Why should we voice against puppy mills?
Answers
Answer:
What in the world was Steve Chirico, the mayor of Naperville, Illinois thinking when he appointed Mike Isaac to serve on his city’s finance committee? Mr. Isaac may be a financial whiz kid, but his addition to city politics will surely perpetuate Naperville’s reputation as “the puppy mill outlet capital of America.”
Mike Isaac, puppy mills, and the AKC
Mr. Isaac is one of two owners of the Petland Store in Naperville, Illinois. What this means is that he operates his business in close cahoots with puppy mills.
When he’s not minding the store, Mike Isaac works at another business he owns called Canine Registrations, a company that works directly with the American Kennel Club (AKC) to assist with AKC registration development projects. He also spent a year serving as the AKC’s Director of Registration Development.
It makes sense that Mike Isaac’s professional life is so entwined with the AKC. There is much to be gained financially. The AKC generates tens of millions of dollars annually from puppy registrations. Sadly, it is estimated that more than 80% of this profit comes from puppy mill “merchandise”.
The AKC has a lengthy and consistent track record for speaking out against puppy mill reform legislation. This makes sense- eradication of puppy mills might just catapult the AKC into a state of financial ruin. I believe that Mike Isaac shares the AKC’s vested interest in the survival of puppy mills. I also believe that he has no place in public office anywhere within the United States.
The Naperville Petland Store
I visited the Naperville Petland Store website and found the following quote:
Our breeders are the foundation of our business. We work with both USDA licensed commercial breeders or hobby breeders who have 5 or fewer breeding mothers, and whom we have personally screened for reputable breeding practices. Most of our breeders are found right here in the Midwest, where a temperate climate is best for both the dogs and puppies.
Next, I clicked on the website’s “available puppies” icon. Ain’t no way the 70 puppies listed at the time of this writing (includes 37 different breeds along with some designer hybrids) come from the type of breeders described above. I’d bet the family farm (and my first born child) that Naperville’s “livestock” is sourced from puppy mills, same as for all the other Petland stores.
By the way Mr. Isaac, a temperate climate is one that is moderate, neither extremely hot nor cold. How in the world does this apply to the Midwest, the heartland of America’s puppy mills?
What we can do
Approval of Mike Isaac’s appointment to the Naperville Finance Committee is slated for August 11th. That means there is plenty of time for us to persuade Mayor Chirico and other city officials that Mr. Isaac’s appointment would be a mistake. You certainly don’t have to live in Naperville, or in Illinois for that matter, to speak out on this issue. The impact of puppy mills can be felt everywhere.