Events
Saturday, May 20th was a big day in Birmingham, Alabama and one of our members, Debbie Dodd, found herself in the "Birmingham News" newspaper that day. She and her hubby walked in the annual Do Dah Day Parade with their two adorable babies being pushed in a Hot Dog Cart. Do Dah Days is sponsored by the Birmingham Humane Society here in Birmingham and Debbie has participated in the event for several years.
PUPPY
MILL AWARENESS DAY
Saturday, September 17, 2005 marked the first annual Puppy Mill Awareness Day
event held at Wolf's Pond Park, off Hyland Blvd. on Staten Island, New York.
Rep, Laura Bolle had a table set up with lots of informational brochures and
flyers for folks to take home. The rain held off all day. Laura
spoke to lots and lots of people and everyone took flyers and booklets.
Many volunteered to help out at the next event. It was a good crowd for a
first event. There was media there and lots of people and dogs.
Laura says she thinks they made a dent and opened some eyes.
Critter Haven had sent Laura 20 magnets to have at her table to sell, but the
magnets did not arrive in time for the event and this was a big disappointment.
Laura and her husband, plus another couple (Laura Amato & hubby) had worked
very hard getting this event together. They say it was lots of work, but
also lots of fun and they are ready to do it all again. Here's a few of
the pictures from the event last Saturday.
PUPPYMILLS...ILLEGAL CATTERIES...BACK YARD BREEDERS..
Puppy Mills...Illegal
Catteries...Back Yard Breeders....they all have something in common.
They are breeding unhealthy, uncertified, poorly kept animals who want
nothing more out of life than to be loved. Many live in
cramped cages, with little attention, no socializing, and at times go
without food and/or water, not to mention the health care they are not
receiving. All back yard breeders, etc., are not necessarily dirty
with cramped cages. Some have fairly decent surroundings, some are quite
immaculate, but the end result is the same. Corners are cut, puppies
are not socialized, the parents are not screened properly, and the bottom
line is they are in it for the profit they make from these animals.
Most of these animals are ill-fed, bred each heat, abused and/or
neglected, left alone most of the time except for feeding, and never see
the inside of a house. Some are, at times, house pets, and for the
benefit of the children needing to see how nature works, or the wanting to
breed their female to the male down the street so they can have one of
Fluffy's pups, they breed. But what about the puppies? Are
they going to be healthy? Have either of the parents been screened
for genetic disease or other problems? The offspring are then found
to be a nusiance, sold to those who will not have a clue as to their
condition other than they are cute...and they wriggle...and they are just
so fun when they are puppies. Or they are piled in a box and offered
at the local supermarket doorway. Or they wind up at the local shelter
because they don't want to be bothered with the training.
These puppies grow up. Many will have health problems. Many
will get sick and die. Some will be shy and/or aggressive,
either untrained or overtrained, and the hereditary diseases they can
carry as baggage, are to drain your pockets with vet visits. Puppies
and kitties do not have to be in this shape or be of these unknown
temperaments. Nor do they have to have these terrible diseases they
come with. When you buy a puppy or kitten from a pet store you are
essentially buying a "pig in a poke". You have no idea
what you are getting until the vet bills begin to roll in.
Buy your puppy or kitten from a "responsible and reputable
breeder", or go to the pound or shelter. Do NOT buy from pet
stores and online web sites that have no guarantees for you, and sell
their puppies and kittens to the first person with the cash. You
wouldn't buy a vehicle unseen, so why a living, breathing animal that
should bring you ten to fifteen years of wonderful companionship?
Reputable breeders screen their buyers, and vice versa. Is
your breeder asking you the right questions? Are you asking the
right questions? It makes all the difference in what you get. A
reputable breeder will take the pup back any time during their lifetime.
Not just if they have a problem. Read "How to buy a purebred puppy
"
Join our group and help stop these atrocities. Join us and
learn more about these puppies and kitties, and the pet stores who sell
these precious little animals, and learn about the bitch's
that give them life, and the lives they live -- in a cage. Please visit us
at: http://www.Critterhaven.net
WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT PUPPYMILLS & KITTYMILLS?
