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Puppy Mills Research Paper

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Published: Mar 20, 2024

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The cruel reality of puppy mills, the impact on consumers, the importance of responsible pet ownership, supporting ethical breeding practices.

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Listener Picks: The Problems with Puppy Mills

Dogs are seen at 'Sofitel Los Angeles and Wagmore Pet Dog Rescue host 'Happy Pawlidays' at Sofitel Hotel Los Angeles in Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, California. Emma McIntyre/Emma McIntyre/Getty Images hide caption

Dogs are seen at 'Sofitel Los Angeles and Wagmore Pet Dog Rescue host 'Happy Pawlidays' at Sofitel Hotel Los Angeles in Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, California.

Over 2.6 million dogs in the U.S. originate from commercial breeders or puppy mills. There are countless stories of animals being kept in miserable conditions, small cages, and with little medical care.

This week , an Iowa breeder was fined over $12,000 by the USDA after it was found that he euthanized unwanted dogs with unauthorized injections, and left them to die. Last month, New York banned the sale of dogs to pet stores to cut down on the use of puppy mills.

States have slowly been putting policies in place to protect pups, but some say federal protections don't go far enough and many breeders go under the radar.

We talk about the ethics of dog breeding and what can be done to ensure the welfare of man's best friend with John Goodwin , senior director of the Stop Puppy Mills department at the Humane Society of the United States; Mike Bober , CEO and president of the Pet Advocacy Network; and Dr. Danika Bannasch , Professor at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis.

Like what you hear? Find more of our programs online .

Puppy mills FAQ

Learn more about this cycle of cruelty

What is a puppy mill?

What is the hsus doing about puppy mills.

• Are there any laws that regulate puppy mills?

There is a puppy mill in my area. How can I get the authorities to investigate and shut it down?

I bought a puppy and they got sick. what can i do, should i get a puppy or other live animal from a charity auction, i think my local pet store might be selling dogs from puppy mills. how can i find out, where can i find a list of known puppy mills, why can't we just outlaw puppy mills, isn't it against the law to sell a sick puppy, what about anti-cruelty laws don't those affect puppy mills, how are puppy mills regulated at the state level, how do i file a complaint against someone who sold me a sick pet.

Puppy mills force animals to live in deplorable conditions. You can stop this cruel cycle by pledging to adopt from a shelter or rescue or purchase from a responsible breeder.

A puppy mill is an inhumane, commercial dog breeding facility in which the health of the dogs is disregarded in order to maintain a low overhead and maximize profits.

Because most puppy mills are not illegal, we need help from the public to put an end to the consumer demand for their "product." You can help the HSUS put a stop to puppy mills by getting your next dog from an animal shelter, rescue group or a humane and responsible breeder that you have carefully screened in person.

Read More About Adopting Or Buying A Puppy

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The HSUS takes a stand against puppy mills on all possible levels, including supporting legislative changes, conducting investigations and litigation and promoting public awareness and education. The HSUS also works with local authorities when called upon to help shut down the most abusive puppy mills.

It's important to know that, in many cases, puppy mills are not illegal. In most states, a breeding kennel can legally keep dozens, even hundreds, of dogs in cages for their entire lives, as long as the dogs are given the basics of food, water and shelter. When documented cruelty exists, the HSUS assists in shutting down puppy mills with the cooperation of local law enforcement. But while the HSUS is opposed to puppy mills, the HSUS cannot shut down or raid legal businesses. The HSUS is not a government, law enforcement or regulatory agency.

The  Stop Puppy Mills campaign  for the Humane Society of the United States works to stop the sale of puppy mill puppies and improve standards of care for dogs in commercial breeding operations through both national and local policy efforts and by educating consumers on the issue. The campaign has made important strides toward significantly increasing standards of care for these dogs by getting laws passed in 35 states, as well as upgrades to the federal Animal Welfare Act. The HSUS's investigations of puppy mills and pet stores have led to multiple consumer lawsuits and have shut down hundreds of puppy mills and related pet stores nationwide. Through awareness events, we have educated millions about the problems in the large-scale commercial dog breeding industry.

We’ve rescued more than 11,000 dogs from more than 50 different puppy mills since 2006—dogs who are now in loving homes.

We have supported national bills such as the  Puppy Protection Act , which, if passed, would overhaul the conditions for dogs at federally-licensed facilities. We have also successfully pushed for nationwide regulatory reform and stronger enforcement of the federal Animal Welfare Act. We’re also working to stop the sale of puppies from mills, thereby shrinking, and ultimately eliminating, the marketplace that keeps puppy mills in business. We have helped pass laws that prohibit the sale of puppies in pet stores in five states and over 400 localities, and counting.

