Programs: Research & investigations:investigation of u. S. Department of agriculture ("usda") licensed breeding and brokering facilitiesas the puppy/kitten mill investigative authority, caps is the only national organization that investigates inside usda-licensed dog and cat breeding facilities. Caps sends an undercover investigator to the breeders and brokers who provide puppies/kittens to the pet shop industry and who sell over the internet. Investigators take undercover video footage, which is edited by a professional editor, take photographs if possible, and write in-depth reports in which the investigator documents animal welfare act ("awa") violations. If the facility has serious violations, we report the facility to the usda, state licensing agencies, and local law enforcement. Usda inspection reports and photographs that document serious violations of the awa also serve as evidence. Caps provides documentary evidence from our investigations of the puppy and kitten mills to state agencies, cooperative humane societies, such as animal rescue league of iowa, and local law enforcement. We report especially egregious puppy/kitten mill operators to the missouri attorney general's task force, which takes action against violators of state laws. State advocates also use our evidence to support or defeat legislation that affects puppy mill dogs and cats. Our evidence has been used for legislative work in missouri, iowa, oklahoma, and minnesota and was the impetus for the usda's office of inspector general's ("oig") scathing 69-page report on the failure of usda to enforce the animal welfare act with respect to commercial dog breeding and brokering facilities. Caps is the only national organization that is the "watchdog" for usda. We are currently assessing the usda's failure to comply with the oig report's recommendations and plan to meet with members of congress, oig, and usda officials. Investigation of pet shopscaps conducts undercover investigations of pet shops to determine compliance with state lemon laws, especially disclosure of breeder and broker information to prospective buyers and the posting of breeder and broker states on cages, and false advertising/consumer fraud statutes. We obtain breeder and broker names through in-store investigation and certificates of veterinary inspection so that we can investigate these facilities, most of which are usda-licensed. If there are violations, such as sick puppies/kittens, crowding, dirty conditions, we report pet shops to the appropriate authorities. Caps works closely with the new york attorney general.
education and outreach:consumer assistancecaps provides assistance to consumers who purchase sick puppies and kittens from pet shops and over the internet. We educate customers defrauded by pet shops about their legal options. Where appropriate, we encourage consumers to use the services of pro-bono animal law attorneys. Caps also assists with consumer class action lawsuits against pet shops. Caps relies on the information provided by customers through our online complaint form to document illnesses, veterinary expenses, and names of breeders and brokers. Over the years, caps has compiled all that information into an extensive database of known puppy/kitten mills and unscrupulous pet shops. Some of our most fruitful investigations began as consumer complaints. Public education/outreachpublic education and outreach is a critical component. With more than two decades of experience investigating and exposing large-scale commercial breeders and the pet shops that buy from them, caps is the foremost authority on the pet shop/puppy mill industry. Caps' evidence helps consumers make informed decisions. Only through awareness and information can consumers avoid being conned by deceitful pet stores and internet sellers. Caps provides valuable information and reliable documentation to local and national publications and news programs. We also raise awareness about the plight of pet shops and puppy/kitten mill animals through our informative public service announcements ("psas") on television/radio and online. Our literature is available online, through the mail, and at protests and tabling events. Caps uses its extensive social media presence on networks like facebook, twitter, and youtube to engage people in an ongoing dialogue that inspires actions, such as peaceful protests and grassroots ordinance movements. Media relationsour targeted media relations program uses a multi-media approach. To raise awareness about the horrors of pet shops and puppy mills, caps has generated many stories in local, regional, national, and international news media: newspapers, magazines, online publications, blogs, and network and cable tv. Through our concerted media relations efforts, the media has come to rely on caps as the authority on subjects relating to the pet shop and puppy mill/kitten industry. To raise awareness about the horrors of the pet shops and puppy mill industry, caps has generated stories with the following media: cnn, "dateline," "20/20," "hard copy," reader's digest, life, people, detroit free press, the philadelphia inquirer (two front-page articles), and numerous local television news stations and newspapers. Public service ad campaign outreachcaps' newest psa, "adopt don't shop," comes on the heels of the psa for caps' models against pet shops and puppy mills campaign, which included commuter train ads, billboards near pet shops, magazine and newspaper ads, and feature stories. "this is the face of a puppy mill dog" aired on national and local stations, including usa network, national geographic channel, food network, travel channel, cooking channel, hgtv, cloo, universal hd, and sundance channel. Both spots feature caps spokesmodel beatrice, a sassy basset hound puppy mill survivor rescued by caps investigators. The radio psa is airing on more than 40 stations across the country. "adopt don't shop" is part of caps' ongoing mission to educate the public about atrocities in puppy mills and the risks associated with buying dogs at pet shops and through internet sellers supplied by these inhumane facilities. Pet shop protestscaps has developed a civilized and peaceful protesting model and works closely with local police. For protests inside shopping malls, police provide protection so that our protesters are not arrested by mall security. Caps protesters do not respond to taunts from employees or owners and don't speak to customers unless they request information. Distributing brochures and leaflets to the public, especially prospective pet shop customers, is an important part of our protest work. Our protesters wear red t-shirts with our website on the back and a slogan on the front, such as "barkworks sells cruelty. "humane store conversionscaps' goal is not to shut down pet shops, although sometimes that is the outcome. We want to convert pet shops to humane adoption centers that provide animals from local rescues and shelters. In just eight months, caps converted four pet shops in the los angeles area to humane adoption centers. Ordinancesinternational business times and newsweek have covered caps' work as the leader in the ordinance movement. Ordinances are effective local laws that ban or restrict the sale of pet shop dogs, cats, and rabbits. Caps proposes ordinances and/or assists in implementing them. We provide extensive investigative evidence on pet shops in a municipality and the commercial breeders and brokers that supply them. Caps attorneys draft ordinances and assist with drafting. Caps was behind the 2010 west hollywood ordinance banning the sale of pet shop puppies and kittens. This landmark ordinance was the genesis for the ordinance movement in this country and canada. We were also behind similar ordinances in san diego, los angeles and glendale, california and sarasota county, florida. Caps was behind restrictive ordinances in new york (state law prevents bans), including new york city, and illinois.
rescue and rehabilitation:caps rescues puppy mill dogs during our investigations of usda licensed facilities. Many are unwanted breeding stock that are about to be destroyed - humanely or inhumanely - because breeders no longer view them as profitable. Puppy mill breeders often want to get rid of female dogs that cannot get pregnant, have difficult pregnancies or deliveries, or that don't produce large enough litters. Caps also investigates and rescues dogs from puppy mill auctions. Puppy mill owners often disperse an entire breed, at auction, because of declining consumer popularity. As the number of puppy mills decline, breeders who are going out of business use these events to sell their breeding stock. Caps rescues sick or "defective" puppies, including those that have been returned to breeders and brokers by pet shops. Many of these rescued dogs are in poor health due to neglect and inadequate veterinary care. Caps often covers their veterinary costs, including spaying and neutering. After rehabilitation, caps works with shelters, rescue organizations, and individuals to provide foster care and permanent homes. We also make follow up contact with the families who adopted the rescued animals.
other program services
