Help Put an End to Puppy Mills in Canada

Project Report | Mar 4, 2021
Increasing demand for puppies - beware of scammers

By Barbara Cartwright | CEO

Canadians from coast to coast continue looking to bring pets into their lives to fill the void of loneliness brought on by the pandemic. But that surge in demand is promoting irresponsible breeding practices and foreign imports of animals who are sick, or worse, sometimes turn up dead.

This past January, a well-intentioned family in Guelph, Ontario, was even defrauded of almost $4,000 in a puppy scam.

Such is the situation, that the Better Business Bureau estimated Canadians lost over $3 million dollars in pet-related scams in 2020. This impatient buying has people turning anywhere and everywhere to find a pet. Think Kijiji, online marketplaces, puppy mills and fly-by-night breeders looking to make a quick buck.

Reputable, responsible breeders do not resort to online classified ads to sell their litters. They rely on kennel clubs, official websites and word of mouth. A so-called breeder promoting its pups on social media is a red flag in and of itself.

Last fall, Humane Canada™ launched a public education campaign in partnership with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), the government agency in charge of regulating the import and export of animals in Canada, to educate the public on how to acquire a dog responsibly. We want everyone to be informed and equipped with the right facts to make a well-informed decision if they choose to purchase a pup.

We are getting ready to launch the second phase of this campaign this spring.

Moreover, close to 6,000 concerned Canadians have signed a petition asking our Federal Government to ban puppy mills. The petition is sponsored by MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith and is open for signatures until March 15th (link below).

Before you bring a dog into your lives, please ensure you are well-informed. We know you don’t want to be scammed or to inadvertently support a puppy mill operation in your quest to give a pup a forever home.

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Nov 11, 2020
As the holidays approach, be mindful of where you re sourcing your dogs from.

By Barbara Cartwright | CEO

Puppies seized from a puppy mill in Quebec in 2013

It’s been almost 5 months since hundreds of sickly, stressed out and dead puppies arrived in Toronto from a flight originating in Ukraine.

When the news broke out, dog lovers throughout Canada were outraged and demanded stricter rules and regulations regarding the importations of dogs from international “breeders”.

Before we look outwards, we suggest looking inwards. What is the state of dog breeding in our own country? In Canada, we don't have any laws specifically against puppy mills. But the worst puppy mills are in violation of animal cruelty laws due to the suffering and distress endured by the animals. The problem is that they are located in rural areas and are difficult for humane society or SPCA inspectors to uncover.

As the holidays approach and more people continue to work from home, demands for companion animals, especially dogs, are increasing. So, how do we know if we are inadvertently supporting a puppy mill? If you are choosing the breeder route when adding a canine member to your family, consider asking the breeder the following questions:

- How long have you been breeding?

- How many litters have you bred?

- Can I see where the puppies and dams are being housed?

- What were your goals for this litter?

You can find out a more comprehensive list of questions to ask your breeder at https://humanecanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Essential-questions-to-ask-a-breeder.pdf

We continue to bring attention to the issue of puppy mills by working on a two-pronged approach:

We are working with government officials to strengthen the regulations regarding illegal, commercial dog breeding operations, also known as puppy mills.
We are creating a public awareness campaign to educate the public on how to screen potential breeders and how to make adoption their first choice when bringing a dog into their lives.

In the meantime, we invite you to sign the anti-puppy mill pledge, available through our website https://humanecanada.ca/stoppuppymills/

By adding your name you will pledge to:

Help people make smart, informed and caring decisions about getting a pet
Educate other pet owners about responsible pet ownership
Clearly show people how to recognize reputable and non-reputable sources and how to avoid heartache and expense
Prevent adopters from perpetuating the non-reputable pet sourcing industry by referring them to known, recognized and reputable sources

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