Did you know that Lancaster is the Puppy Mill Capital of the world? I always thought that Lancaster was so peaceful and serene with the beautiful Amish farms filled with a community of people who live by their religious beliefs. I have learned not to believe what I see.

Amish and Mennonite farmers have been running puppy mills for years. Behind the barn doors of what appear to be peaceful farmsteads are the horrors are puppy mill breeding. Breeding adults are locked in cages and wooden boxes for years, literally, with no veterinary care. They are never let out to run in a yard, play with a ball or experience human contact. They are debarked when sharp metal objects are shoved down their throats so Health Officials can't hear them barking. They are used and abused and when they are no longer capable of breeding or they become ill, they are shot.

Last month a new puppy store, known as Puppy King, aka: Puppy Depot, opened on Route 35 in Wall Township, just south of Staples across from Brook 35 Plaza. The owner of the store, Nat Sladkin, had a store in Pt. Pleasant and it was closed down due to the sale of sick puppies. Nat Sladkin filed a suit against the state of Pennsylvania in January to stop animal investigators from arriving unannounced at puppy mills in Lancaster County. A Judge ruled on September 11, 2009, against Nat Sladkin and his fellow plaintiffs.

To read about the case use this link:

http://www.animallawcoalition.com/companion-animal-breeding/article/1047

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