SPCA Florida Denounces SPCA Tampa Bay’s Commercial Dog Breeding Partnership
SPCA Florida does not support, nor associate with, the recent decisions of a local Bay Area shelter to partner with the commercial dog breeding industry.
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SPCA Florida is a local independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization and not affiliated or associated with any other organization with SPCA in its name.
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In response to recent media coverage of SPCA Tampa Bay partnering with a puppy-selling store and broker (puppy mill), SPCA Florida is reaching out to the community to ensure residents are aware of the cruel practice of commercial dog breeding and to distinguish our position on the retail sale of dogs in stores.
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SPCA Florida clearly denounces the sale of dogs and cats in stores and condemns the inherently cruel commercial dog breeding industry that thrives on the retail sale of puppies.
We strongly support state legislation prohibiting the retail sale of dogs and cats in stores.
Puppy-selling retail stores obtain their dogs from commercial dog breeders, also known as puppy mills, through a pipeline of breeders and brokers. Puppy mills put profit before the welfare of the animals in their care, keeping breeding dogs confined in filthy conditions with poor veterinary care, little socialization or grooming, and ceaseless breeding for years. Consumers who purchase puppies in stores often report that their puppies were ill at the time of purchase or later suffered from congenital disease due to poor breeding practices.
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SPCA Florida urges people looking to add a four-legged family member into their household to adopt from a shelter or rescue group. If you are looking for a particular breed, many shelters and rescue groups have specific dog breeds available for adoption.
When adoption is not an option, please ensure that the breeder is responsible and not a commercial puppy mill or backyard breeder. Responsible dog breeders do not sell their dogs to brokers or stores for resale. Make sure that you meet the parents of the puppy and visit the premises where the dogs are bred and raised to ensure that the breeder provides high-quality living conditions, socialization, and veterinary care for their dogs.
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This is a devastating decision from SPCA Tampa Bay, especially when Florida shelters are over-capacitated and over-populated with the unusually high number of homeless cats and dogs coming in every single day.
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Please consider adopting a shelter animal when it comes to your next pet. Saving a life is the most precious act you can do, especially for the homeless animal you adopt.
