The Humane Society of the Southeast

03/02/2026

Dogs sold out of the back of trucks. Puppies lined up in wire cages in parking lots. Handwritten signs at flea markets promising purebred deals. For years, this has been a common sight in parts of Georgia. Many of those animals come from large scale breeding operations known as puppy mills. These facilities are often criticized for overcrowding, poor sanitation, and lack of proper medical care.

Georgia has now taken action. Governor Brian Kemp signed House Bill 331 into law. The new law bans the sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits in public spaces such as parking lots, sidewalks, parks, roadsides, and flea markets. Lawmakers say these pop up style sales are difficult to regulate and often linked to irresponsible breeding operations.

This law does not ban all pet sales in Georgia. Licensed breeders and regulated businesses can still operate under state rules. What it targets are the quick cash, temporary setups where animals are sold with little accountability. Supporters argue that these sales create a pipeline that allows puppy mills to move animals across state lines and into neighborhoods with almost no oversight.

Families are often the ones who pay the price. A puppy may look healthy at first. Weeks later, serious health issues appear. Vet bills stack up. In some cases, the animal does not survive. Rescue groups say they see this pattern again and again.

Animal welfare advocates believe this new law helps protect both pets and people. By shutting down public sales in unregulated spaces, the state is narrowing the path for large scale breeding operations to sell directly to consumers. It also gives law enforcement clearer authority to intervene when illegal sales happen in public areas.

Across the United States, more communities are taking steps to address concerns around puppy mills and unregulated breeding. Georgia’s move adds to that growing trend. Supporters say it sends a message that animals are not products to be sold out of parking lots.

For many Americans who see pets as family, this law represents something simple but meaningful. A step toward better standards. A step toward accountability. And a step toward reducing the flow of animals raised in questionable conditions into loving homes.

References:

- Best Friends... Georgia Passes New Law to Shut Down Puppy Mill Pipeline
- Greater Good... Georgia Shuts Down Roadside Pet Sales to Fight Cruel Breeding

02/24/2026

🙌🙌🙌

This law was historic the instant the pen touched the page—and he did something that very few leaders before him had ever done. With Donald Trump’s signature, animal cruelty became a federal crime in the United States, making it clear that hurting animals would no longer be ignored or treated as a minor issue.​
Enacted in 2019, the law closed long-standing gaps that once allowed severe abuse to be punished unevenly depending on location, and it ensured that acts of extreme cruelty are now treated as serious offenses across the entire country. For countless animals who had suffered in silence, this was a profound change, finally recognizing that cruelty toward them is dangerous, unacceptable, and worthy of strong legal response.​
Whatever your politics, this moment still matters. It showed that the protection of animals can unite people, and that when leaders choose empathy, compassion can be turned into lasting law.​

02/23/2026

07/22/2025

PLEASE remember to update your KROGER Rewards card for HSS to continue receiving the benefits for our mission. Thank You!

07/03/2025

What rescue is all about 🥰

06/30/2025

* Check your locality for laws on pet awareness *

Summer temperatures are here! How can you help a distressed dog trapped inside a locked, hot car?

Georgia law allows a law enforcement officer to break into a vehicle to save an animal and receive immunity from a civil lawsuit for damages.

TAKE ACTION:
1. Call 911.
2. Stay on the scene to direct the law enforcement officer to the vehicle.
3. Be prepared to show a copy of the law, Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.) § 35-1-7.
(Some officers may not be aware that this law passed in 2019.)

Take a screenshot of the law below and save it on your phone; or print a hard copy and keep it in your wallet or car.

O.C.G.A. § 35-1-7: Liability of law enforcement officers performing duties at the scene of an emergency
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) "Emergency" means an occurrence involving, or appearing to involve, a clear and imminent danger or threat to life, health, or property, including, but not limited to, the rescuing of a person or pet from a locked vehicle when such person or pet remaining within such vehicle presents a clear and imminent danger to such person's or pet's life or health.
(2) "Law enforcement officer" means any peace officer who is employed by this state or any political subdivision thereof and who is required by the terms of his or her employment, whether by election or appointment, to give his or her full time to the preservation of public order or the protection of life and property or the prevention of crime. Such term shall include sheriffs and deputy sheriffs.
(3) "Pet" means any domesticated animal normally maintained in or near the household of its owner.
(b) A law enforcement officer shall not be liable at law for any action or actions done while performing any duty at the scene of an emergency except for gross negligence, willful or wanton misconduct, or malfeasance.

06/29/2025

Earlier this week, a 14-year-old boy named Elijah showed up alone at a small animal shelter in rural Iowa, holding a cardboard box with both hands. Staff members assumed he was dropping off a stray — but when they opened the box, they found a small, elderly dog wrapped in a baby blanket, with a note taped to the inside lid.

The note, written in neat but shaky handwriting, read:

“Her name is Pepper. She’s 16. My grandma passed away last week and she was her dog. I promised I’d take care of her but my foster family says I’m not allowed to keep pets. Please help her find a new home. She’s very good. I love her.”

The boy explained that he had walked over five miles from his foster home to bring Pepper to a safe place. He didn’t want her to end up on the street or in a kill shelter. He had been feeding her with his allowance money and saving bits of his own dinner for her. But he said goodbye anyway, gently kissed the dog’s forehead, and left the shelter quietly before anyone could stop him.

Touched by his story, the shelter staff immediately made Pepper their top priority. They shared her story — and Elijah’s note — on social media. Within 24 hours, the post had gone viral, reaching millions.

Donations poured in, not just for Pepper, but for Elijah too. A local couple who had lost their own dog months before came in to meet Pepper — and adopted her on the spot. Even more remarkably, after reading about the boy’s act of love, another family reached out and began the process to foster — and potentially adopt — Elijah himself.

This week, Elijah was reunited with Pepper in his new home. He cried when he saw her, and Pepper wagged her tail and leaned into him like no time had passed.

Sometimes the purest form of love comes from those who have the least to give — and give anyway.!!! ❤️❤️❤️

06/23/2025

Happy Summer!
With the upcoming extremely warm temperatures, please be aware of your pup's ability to cope. If you have to ask, then it's best to leave them at home.

05/27/2025

Good to know!