Puppy Mill Protest at Tucson Mall
TUCSON, Ariz. — Community locals came together and took a stand against puppy mill practices at Animal Kingdom, a pet store in the Tucson Mall.
SPEAK Tucson is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting ethical practices on animals. On Oct. 16, 2023, they voiced their concerns about the puppy mill practices associated with Animal Kingdom.
Citizens have been organizing protests for several years to raise awareness about the issues surrounding puppy mills. Local representative for Pima Animal Care Center (PACC), Laura Iacobucci-Paris, has been protesting since 2016. Paris said she started because “Governor Ducey allowed pet stores to return to Arizona.”
Dozens of protestors gathered around the Tucson Mall from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., with signs that read ‘Boycott Animal Kingdom’ and ‘Shame on you.’ Protestors also shouted, “Adopt, don’t shop” to cars passing by.
According to Merriam-Webster, a puppy mill is “a commercial farming operation in which purebred dogs are raised in large numbers and often in substandard or poor conditions.”
SPEAK Tucson is advocating for the National Puppy Protection Act of 2023, which introduces new regulations for commercial dog dealers (H.R.1624–118th Congress, 2023–2024).
PACC volunteer, Isa Salisbury, said: “It is appalling that we have a shelter filled with homeless dogs, and yet we have these pet stores selling puppies for thousands of dollars.” These volunteers have seen firsthand the overwhelming number of dogs that end up in shelters and want to prevent this cycle.
The community has shown significant support for this cause, with honks and waves as cars pass by. Salisbury said, “All the interactions we had today were positive. In my opinion, Tucson wants pet stores gone; it’s a matter of achieving this legally.”
With the holiday season coming up, SPEAK Tucson intends to organize additional protests, aligning with the heightened demand for puppies during this time. Protestors are motivated because they have seen what happens when puppy fever goes away, and dogs get sent to the pound.
For more information, go to www.Tucsonactionteam.com or Stopping Puppy Mills | The Humane Society of the United States.
References
H.R.1624–118th Congress (2023–2024): Puppy Protection Act of 2023. (2023, April 19). https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1624
Tucson Action Team . (2023). Services — Tucson Action Team. Tucson Action Team. https://tucsonactionteam.com/?page_id=15
Greenberg, M. (2023). Stopping Puppy Mills. The Humane Society of the United States. https://www.humanesociety.org/all-our-fights/stopping-puppy-mills
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Definition of PUPPY MILL. Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved 2023, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puppy%20mill
