Happy Canadian Thanksgiving Day and Columbus Day.

Thanksgiving in Canada can be traced back to Martin Frobisher in 1578. He came from England in search of a way to get to the Orient by going north. While he never found the passage, he did establish what later became Newfoundland and Labrador. His celebration of making it all the way from England to his new home became the first Thanksgiving in North America. More settlers joined Frobisher, and as the settlements expanded, people continued to celebrate Thanksgiving. That means the first Thanksgiving in Canada was celebrated 43 years before the pilgrims landed in Plymouth.

Another reason for Canadian Thanksgiving arriving earlier than its American counterpart is that Canada is geographically further north than the United States, causing the Canadian harvest season to arrive earlier than the American harvest season. And since Thanksgiving for Canadians is more about giving thanks for the harvest season than the arrival of pilgrims, it makes sense to celebrate the holiday in October. So what are the differences between Canadian and American Thanksgiving, other than the date? Not much! Both Canadians and Americans celebrate Thanksgiving with parades, family gatherings, pumpkin pie and a whole lot of turkey! Thanksgiving in the United States is always celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November.

In the United States Columbus Day is celebrated on the same day as Canadian Thanksgiving.

A U.S. national holiday since 1937, Columbus Day commemorates the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the New World on October 12, 1492. The Italian-born explorer had set sail two months earlier, backed by the Spanish monarchs King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. He intended to chart a western sea route to China, India and the fabled gold and spice islands of Asia; instead, he landed in the Bahamas, becoming the first European to explore the Americas since the Vikings set up colonies in Greenland and Newfoundland during the 10th century.

Later that month, Columbus sighted Cuba and believed it was mainland China; in December the expedition found Hispaniola, which he though might be Japan. There, he established Spain's first colony in the Americas with 39 of his men. In March 1493, the explorer returned to Spain in triumph, bearing gold, spices and "Indian" captives. He crossed the Atlantic several more times before his death in 1506; by his third journey, he realized that he hadn't reached Asia but instead had stumbled upon a continent previously unknown to Europeans.

Many countries in the New World and elsewhere celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in the Americas, which happened on October 12, 1492, as an official holiday. The landing is celebrated as Columbus Day in the United States, as Día de la Raza in many countries in Latin America, as Discovery Day in the Bahamas, as Día de la Hispanidad and Fiesta Nacional in Spain, as Día del Respeto a la Diversidad Cultural (Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity) in Argentina, and as Día de las Américas (Day of the Americas) in Belize and Uruguay. These holidays have been celebrated unofficially since the late 18th century, and officially in various areas since the early 20th century.

All that talk of Thanksgiving turkey flying around being eaten has made Cody, Coco and I hungry so we're going to have this.

More Grumpy Cat Sunday.

Puppy Farms.

I've been reading a lot lately about puppy farms and watched a programme the other night on tv about a raid on a puppy farm which was sickening to watch but prompted me to do this post.

To most people, dogs are  man's best friend and a life long companion, but to puppy farms they're just cash making machines.

Lots of people see a cute pedigree puppy on the internet going cheap and think they're getting a bargain and who isn't taken in by those cute puppy dog eyes, but as in all walks of life if a deal seems to good to be true it probably is, and in a lot of cases puppy farm dogs don't work out cheap they won't of been socialised been fed on the cheapest crappy food around so the pups are going to be malnourished, under weight, have behavioural problems through lack of socialisation and being taken from there to soon and generally un healthy and often with life threatening illnesses, it is not just monetary cost of vet bills but also emotional cost too especially if children are involved and have built up a bond with the puppy. 

Most puppy farmed dogs will probably come with pedigree certificates and vaccination certificates in reality though they will more than likely be fakes and not worth the paper they're written on, puppy farms are all about making money not spending it so I think it's safe to say they have probably never seen a vet never mind had any health checks done. 

The puppies are kept in tiny cages or concrete cells with no natural light often lying in there own feces and urine I've never been to a puppy farm but from what I can gather the smell of urine is over whelming. It is hard to overestimate the health impact on puppies starting life in such conditions. Common problems include canine parvovirus, worms, hip dysplasia, dislocated kneecaps, and congenital heart problems.

