Consumer Assistance
The Companion Animal Protection Society provides direct and assistance to consumers who purchase sick animals from pet dealers. We educate customers, defrauded by pet shops, about their legal options and, where appropriate, use the services of pro-bono animal law attorneys to file lawsuits on their behalf. Few people know that some state lemon laws include the right to recover veterinary expenses.
If you have purchased a sick or dying puppy, you can fill out a complaint form directly on our website. Please be as detailed as possible in order to determine the best way to help.
CAPS relies on the information given by customers 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 mills and unscrupulous pet stores. Some of our most fruitful investigations began as consumer complaints that tipped us about specific breeders or brokers.
Public Education
Our public education campaigns are crucial aspects of CAPS’ effectiveness. We are the foremost authority regarding puppy mills with over two decades of experience investigating and exposing large-scale commercial breeders and the pet shops that buy from them. We use all the evidence we have gathered to help 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 companion animal abuse, particularly the plight of pet shops and puppy mill dogs, through our informative Public Service Announcements (PSAs) and literature.
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.
View our Public Service Announcements.
Media Relations
Our 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 feature stories and news items in local, regional, national, and international news media including newspapers, magazines, online zines, 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 industry and is often quoted in a variety of news stories.
Stay current with CAPS’ latest stories by visiting our Newsroom section.
