Indiana Puppy Mills - Video

As you may know if you read this site regularly, I detest puppy mills and often bring stories, images and videos to view. They are harsh are they are graphic because this is a cruel subject and people need to know and to understand if there are ever to be changes and an end to these cruelties.

Today I want to bring to your attention Indiana’s Amish Puppy Mills. When people think of the Amish, they tend to think of a people who live according to God’s word and religion but after you view this video, you’ll see a side of the Amish that many of you don’t know. You will see cruelty, heartlessness and greed.

This following is excerpts from an email from Kim Townsend of NoPuppyMills.com and PetShopPuppies.org:

Several years ago, I was contacted by someone who had witnessed the abuse and neglect of a dog (several dogs, in fact) at an Indiana Amish puppy mill. My first thought was “here we go again…someone who doesn’t understand that puppy mills are legal; another do-gooder who thinks they can solve the puppy mill problem overnight, and will disappear from the scene in a month or two when they realize the dog industry is a monster…much bigger than anything we can tackle alone.”

That wasn’t the case. This person has remained a true friend and has proven time and time again that her dedication and stamina far outweigh my own! For three years she has stopped at nothing to bring light to the problem of the Indiana Amish puppy mills. She started with what most would think was the simple route — the legal route. When prosecutors ignored her proof, she began to follow another route — the money trail. When tax officials showed no interest, she reached out to the media.

WTHR in Indianapolis became interested in her video and launched a nearly year-long investigation into puppy mills, however, they investigation led them away from the heart of the problem…the Indiana Amish mills, and into Missouri and the world of dog auctions. Don’t get me wrong, we were grateful for their coverage but the video submitted by this person was deemed too graphic for their broadcast and I personally don’t feel they were able to bring state-wide attention to the problem in Indiana .

We all know that puppy mills exist and we all know of the Amish puppy mill problem, but until you see this video, you can’t possibly understand how deep the problem goes. (The video above is the one referred to)

I warn you, there are some graphic images on the first video, but if you care anything about the problem of puppy mills, you will force yourself to watch this…it is essential that you watch this. I have seen and heard many things through the years that have angered and saddened me…but absolutely nothing like this. As I watched it, my heart was pounding, my brow was furrowed, and my eyes welled up with tears. Not tears of sadness, but tears of anger and determination.

There will be much more to follow, as PetShopPuppies plans to submit a comprehensive “package” of information to all elected officials in Indiana , as well as federal officials that have turned a blind eye to the problems in Indiana . 80% of the puppies coming from a large chain of pet stores in the Indianapolis area are coming from unlicensed and untraceable sources…ironically, this pet store is licensed by USDA (most pet stores do not have to be licensed, but this pet store acts as a broker by employing the Amish to pick up puppies for resale to other Indianapolis pet stores). We have obtained inspections reports on the pet store…which do document that they are buying from illegal sources, but to our knowledge, absolutely nothing is being done…no trace-backs are occurring, USDA is not doing anything about the unlicensed mills, and even less about the licensed ones!

This video is the first step to change…much more will follow, but I need you to view the video and pass it on to every list that you are on, dog related or not. Thank you for your time and consideration, I will keep you posted with updates.

Please, share this, email it, tell people. We need to get the word out. The first step to change is to acknowledge the problem and to educate. Every person who buys a puppy from a pet store or an internet or newspaper ad is just adding to the problem.

For even more information, read The Horrors of Puppy Mills and follow the comments, most of them lead to other stories and information as well.