Our corporate outreach efforts provide positive reinforcement for pet stores that choose to not sell puppies. We helped nearly two dozen pet stores stop selling puppy mill puppies and instead help find homes for dogs from shelters and rescues. This program has helped over 35,000 shelter dogs get adopted into loving families.

Are there any laws that regulate puppy mills?

In 1966, Congress passed the Animal Welfare Act, which outlines specific minimum standards of care for dogs, cats and some other kinds of animals bred for commercial resale.

The AWA is enforced by the United States Department of Agriculture. Under the AWA, certain large-scale commercial breeders are required to be licensed and regularly inspected by the USDA. But there are many inefficiencies and loopholes in the system.

Only large-scale commercial facilities that breed or broker animals for resale—to pet stores for example—or sell puppies sight-unseen, such as over the internet, are required to be licensed and inspected by the USDA because they are considered "wholesale" operations. Those that sell directly to the public face-to-face—thousands of facilities that breed and sell just as many puppies as their wholesale counterparts—are not required to adhere to the Animal Welfare Act or to any federal humane care standards.

Inspection records obtained by the HSUS show that many USDA-licensed breeders get away with repeated violations of the Animal Welfare Act. These violators are rarely fined and their licenses are rarely suspended. Facilities with long histories of repeated violations for basic care conditions are often allowed to renew their licenses again and again.

For decades, the HSUS has been a leader in promoting legislative and regulatory changes that would address all large-scale breeding facilities. We also continue to encourage better staffing and funding for USDA inspection programs, which would increase enforcement capabilities.

View A Chart Of Puppy Mill Laws By State

First, please be aware that operating a commercial breeding kennel may not be illegal in your area. But if you have seen specific evidence of cruelty or neglect, the first agency to contact is a local agency with law enforcement powers, such as the local humane society, animal control agency or police or sheriff's department. 

Cruelty or neglect laws vary by state but typically address conditions such as animals without food and water, sick dogs who are not being medically treated or dogs without adequate shelter from the elements. Prepare specific details of your complaint in advance and, after you have made a report, get a case number or contact information related to your case. If you do not hear back from the local authorities within a week, please call them back to ask for an update, but be aware that if there is an ongoing investigation some information may not be available to the public. If you can't get local help for the situation or are not sure who to call, please contact us .

You may also wish to contact the United States Department of Agriculture Animal Care Division and find out if the USDA licenses the facility owner. Only "wholesale" breeding facilities (those that sell puppies to other businesses who in turn sell the puppies to the public, or sell to buyers “sight unseen,” such over online or by mail) are required to be USDA licensed—this is a small portion of all the large-scale breeders in the country. Currently licensed breeders and some of their most recent inspection reports are available on the USDA/APHIS website .

Our online complaint form is available to anyone with information on a possible crime involving puppy mills—especially information from those with "insider" knowledge, or from law enforcement officials who might be aware of such operations. If you witnessed deplorable conditions in person and wish to file a complaint with the HSUS, report it. You can also  file a complaint with the USDA if the breeder sells online or to pet stores.

If you have purchased a puppy and wish to report problems to the HSUS, please report it using our online complaint form .

Step 1:  Please take your puppy to a veterinarian as soon as possible, if you have not already done so. Save all records and receipts.

Step 2:  Prepare your complaint. It is imperative that you put together as much information as possible to support your case. Please gather as many of the following items as possible:

• Name, address and phone number of breeder or pet store (or both, if applicable).
• Name of kennel (if any).
• Copies of your veterinary bills.
• Copies of your purchase agreements or bill of sale.
• Copies of any registration papers given to you at sale.
• Photographs or other documentation of your dog's medical conditions.
• A necropsy report from a veterinarian, if the dog has passed away.
• A brief timeline of events related to the dog's sale and health problems.

Step 3:  Contact the breeder or pet store where you purchased the dog. Your purchase agreement or store or breeder policy may provide you with some financial recourse. Please note that many sellers will encourage you to return the puppy for an exchange or refund, but that is usually not in the best interests of your puppy. You may have other reimbursement options that do not require you to return the pet. For example, many states have puppy lemon laws that require pet sellers to reimburse a pet owner for veterinary bills up to the purchase price of the puppy, if the puppy becomes ill with a condition that existed at the time of sale. Contact your state Attorney General's office to find out more about puppy lemon laws in your state or to report a seller if you feel a law has been broken. For specific advice on how to handle your particular case, consult a local attorney or consider going to small claims court. 

