With the Waimanalo puppy mill forced to hand over 153 sickly, malnourished dogs living in filth to the Hawaiian Humane Society last February, perhaps more Hawaii pet stores could consider ending animal sales and offering pet adoptions from shelters instead.

This could occur because the stores would realize that they, too, could help with our pet overpopulation crisis.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 5 million to 7 million animals enter U.S. shelters every year. Of this number, 60 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats are euthanized.

The National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy states that 2 percent of cats and only 15-20 percent of dogs are returned to their owners.

Clearly, our community has a pet overpopulation and responsible-ownership problem. There are many reasons for this, such as lack of affordable spay/neuter programs, ambivalence on lifetime pet ownership and untrained animals, but I will address this issue at its core: our careless breeding of pets.

I recently chatted with Beth Downey of Amity Hall Boxers, a hobby Boxer dog breeder from Maryland, about responsible breeding. Here is an excerpt from the interview:

"To buy a puppy from me, I first ask every puppy inquirer to complete my puppy questionnaire, then I will do a phone interview; this is followed by a home check. I require I meet the whole family that resides in the home. Every puppy is placed with a contract that states the puppy will be kept as an inside dog, and checked by the buyer’s veterinarian within five business days after the puppy is taken home, not left to run at large, will not be neglected or abused, is healthy the day of sale, has a two-year health guarantee, will be spayed/ neutered by the new owner, and will be returned to me if the owner can no longer care for the puppy."

Downey never sells to pet stores. Responsible breeders don’t sell to pet shops because they want to create a relationship with buyers and invite inspections of the housing and care of the parents they breed.

In a recent research project conducted by the Hawaiian Humane Society, it found 360 puppies for sale in selected online sources and in Oahu pet shops during a two-week period. This translates to annual revenue of $9.4 million in Hawaii puppy sales. This is a major industry in Hawaii — completely unregulated.

We can be the voice of our animals by supporting legislative efforts by The Humane Society of the United States and other organizations to create a statewide spay-neuter fund and require that pet stores spay or neuter animals prior to sale and disclose critical medical history. We can participate in neighborhood boards, roadside rallies and City Council meetings.

We can tell our friends not to shop at pet stores with puppies or purchase dogs at roadside sales or swap meets. Some kind-hearted folks may think they are "saving" a puppy, but in fact they are enabling the profitable demand and supporting,in some cases, unethical business practices.

Testifying at our state Legislature protects animals by letting our decision-makers know how we feel about puppy mills. I am confident that our Hawaii ohana is ready to see this despicable travesty to our animals come to a screeching halt.

Let’s make landmark changes for Hawaii’s animals and end their horrible suffering at the hands of greedy profiteers, who care nothing about animal welfare.

We as a community can unite around this noble cause, celebrating responsible and lifetime pet ownership.