A peaceful protest was staged in the downtown area Monday to bring public awareness of buying that cute little puppy from a puppy mill.
According to Karen Johns, spokesperson for the protest group, several back yard breeders and puppy mills are ripping people off by selling sick puppies to the public, which in turn could end up costing you thousands of dollars in vet bill if the puppy survives.
"It's all about profit with the puppy mill operation known in the Echo Bay area who sells small "toy" dogs."
Johns says she believes operators of puppy mills do not care about the well being of the dogs that are bred or the puppies they produce. Often times, the dogs used for breeding are kept in small cages all their lives and when the dog is no longer able to produce, it is destroyed.
Johns tells Local2news that anyone who has a story of buying from a local puppy mill to contact her at crow.ink@hotmail.ca
The small group that held the protest today is calling on government on all levels to toughen animal laws and urges the public not to buy from Backyard breeders and puppy mills. "If there's no money in it, they will stop selling puppies"