'Dog Whisperer' Cesar Millan and True Blood Star Michelle Forbes Join Last Chance for Animals in 'Adopt, Don't Shop' Campaign

September 18th Declared Puppy Mill Awareness Day

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Sep 16, 2010, 08:52 ET

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- "Dog Whisperer" Cesar Millan and True Blood star Michelle Forbes have joined forces with Last Chance for Animals (LCA) for Puppy Mill Awareness Day on Saturday, September 18, 2010 at the La Brea Tar Pits, 5801 Wilshire Blvd., in Los Angeles from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Flanked by replicas of pre-historic dinosaurs, "the location of Puppy Mill Awareness Day at the Tar Pits is symbolic of our commitment to make the horrible practice of mass-producing dogs for the pet trade extinct," says Chris DeRose, Last Chance for Animals Founder. The community event hopes to raise public awareness about the abusive conditions in commercial breeding facilities, called puppy mills, that cause misery and neglect for millions of animals each year in the interest of profit.

Along with Cesar Millan, Michelle Forbes, Mad TV's Debra Wilson, Los Angeles Postmaster Mark Anderson, L.A. Council Member Tom LaBonge, West Hollywood City Council Member Jeffrey Prang, and L.A. Animal Services General Manager Brenda Barnette, Last Chance for Animals will host bands, children's activities, pet adoptions and animal-friendly vendors to draw public attention to suffering in puppy mills.

"It is important that the cruelty in puppy mills be brought to the attention of the masses and be stopped," Cesar Millan said. "It is our goal to discourage pet store and internet sales of puppies and kittens and to encourage adoption from rescue organizations and animal shelters instead. Adopt, don't shop," continued Millan.

"People need to realize where that 'puppy in the window' came from," says LCA's DeRose.

"Puppy and kitten mills breed and sell millions of puppies and kittens for profit, while 4 million homeless dogs and cats are killed in U.S. shelters every year due to overpopulation," stated DeRose.

Admission to Puppy Mill Awareness Day is free and parking will be available at the La Brea Tar Pits. For more information, please visit www.BanPuppyMills.com.

Last Chance for Animals (http://www.lcanimal.org) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to advocating on behalf of animals since 1984. LCA's "Adopt, Don't Shop" campaign strives to make Los Angeles a no-kill city, where pet stores no longer support puppy mills and breeders, but shelter animals and rescue groups.

SOURCE Last Chance for Animals