The
single most important thing that each of us can do is to EDUCATE the
public. Until the public is aware of the fact that most puppies and
kittens come from these horrible mills, the pet stores will continue to
sell these
animals. Backyard breeders will continue to breed less than desirable pups
and kittens. We MUST get the word to as many people as possible. One way
you can educate many people at one time is to set up a table at the annual
dog events throughout 
your state, such as what Carol Johnson did at the Dog Daze Festival in
Trussville, Alabama the first weekend in August. Carol reserved a space to
set up a table especially for educating the public. There was a picture
taking session where folks could get their dog's picture taken and picture
was placed inside a beautiful gold frame and the dogs were given a free
bandana which attracted people to this table. Many flyers were distributed
and lots of people went home with a better understanding of where pet
store puppies and kittens came from. Here is a picture of the table she
set up and a picture of one of the dogs having it's picture taken.
2002
- Lisa Mulvey
who attended the "Paws March Against Puppy Mills" on May 4th submitted
these pictures of the Critter Haven table and the march to the Capitol. Reps
representing Critter Haven at this event were: Lisa Mulvey from PA,
Georganne Shelton, Karen Luzzi and Shari Wexler, all from N.J.
DOG
FAIR –
Boni Galarneau and Karen Chase represented Critter Haven at the Dog Fair and had
plenty of literature available to offer to attendees at the Fair, informing them
about the sad reality of puppy mills and pet stores puppies. It was surprising
to discover how many people had no idea that pet store puppies usually come from
puppy mills and were horrified to discover the conditions that they are bred
under.
One of the other booth representatives stopped by the Critter Haven booth and
remarked, "I'm so glad that there is SOMEONE out there telling people about
puppy mills. Thanks for coming!"
Boni took along Cricket, her rescued miniature pinscher who spent 8 long years
in a Missouri puppy mill. Cricket has been a member of Boni's family just eight
months. She is still anxious around crowds and is terrified of children. Boni
told Cricket's story to the folks that visited the booth.
She was quite content to sit in Boni's lap at the booth and allowed
individuals to pet her head and stroke her ears.
Karen
brought along her rescued dog, Bud. He is a very mellow fellow, quite laid back
and was friendly with everyone.
During the Dog Fair, an agility course was set up and visitors had the chance to see what fun it is to work with your dog in agility. Several dogs zoomed through the course with ease. Visitors had the opportunity to take their own dogs on the various apparatus on the course and see that it takes a bit of practice to get the hang of it!
A show ring was also set up and a Parade of Pets was held so that the many
breeds that were there could be shown. Among the breeds represented were
Dobermans, Norwich Terrier, Chinese Crested, Labrador Retriever, Great Dane,
Chow Chow, Schnauzer, Rottweiler, Dachshund, Miniature Pinscher, Boxer, and
more.
Some of the other booths at the Dog Fair included Great Dane Rescue, Roswell
Animal Humane Association, and several breed clubs. Also available was
information on pet first aid, and microchipping your pet.
Although the public turnout was less than hoped for, CH reps did have a chance
to pass out some of the printable brochures from the CH website and to talk with
people about the reality of puppy mills. We look forward to participating
in the 2nd Annual Dog Fair in Roswell, NM next spring.
===================================================================
Critter
Haven, Inc. will be represented by
Groups that have been invited include a local shelter, rescue group, rabbit and
guinea pig rescue and a purebred dog rescue group. A dog trainer will be
available to discuss obedience training, behavioral solutions and adopting a
rescued dog. A representative from Petfinder will also be on hand with a
working computer to show interested adopters how to search their web site for
the right pet.
CH will be distributing literature regarding puppy mills, "free to good
home" ads and other relevant topics.
A Critter Haven table was set up at the FOAW event on September 28, 2002. Shari Wexler and Georganne Shelton represented CH at this event. They passed out a lot of literature, talked to many folks and sold some of the CH cookbooks.
From Shari...............
