BERTHOUD, Colo., October 21, 2019 (Newswire.com) - Harley’s Dream, a Colorado-based animal welfare non-profit organization is planning a peaceful pet store protest on South Cleveland Ave, Loveland, CO. It will be held on Saturday, October 26th from 12 – 1:30 pm. The organization has been peacefully protesting a pet store in that vicinity for several years. This particular protest will be in honor of Teddy, a puppy mill dog who recently passed away, and will also be in celebration of the placement of a nearby Loveland puppy mill awareness billboard.
According to Harley’s Dream founder, Rudi Taylor, “The goal of peaceful protests is to educate consumers about the connection between pet stores and puppy mills and to encourage pet stores to switch to the humane business model of only selling pet supplies, not puppies and kittens.”
Peaceful protests are one avenue of raising awareness about the puppy mill – pet store connection; billboards are another!
A compelling billboard was unveiled mid-month on Hwy 287 just south of 8th Street in Loveland and will stay up indefinitely to further educate and raise awareness about puppy mills and the pet store connection.
Harley, the tiny senior one-eyed Chihuahua depicted in the compelling billboard, lived for 10 years in a puppy mill, losing his eye when his cage was power-washed with him still in it. He was rescued, and because of his work against puppy mills, went on to be awarded the 2015 American Hero Dog.
It is estimated by industry experts that 98% of puppies sold in pet stores come from puppy mills. Responsible breeders would never sell their puppies to a pet store. A puppy mill is defined as a large-scale commercial dog breeding operation where profit is given priority over the well-being of the dogs. Breeding dogs at these facilities are crowded into wire bottomed cages that are only required by federal regulations to be 6” longer, wider and taller than the dog. They will likely live their entire lives in this space, and females will be bred every single cycle, with their puppies shipped off to be sold at pet stores. These breeding dogs will receive little to no veterinary care, rarely know a kind human touch or have their feet ever touch grass. This is how the parents of pet store puppies live.
We believe that if the public knew the truth about where pet store puppies come from, puppy mills would no longer exist. Our peaceful pet store protests and billboards around the country are educating people daily.
Harley’s Dream was also the driving force behind the recent passage of a pet retail ban ordinance in Berthoud. They have been involved in and supportive of many other ordinances including the recent Breckenridge, CO ban of the retail sale of puppies & kittens, and they are currently working on and supporting the passage of similar ordinance in many municipalities across the state and country. “There is growing momentum as the public becomes aware of the pet store / puppy mill connection and the general public is proving that they support measures to ensure the humane treatment of our companion animals.”
Harley’s Dream, formed in Harley’s memory, is a grassroots, non-profit organization whose mission is to educate the public about the cruel puppy mill industry.
To find out more about Harley’s Dream or to join the movement, visit: www.harleysdream.org
Source: Harley's Dream
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