So what can be done about the trade? While experts are divided on whether the current animal welfare legislation (see below) is adequate, all agree that a more pressing problem is enforcement. Local authority inspectors lack specialist knowledge; they are understaffed and don't have the resources for spot checks; and it is too easy for breeders to use loopholes in the law or falsify papers.
Various initiatives are under way. The Bateson report into dog breeding, published in 2010, recommends establishing a statutory code of practice under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Bateson also recommends compulsory microchipping before the point of sale, so dogs can always be traced to their breeders. The British Veterinary Association (BVA) is in the process of drawing up a 'puppy contract', designed to protect both vendor and purchaser. The Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG) investigates cases of problem dogs that are bought from classified or online ads.

But ultimately, all those attempting to stamp out the trade believe that educating consumers is the only way to succeed. "The law is an important part of it, but the consumer makes or breaks these puppy farms," says Baldwin. Harvey Locke, president-elect of the BVA, agrees. "Legislation has to be regarded as a backstop", he said. "The BVA feels the most important thing is education."
The market in dogs, like any other, obeys the law of supply and demand. "While there's a demand for cheap puppies - like cheap eggs - there will be people willing to meet that demand," says Gillie. She believes that if consumers knew their dog and its mother had been raised in good conditions, they would be prepared to pay more - just as they pay more for free-range eggs. In reality puppy farmed dogs are no more than battery farmed dogs in the same way we had battery farmed chickens.

Video courtesy of puppy love campaigns.

Puppy farms are most common in Wales and Ireland; the puppies they produce are sold in pet shops all over the UK and through newspaper ads and the internet. It is estimated that 50,000 trafficked puppies are believed to be imported from Ireland each year, most destined for pet shops in Southern England. The county of Carmarthenshire in Wales alone is thought to produce 28,000 puppies a year also destined for the pet trade in England. 

A bitch used for breeding who will probably be killed when she can no longer produce puppies and make money.

Puppies kept in a cage.

The dos and don'ts of buying a dog

Do get advice from your local vet before buying. Vets are more than happy to recommend breeders and would much prefer to help you at this stage than when you have a sick puppy.

Don't ever buy from a pet shop. The vast majority are supplied by puppy farms.

Don't buy a pedigree dog at a bargain price after seeing it advertised in a newspaper or online. It is not genuine. Accept that a dog is expensive to buy and to care for (at least £10,000 over its lifetime); if you can't afford it, don't buy it. Buy from Kennel Club Accredited Breeders or breed rescue organisations.

Do consider classified ads if you are happy with a mixed breed dog, but agree you are buying it on condition that it passes a medical - and get this in writing. Take it to the vets within 48 hours. Or, even better, buy from an animal rescue centre.

Do go to the breeder's premises to view the puppy, so you can see the conditions first-hand. Breeders may offer to meet you at a convenient halfway point - never accept.

Don't ever buy a puppy if you can't see it interacting normally with its mother. Farmed dogs are taken away from their mothers early on, but a replacement dog may be placed in the room while you are viewing it.

Do check the paperwork. All breeders should be able to provide you with medical records. Pedigree breeders should have Kennel Club registration papers, and certain breeds should have parents' hereditary disease screening certificates.

Don't buy a dog on a whim, or as a gift. Research the breeds that will suit your lifestyle. Bear in mind that a dog needs one to two hours of exercise a day and can live for up to 15 years.

It's alright local authorities saying they haven't got the specialist knowledge,  are under staffed and haven't got the resources to carry out spot checks, it sounds like a poor excuse to me, how much knowledge do you need to know the living conditions aren't suitable and as for being under staffed and lack of funds I know plenty of people me included who would offer our services free of charge to see the end of the suffering and closure of puppy farms.

If I had my way I would rescue all the animals torch the puppy farms to the ground and instead of imprisoning  the owners force them to live in a cage on a diet of bread and water and sleep in there own feces and urine with no doctor or natural light and see how they like it.

Some usefull links.

The Kennel Club.

BBC Inside Out.

The Guardian.

Dogs Trust.

Puppy Farming UK.

One thing that did surprise was that the Amish and Mennonite communities  of Lancaster PA, Holmes County, Ohio and Shipshewana, Indiana, Are the biggest puppy farmers. Puppy Mills a side of the Amish that you never knew .