17 Comments
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Stephanie Murphy's avatar

Wow Nancy, would you believe that I JUST found out about dog auctions in the last week, and then I see your post! I knew about puppy mills, but I did not know until the past few days that these discarded dogs are auctioned off when they are no longer profitable. I live in Texas and there is "Dog Alley" in Canton TX where dogs are sold to flea market patrons, and the conditions are deplorable. I pray it gets shut down. Anyway, I was looking to adopt a dog from a rescue, and they kept referring to the dog's previous "number". I learned that some rescues actually go to these auctions and buy dogs in order to save them from their horrible life. They spend hundreds, sometimes thousands, to treat every medical condition and rehabilitate the dogs for adoption to loving homes. Sorry for the long comment but this is something close to my heart!

I signed the petition AND left comment with the USDA. Thank you for these links!!! =)

Speaking for Spot's avatar

Thank you Stephanie!

Carol Millman's avatar

Wow, America really is a dystopia.

Sue Dougherty's avatar

Hi Nancy! Nice to see you here! I just got my substack up and running in January (Playing Offleash). This puppy mill stuff absolutely confirms for me how much humans suck. Petition signed and a new donation to Humane World for Animals made. Thanks for the awareness! Sue

Speaking for Spot's avatar

Hi Sue. What a blast from the past! Sounds like you are doing wonderfully well. I will definitely subscribe to Playing Offleash.

Sue Dougherty's avatar

Looking forward to reading more from you!

Donna Lambo-Weidner's avatar

Petition signed...Now on to the next step!

Justus Joseph, CPDT-KA's avatar

Thank you. I left a comment with them.

Judy Jennings's avatar

I feel sick

Lauren McKnight's avatar

I’d never even heard of dog auctions until I came across your articles and recently read A Dog Named 647. It was truly disturbing to find that those auctions exist and sadly not surprising at all. Thankfully we don’t have dog auctions here in the UK or Ireland.

Your articles and your book were a real eye-opener and such an important read. Over here in the UK, large-scale breeding tends to be far more closed off and private, and operations are referred to as “dog breeding establishments” which is just a dressed up term for puppy farm

There isn’t a public resale stage like the auctions you describe, which perhaps makes it less visible, but large-scale commercial breeding exists here too. It just operates quietly, mostly in rural areas and through online sales. Reading your work has made me look much more closely at how the system functions on this side of the Atlantic.

Speaking for Spot's avatar

Thanks for this thoughtful comment, Lauren.

Joan DeMartin's avatar

Thanks for sharing this information and putting out a call to action.

V Warren - nee Bicunas's avatar

I was going to ask if it was a disgusting as I thought it would be but I just read it and yes it is.

Roxy's avatar

Signed and sharing

Peggy Frezon's avatar

Our Sophie was a breeding mama in a puppy mill for 10 years. When we got her, she was the most broken and shut down of any dog we've rescued. Now she is happy and healthy, and an amazingly intuitive therapy dog, at 13 years old!