The Columbus Dispatch published my letter today. It is here: http://bit.ly/b77woM

People need to remember not to shop at stores that sell dogs. More than likely, those dogs came from puppy mills. By not going in you will not only avoid the urge to rescue a dog, but also you will not be spending money with a business that supports such a horrific practice.

Many pet supply stores will have adoption days in which rescue groups or an animal shelter brings in dogs. I think those should be a person’s top choice for shopping.

If you must have a puppy, take care with getting one from classified ads. You should see the environment in which it is raised. You need to see its relatives. If you are in a municipality in which the breeder must have a license, ask to see the license. Ask for names and contact information of some of the breeder’s customers. Ask the breeder the name of his or her vet. If you cannot get any of this information, skip that breeder.