Aaron Zellhoefer, Minnesota state director of Humane World for Animals (formerly the Humane Society of the United States), needs your help to protect puppies and their mothers.
Zellhoefer and his team are working to eliminate the puppy-mill-to-pet-store pipeline in Minnesota. While there are only four puppy stores in the state, none located in Woodbury, nothing prevents additional operators from opening new locations or for existing local stores to change their practices. These shops source from mills where mother dogs are often kept in wire cages just inches larger than their bodies and forced to have litter after litter.
Zellhoefer shared an incident uncovered earlier this year by Humane World: “In the pet store’s back room, a tiny brown-and-white Havanese puppy was sick and lethargic and left entirely alone to suffer. Staff members failed to take the puppy to a veterinarian, and she died.”
The suffering extends to the families who buy these puppies. Minnesotans have recently testified before state legislators about sick dogs, overwhelming vet bills and the heartbreak of losing a new pet despite their best efforts.
Zellhoefer is pursuing two efforts to end this cruelty in Minnesota. The first is encouraging cities to pass ordinances banning the retail sale of puppies. No Woodbury pet stores currently sell puppies, but there is nothing stopping a corporate or individual decision to start selling puppy-mill dogs here. So far, Zellhoefer has helped 15 cities pass these ordinances and is looking for allies to support a similar ban in Woodbury.
A statewide solution is now on the table: a bill before the Minnesota Legislature that would ban the sale of puppies in pet shops across the state. Sen. Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger is a co-author of the bill, but the support of Rep. Ethan Cha and the soon-to-be elected representative in Woodbury will be essential for it to pass.
Like many Woodbury residents, Zellhoefer knows the joy of a dog’s companionship. He hopes for a future where all puppies, and their mothers, are as healthy and safe as his own rescue beagles.
