What do puppy mills and cigarette companies have in common?

In the past several weeks I noticed that I was reading story after story on puppy mills, laws about puppy mills, rescues from puppy mills, arrests at puppy mills, adoptions from puppy mills AND I was reading story after story on cigarettes, Obama signs a tobacco law, cash strapped states levey .50, .80, 1.50 per pack tax on cigarettes, a plan is underway to ban all smoking in the military.

Yes, puppy mills and cigarette companies are very unpopular subjects and are the target of many groups. Here are a sample of a few of the headlines making news for puppy mills from just the past few weeks:

Living with shame-Missouri fed up with reputation as puppy mill state

California Puppy Mill Bill Goes Before Senate Panel

Humane Society says local store still buying puppies from puppy mill

500 Dogs Seized from Puppy Mill (Bowie Texas)
Texas Humane Legislation Network Calls for Puppy Mill Crackdown

Tennessee Governor Signs Bill to Combat Abuse in Puppy Mills

Missouri takes legal action against puppy mills

Carroll Co. dog breeder accused of running puppy mill must close ..

And here are some on cigarettes:

Debate over hefty cigarette tax hike heats up

State-Specific Prevalence and Trends in Adult Cigarette Smoking ...

Study recommends total ban on smoking for soldiers
War on smoking: Report calls for military to phase out tobacco ...

Obama signs landmark tobacco law
Shocking images deter cigarette smokers: WHO

Poll shows broad support for tobacco tax increase
More than seven out of 10 California voters support a $1.50-per-pack increase in the state cigarette tax as a way to narrow the state's ...
Most Californians clamor for a tobacco tax increase BloggingStocks
Polls show bipartisan voter support for tobacco tax Ventura County Star

Yes, both Puppy Mills and cigarettes are unpopular with almost everyone, and for good reason. And if we can predict the future by headlines, both of them are going to be legislated out of existence.

Puppy mills usually have deplorable living conditions for their 'breeding stock' and the puppies that come from them often are genetically flawed. And those flaws typically turn into serious health problems and even death as a result of inbreeding and poor living conditions. (just read a few of the linked articles if you're not familiar with puppy mill conditions).

I've had many experiences with pet owners who bought an adorable puppy from a breeder or pet store only to have illness and expensive vet bills, suffering and a shortened life result. I've seen so much suffering as a result of puppy mills.....just horrible, horrible suffering by both dog and owner.

Puppy mills are inhumane to the extreme - and the poor animals have no say in being part of a puppy mill. Who does have a say are people who buy from them.

Cigarettes also only have ultimate bad effects on smokers and those around them. There is no good effect that they produce (and you can probably tell by now that I am not a smoker. I hate smoking).

Both of these activites are around because of a common thing. There is a market for what is being produced by them. For puppy mills, it is from unscrupulous breeders and pet stores who knowingly purchase the puppies. For cigarette companies, it is the people who buy tobacco as cigarettes, cigars, etc.

But I'm only happy if one of these two activities is eradicated through legislation.

Puppy mills. Since it is often hard to tell where that adorable puppy came from unless you happen to know the parents, too many pet owners wind up with a puppy mill puppy because of lies and deceit. They are not CHOOSING to give business to a puppy mill.

Cigarettes on the other hand are a lifestyle choice. If people chose not to smoke, there would be no market for them and cigarette companies would go out of business.

But I don't think the government has a right to say what a person can or can not do on their own and I don't think that taxing or legislating tobacco is the way to get people to stop smoking.

Smoking is a choice and people who smoke choose to smoke and when they stop, they CHOOSE to stop.

And speaking of that choice, here is one of the BEST HEADLINES I've read in awhile on this very subject:

Study finds pet owners who smoke will try to quit for animals' health . Now that's a win-win headline for all concerned, don't you think?

Tell me what you think by commenting below:

To yours and your pet's health,

Adam
VetLocator.com