Pet store puppy mill scandal on CBS and in NY Times and LA Times 12/12/07

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Focusing on the ritzy little Bel Air pet store at which Paris Hilton shops, HSUS has carried out a pet store and puppy mill investigation, which has received loads of media coverage. Both the New York Times and Los Angeles have covered the story in today's, Wednesday December 12, editions. And amongst many news outlets, the CBS Early Show has featured the story and included footage of puppy mills. If you have never seen these places, check out the CBS stories at:http://tinyurl.com/3bk6t8and http://tinyurl.com/2wfx9jAnd please be sure to thank the Early Show! Go tohttp://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/feedback/fb_news_form.shtml and choose Early Show from the pulldown menu.Today's New York Times article on the issue, by Rebecca Cathcart, is headed, "Humane Society Traces Expensive Pups to Pet Mills." (Pg

A20)It opens:"A pet store in the Bel-Air neighborhood deceived customers, including Hollywood celebrities, about the origin of their puppies, many of which come from unlicensed pet mills, according to a Humane Society of the United States investigation released Tuesday. "The investigation looked at dog breeders, pet auctions and pet stores that form a chain of supply for the expensive dogs that can be found along the streets of Beverly Hills, often in sweaters and rhinestone collars. "These so-called puppy mills are large-scale breeding operations that have a reputation for abuse, inbreeding and filthy conditions."Wayne Pacelle, president of HSUS, is quoted: ''We're not singling out Pets of Bel Air as the sole operation at fault. But they are representative.'' You'll find the full article on line at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/12/us/12puppies.htmlYou can send a letter to the editor at lettersThe

Los Angeles Times article, by Carla Hall, is headed, "Animal group says Westside pet shop sold from puppy mills." (Dec 12, pg B2)It includes similar information, including this quote from Pacelle:"Our employees were on the inside of Pets of Bel Air. Our undercover investigators found staffers were knowingly misrepresenting how the dogs were obtained."And we learn,"Pacelle showed a video of people who the Humane Society contends were Pets of Bel Air employees, on which they state that they try not to refer to an animal as 'sick' even if it is ill."You'll find the whole article on line at:http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-puppies12dec12,0,6795042.storyThe Los Angeles Times takes letters at lettersThis story presents the perfect opportunity for letters to the editor about the joys of adoption. Write to either of the papers above, or go to http://stoppuppymills.org/ to learn more, view footage, and use the

information for a letter to your local paper. Christmas puppy season is the perfect time to write! If you have any trouble finding the correct email address for a letter to the editor I am happy to help -- and I am happy to edit letters. Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when sending a letter to the editor. Remember that shorter letters are more likely to be published. Yours and the animals',Karen Dawn(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at http://www.DawnWatch.com. You may forward or reprint DawnWatch alerts if you do so unedited -- leave DawnWatch in the title and include this parenthesized tag line. If somebody forwards DawnWatch alerts to you, which you enjoy, please help the list grow by signing up. It is free.)To discontinue DawnWatch

alerts go to http://www.DawnWatch.com/nothanks.php-------You are d to DawnWatch using the following address:dogs_goodWed Dec 12 11:27:34 2007

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