Georganne and I had a GREAT day at our event
today, the dog walk/fair in Wayne, NJ. It was a beautiful day and there
was a good turnout; we had a steady flow of people.
We sold 4 cookbooks and got $7 in donations.
We gave out 50+ CH brochures and auction flyers. Georganne had printed and
framed color photos of puppy mills, in order of where the puppies are born and
ending at the pet store. Unfortunately, it was a VERY windy day, possibly
effects of one of the hurricanes and we couldn't display all the colorful
graphics and eye-catching literature we had.
Georganne brought her pitbull Bonnie Belle, who was probably the single reason
why so many people stopped at our table - some multiple times! She made
many friends and was fantastic example of the breed. I nominate Bonnie
Belle for the CH mascot! <g>
Georganne spoke at length with some people from 4-H.
Georganne took some pictures. We even had our picture taken with Scooby
Doo.
We think we reached a lot of people who said they didn't know about puppy mills.
We both thought it was a very worthwhile day and are committed to looking
for more events we can attend.
Shari
Here are some pictures they brought back from the event.
Georganne (with her dog), Scoobie Doo & Shari
Shari, Bonnie Belle & Georganne
Georganne with Bonnie Belle
Shari with Bonnie Bell
Bonnie Belle gets all the attention
Sun won't burn Bonnie Belle's head
Walk the Dog, a special day for the dogs, was held in Corrales, New Mexico on Sunday, June 1st, 2003.
The event was sponsored by Bro & Tracy Inc., a non-profit animal rescue group dedicated to help individual animals connect with the right people, help other nonprofit rescue organizations in their mission, and provide education that will result in more successful adoptions. Participants paid a nominal registration fee and were eligible for door prizes, received T-shirts and a bag of goodies for their 4-legged companions.
The 3 mile walk was held along one of the natural acequias (also known as a “ditch”) in Corrales. Large Cottonwoods shaded most of the route. Volunteers were on hand to provide traffic control at the 2 roads we crossed, as well as having several watering holes along the way for both 2 legged and 4 legged walkers!
Various rescue groups and animal related vendors had booths set up on the large soccer fields where the event was held. Information was available from many of the local breed rescue groups.
Critter Haven rep, Boni Galarneau, brought along 2 of her dogs and a ton of information to educate people about puppy mills. Several folks came up and spoke with her expressing satisfaction that SOMEONE was finally telling people about puppy mills! One of Boni’s dogs, a miniature pinscher, is a puppy mill survivor and was very receptive to the many folks who offered to scratch her ears and pat her back.
Other events following the walking portion of “Walk the Dog” included a hot dog bobbing contest where pieces of hot dogs were placed in a bucket of water. Brave dogs eagerly dunked down to grab the tasty, but water-logged morsels! There was a fly ball demonstration, an agility demonstration, a parade of “rescue dogs” for everyone to show off their rescued dog – some were from shelters, others just wandered into the lives of their new found owners.
Many pictures of the event can be viewed at www.joycefay.com Click on the link for “Walk the Dog”.
The event was considered a success with annual repeats in the works!
The Pet Fair
On
their 2nd Annual Pet Fair at
Karen Chase and Boni Galarneau. They had some tables set up again this
year
offering a variety of handouts to the visiting public informing them about
puppy mills, pet store puppies, spay/neuter, what to look for in a puppy,
where to find a new puppy/dog, etc…
Boni brought her 10 year old miniature pinscher, Cricket, a puppy mill
survivor. Cricket spent the first 8 years of her life in a
mill as a breeder bitch. She was rescued and went into minpin rescue with
IMPS (Internet Miniature Pinscher Service). Boni adopted her after reading
about her history on their website. Cricket has been a member of Boni’s
family for 20 months and is slowly learning to trust people. Cricket had
her own little playpen from which to watch the activities of the day. She
greeted visitors with a happy smile and a wagging nubbin of a tail! She
met
2 other minpins who were visiting the Pet Fair at the park.
