A new film by Leo Burnett Tailor Made for the Animal Hope Project (PEA) is hoping to lift the lid on the truth behind all those beautiful puppies in shop windows.
The truth referenced is, in fact, the illegal breeding and raising of animals and cases of animal cruelty that often goes on behind closed doors in the pet trade in Brazil.
The film, which you can see below, shows the filthy, crowded cages where the animals are kept, the female dogs made to copulate more than five times a day, and the way in which they are discarded once they cease to serve a purpose.
The ‘Ain’t Cute’ campaign sets out to encourage the adoption of animals and show the public that they are often as much a victim as the animals themselves for not knowing what happens to these pedigree puppies before they are bought.
“The practice of illegally breeding and selling puppies is common in large Brazilian cities. The government, unfortunately, has neither the people nor the resources for this fight, and a lenient legislation does little to inhibit those who sell animals on the streets,” said Carlos Rosolen, CEO for PEA.
“Illegal breeding is difficult to control because it occurs inside people’s homes, often on rural properties or warehouses. Only when neighbors make a complaint – due either to the loud barking and crying of dogs or to the foul smell – can the health surveillance authorities or the police locate and identify these places.
“Many of the animals on display in pet shops come from illegal breeders and as the animals have no serial number, it is impossible to identify their place of origin.”
