Message Is That Pound Pups Die When People Buy a Purebred, Says Group

Irvine, Calif. - "Just bought a brand-new purebred puppy? Welcome him or her into your home with a free gift bag! Call us today at 1-866-834-6061 to claim your bag and hear about our products," reads a new ad appearing in the July 7 issue of Dog Fancy magazine, which is on newsstands now. But when respondents call the number, they'll learn that the ad was placed by PETA and that the bag offered is really a body bag--for the unlucky dog in an animal shelter who is "sentenced to death" because the respondents bought a purebred pup from a breeder or a pet store.

The recorded message explains the hard facts to callers: Buying a puppy means that a dog in an animal shelter loses the chance for adoption, which means that one more dog will be needlessly destroyed. Callers are also told to practice their ABCs--animal birth control--by getting their new dog "fixed" to avoid adding further to the canine overpopulation crisis. Callers are encouraged to adopt, not buy, their next canine companion. The ad is the latest salvo in PETA's national ABC campaign.

Approximately 8 million dogs and cats are turned in to animal shelters every year in the U.S., and roughly half of these animals must be euthanized because of a lack of good homes. Unwanted dogs and cats who don't make it to animal shelters are abandoned and left to fend for themselves on the streets, where they are often subjected to cruelty and suffer from starvation, diseases, or injuries. A simple procedure--spaying for females, neutering for males--is the solution.