Karen brought along one of her fosters, Marlo, a Dalmatian mix. Marlo is
everyone’s friend, full of slobbery wet kisses that she will plant on your
face, ready or not! Marlo was a great ambassador for Critter Haven
demonstrating that shelter dogs can, indeed, turn out to be wonderful
companions.
Many other booths were
represented by rescue groups and shelters and offered
a wealth of information, door prizes, and assorted items to purchase for
your companion pet.
An agility course was set up and folks got the chance to see various dogs
run through the paces of the course.
A herding dog demonstration was given and we all watched this wonderful border
collie show her stuff, herding a group of goats across the field, through
a
gate and then back into the trailer. It was truly amazing to watch this
dog
at work!
Karen and Boni had the opportunity to talk to many folks, educating them
about the reality of puppy mills, alternatives for acquiring a new family
pet, and the importance of spay/neuter. All in all, it was a great
afternoon to spend at the park!
2005
BARK-IN-THE-PARK, RIO RANCHO, NM
Boni Galarneau represented Critter Haven
Inc., at “Bark in the Park,” an
annual event in Rio Rancho, NM (near
In addition to information about dogs/cats available for adoption, there were numerous activities held throughout the day including agility competition and demonstrations, freestyle doggie dancing, frisbee/ball retrieving contests, and bobbing for hot dogs.
Boni set up a booth representing both Critter Haven and Doberman Rescue of NM. She had two tables set up under her canopy and had the opportunity to talk to many people about the horrors of puppy mills. Set up close to the display, Boni had a child’s playpen with her own puppy mill survivor, “Cricket”, who is Boni’s first puppy mill rescue dog. Cricket was delighted to meet so many people, young and old alike. At first many people thought she was a puppy – or a “miniature Doberman!” But then they read the short article hanging on the playpen that described Cricket’s first 8 years of life as a breeder dog in a Missouri puppy mill. They were amazed at the way she looked today.
Boni created her tabletop display using the recent award-winning science fair project of Rachel‘s as a model. The display was as eye catching as Rachel’s and drew many people in to get a closer look, giving Boni an opportunity to pass on a few more facts and encourage folks to adopt a rescue rather than buy at a pet store.
Boni will set up the same display at the Albuquerque Pet Adopt-a-thon which will be held at the NM State Fairgrounds on May 6-8, 2005. Thousands of people will turn out for this event in the hopes of adopting a dog/cat from one of the area shelters or rescue groups. They will also have a chance to see the display, learn more about puppy mills and how they can help to shut them down.
Rachel – your science project is getting national exposure – and you have helped many people to learn about the horrors of puppy mills. Boni is grateful for your hard work!
2005
PET ADOPT-A-THON IN Cricket is now a feisty 13 years of age and goes with Boni
to various rescue This was one of the most successful events that Boni has
experienced and she Once again, Boni extends her sincere thanks to Rachel for
designing such an
ALBUQUERQUE, NM
The 9th Annual Pet Adopt-a-thon was held May 6-8, 2005 at the EXPO New
Mexico State Fairgrounds in Albuquerque, NM. Participating in the event
were the Albuquerque Animal Shelters, the Animal Humane Association of NM,
and various other vendor and animal rescue groups.
Critter Haven was represented at this event by Boni Galarneau, along with
“Cricket”, one of her rescued dogs. Cricket spent 8 long years in a tiny
wire cage as a breeder dog in a Missouri puppy mill. She was rescued in May
2000 at a mill auction and was adopted by Boni in September 2000.
events as an ambassador for Critter Haven. Her personality has blossomed
during the years she has spent in her forever home and her bubbly attitude
draws people in to meet her and learn more about Critter Haven.
Boni shared information about puppy mills, pet stores, spay/neuter, and
adopting pets with many people who visited the Critter Haven table at the 3
day event. She was also able to sell $75 worth of rescue magnets, and
provided the website address to others who plan to order additional magnets
online.
had the chance to speak at length with several people who learned for the
first time about the relationship between puppy mills and pet stores.
eye catching display board. The photos and simply stated facts definitely
made an impact in educating people about puppy mills and how they could make
a difference.
