On a mission: Londonderry woman wants to put an end to 'puppy mills'

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Suzanne Laurent

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June 6, 2008

By Suzanne Laurent

LONDONDERRY — Sherry Bezanson was heartbroken after watching "Oprah" on April 4 when the talk show host began her two-part expose of puppy mills.

Puppy mills are places that keep adult dogs for the sole purpose of breeding. The dogs are then sold to pet stores.

"I was horrified at what I saw," said Bezanson, a realtor from Londonderry. "These mills are inhumane and unspeakably cruel."

Bezanson, who has four rescue dogs that she found on Petfinder.com, said before she saw the Oprah show she didn't know what a puppy mill was. She was so upset, she contacted the New Hampshire Animals Rights League and organized three protests, the third of which is Sunday, June 8 at the entrance to the Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester.

"I want to bring awareness to the unsuspecting public about the sordid truth," Bezanson said.

"We all love puppies in the pet stores, but not many know where they came from."

Bezanson said that puppy mills keep the adult breeding dogs in small pens and that the dogs do not receive any kind of veterinary care or human companionship.

"The puppies are taken from their mothers when they are only four to six weeks old," she said. "Puppies should not leave their mother until they are at least eight weeks old."

The adult dogs are killed after they cannot breed anymore.

"The saddest thing is that our government allows this," Bezanson said.

Bezanson decided to hold the protests because she felt that she had to "do something."

The first one was held in front of Petland in Manchester on May 24, and 27 volunteers came out with signs and their own dogs.

"I put a big tag on my Shih Tzu, Spirit, with $2,000 crossed out," Bezanson said. "I wrote next to that, 'Priceless.'"

Bezanson said she is trying to get the word out that people don't have to go to a pet store, where 97 to 99 percent of puppies come from puppy mills.

"There are so many dogs out there that need a home from people who for some reason or another just can't care for their pets anymore," she said.

Bezanson said anyone can show up on June 8 to protest with her at the entrance to the Mall of New Hampshire from noon to 2 p.m.

"We are the voice of the animals," she said. "Without pet stores, the financial incentive for puppy mills would disappear, and the suffering of these dogs would end."

For more information, visit the New Hampshire Animal Rights League's Web site at www.nhanimalrights.org.