and upset to find out about puppy mills and the pet stores that supply them.

"I actually had one person contradict me," Mary said, referring to information about Petland selling puppy mill dogs. A visitor to the table told Mary that her roommate worked at Petland, and that the dogs are not from puppy mills. Mary, however, remains unconvinced.

"I went to Petland to scope it out," she said, "and they try really hard to sell you the puppy you are playing with." Along with mentioning breed regulations she's never heard of and the fact that Petland is currently being sued by the HSUS for selling puppy mill dogs, Mary is even more suspicious of the company.

"It makes me wonder what they are telling their workers," she said.

Puppy Mill Awareness Week will end on Saturday, April 4 with a peaceful protest against Petland from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Those interested should meet in the parking lot next to Hollywood Video.

Also, as part of the awareness week, the ACHS will be hosting a fundraiser at The Crystal from 4 to 8 p.m. T-shirts that are on sale at the tables for $12 dollars will also be sold at the bar, and all tips and donations will go to the humane society. So if you are looking for something to do Thursday evening, come to The Crystal and start off the weekend with a drink and a contribution!