Pet Protests Continue in Downtown Ames

For the last two holiday seasons, Ames area animal lovers have stood on the corner of Main Street and Burnett Avenue protesting the sales of puppies.

They gather outside Dyvigs Pet Shoppe where young puppies are sometimes sold, along with a myriad of other pets, food and accessories.

Mindi Callison, of Ames, who helps leads the group said she asked the owner to stop selling puppies in the past.

“There are so many homeless animals in our area already,” Callison said.

However the practice hasn't stopped.

Dale Dyvig, the owner of the store, declined to comment for this story and wouldn't discuss where his puppies come from.

Callison and her group said they plan to continue their Saturday protests until no more puppies are sold or Dyvig agrees to partner with a rescue.

Callison and other protesters including Kris Bell, stand on the sidewalks protesting with signs and dogs trying to discourage commercial puppy sales and ask people who pass by to adopt animals from one of the many rescues or shelters instead.

Most pet store puppies come from puppy mills, or large-scale commercial breeders where the mothers remain pregnant most of their lives, Bell said. The dogs often live in poor conditions in cages or barns without heat or air conditioning.

“It's all about money and greed and there is no regard for the animal's welfare at all,” Bell said.

The facilities are licensed by the USDA and anyone can review reports on the facilities at http://acissearch.aphis.usda.gov/LPASearch/faces/Warning.jspx by typing in the breeder's name.

Callison said a reputable breeder often will not sell dogs through a store because they want to know who their dogs are being sold to. Callison said red flags to look for include:

Breeders that house a large number of dogs.

Breeders who want to meet in an alternate location to make the sale.

Any breeder who offers several types of dogs.

Callison said people should ask to see the puppy's parents and see where the puppies are born rather than just a show room.

Bell said she understands the desire to buy a playful little puppy and surprisingly Bell said many animal rescues have puppies available. Purebred dogs and puppies can also be adopted through breed specific animal rescues, she said. Many of them can be found through Petfinder.com.