Want to help stop puppy mills?
Below is a sample letter you can send to your legislators.

*************

The Honorable {Legislator’s Name}
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear {Sen/Rep Name}:

Do you love dogs? I know many of your constituents do and I’d like to take this opportunity to talk with you about an issue that is very important to me as a taxpayer and citizen of the great state of {state}.

I don’t know how familiar you are with Puppy Mills (large-scale commercial dog breeding), but the welfare of our canine companions has become a huge concern for me and for many others in our state.

In addition to being a constituent of yours, I am an active supporter of Harley’s Dream, a nationwide movement created in honor of a little one-eyed Chihuahua named Harley.

Harley lived 10 years in the puppy mill, producing puppies for pet stores. He became sick and was thrown into a bucket to die. When dogs in puppy mills are no longer producing a profit, they are discarded, typically killed. Fortunately, a kennel worker pulled Harley out of the bucket and got him to a rescue group, from which he was adopted. Harley survived and went on to become the voice and face of puppy mill dogs everywhere. He spent years raising funds to rescue dogs from puppy mills, and personally traveled on many rescue trips, saving and caring for thousands of dogs. In 2015, he was named the American Hero Dog for his work against puppy mills. Sadly, he passed away in 2016. “Harley’s Dream” was formed in his honor, a non-profit organization whose mission is to raise awareness and educate the public about the cruel realities of the puppy mill industry in our country.

Did you know? Three million animals are euthanized in U.S. shelters each year, while about two million puppies are produced by puppy mills annually. Puppy mills are located all across the country, including our own state. Puppies are bred here or are shipped into our state to supply the pet stores with puppies to sell. Responsible breeders exist and they DO NOT send their puppies to pet stores to be sold. Pet store puppies ARE puppy mill puppies.

Did you know? If puppy mills didn’t exist, there would be 75% fewer dogs in our shelters across the country. THAT is the impact puppy mills have on the overpopulation crisis!

The puppy mill industry is currently poorly regulated by the USDA under the Animal Welfare Act. It provides at best minimal survival regulations for the commercial breeding of dogs. For example, breeding dogs can be (and are) caged their entire lives in cages no more than 6” longer, taller, and wider than they are – without ever stepping foot on grass and most never experience sunshine. Breeding dogs can (and are) legally caged forever in dark barns or outside year-round in the elements. And all so pet stores can sell the puppies to the unsuspecting public. Don’t our canine companions deserve better than this?

The entire puppy mill industry is an atrocity that has gone on long enough. Animals, at the very least, should be respected and cared for in a compassionate way.

While hundreds of jurisdictions nationwide, and even the state of California, have passed laws and increased regulations to reform this puppy mill industry and to advocate for animal welfare, we need improved laws in our state NOW to stop this horror

I urge you to educate yourself more on this important topic and support any legislation that reflects our concern for these dogs. Let us be the kind of state who leads the efforts of animal welfare in our country and makes the changes necessary to properly care for our canine companions! I encourage you to learn more by visiting http://www.harleysdream.org

Thank you.

Sincerely,
{Your Name}
{Your Address}
In support of HarleysDream.org

************

Find your state legislators here: https://www.congress.gov/state-legislature-websites