Step 4:  Complete the  Puppy Buyer Complaint Form . This form enables the HSUS to keep track of problem sellers and ensures that we have as much information as possible to help us in our fight to  stop puppy mills . It also allows us to help other puppy buyers and report chronic abusers to relevant agencies. This information is compiled for reference and statistical purposes and will help us gather general information needed to advocate against puppy mills. You can also use our  printable Pet Seller Complaint Form [PDF]  to organize your case for possible further action. Please note that the HSUS is not a government or law enforcement agency and cannot guarantee action on every complaint.

See Our State-By-State List Of Puppy Lemon Laws

The HSUS opposes the auctioning off, selling or donation of live animals for use in charity fundraisers, lotteries, promotional distributions or other events. This includes fundraisers carried on in person, online, over the phone or through other media channels.

In some cases, nonprofit animal shelters have auctioned off a chance to adopt a pet; this does not engender the same concerns as auctioning off a specific animal to the highest bidder, as long as the shelter or rescue organization requires adopters to follow their regular adoption process before being approved. For more information, please read our  statement on the issue of animals in charity auctions [PDF] .

Almost all pet store puppies come from puppy mills. Ask the pet store employee to show you the paperwork identifying the puppy's breeder and origins. If he or she refuses to do so or is reluctant to show you the paperwork, consider that a red flag. If you do inspect the paperwork, you may notice that the puppy has been shipped from out of state, often by a "broker" service. These are just a few indications that the store's dog may have come from a puppy mill. The bottom line is that responsible breeders do not sell their puppies to pet stores; they want to meet their puppy buyers in person and do not sell their puppies to the first person who shows up with cash in hand.

How To Tell If A Puppy Came From A Puppy Mill  

For many reasons, the HSUS does not publish a list of known puppy mills. There are literally thousands of puppy mills in existence all over the country and most of them are not required to register with any one agency. There are so many unregulated puppy mills that to publish a list of the known or "problem" mills may give the public a false impression that any establishment that is not on the list is "safe." Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, some problematic puppy mills have been known to change their names and locations frequently to evade their reputations. We do publish an annual report on problem puppy mills , but it represents only a sampling of examples.

While legislation is the key to ensuring lasting change for animals, simply passing a nationwide law to ban puppy mills—an idea that's often proposed—is unfeasible in today’s political climate. Even simple laws that would end the cruelest conditions have failed at the federal level due to Congressional gridlock. On the state level, many bills have been successful, but the final law does not always contain all the protections we would like. Laws require precise definitions and that's easy when defining what constitutes a staged animal fight, statutory animal cruelty or any number of other issues. But there is no widespread agreement as to where the line is drawn between a puppy mill and a dog breeding operation that is either smaller or provides some degree of higher quality care for the dogs. What this means in practice is that a state could pass the highest standards of care for dogs in commercial kennels, without their being clarity as to whether this constitutes a complete ban on puppy mills. 

Sadly, some purebred dog registries and kennel clubs (which often receive registration fees from puppy mills) have lobbied heavily against even basic reforms in commercial dog breeding—and they have even recruited other animal-use industry groups to help them. Scare tactics are used by those who profit the most from a lack of regulation in the pet industry to frighten small breeders into mistakenly thinking that the proposed laws will apply to them. This strategy has led some smaller breeders and local kennel clubs to oppose bills that would only impact the worst and biggest puppy mills.

This makes public support all the more vital.  Sign up  to receive action alerts about our legislative efforts in your state.  

We also ask responsible breeders to join us in this effort to change conditions for dogs who are warehoused in a life of misery in a puppy mill. If you are a breeder who wants to help stop the abuses of large scale puppy mills, please get in touch  with us.

What You Can Do To Help Stop Puppy Mills

Because puppies from puppy mills are more likely to have health problems due to poor care, many consumers are faced with significant veterinary bills or even the death of their puppy soon after purchase.

In an attempt to hold breeding facilities and sellers responsible, several states have passed consumer protection laws that specifically address puppies. These laws, often called "puppy lemon laws," have good intentions and theory behind them, but most have limitations.

Under most of the laws, the dog owner is offered a refund, another puppy, or reimbursement of veterinary bills up to the purchase price of the puppy within a certain period of time. But when faced with a sick or dying puppy, most people choose not to give the puppy back but rather focus their efforts on saving the animal. A common fear is that the seller will simply destroy the puppy rather than invest the money and time into restoring the animal's health. Should the puppy die, most families are not ready to risk the heartbreak of yet another sick puppy from the same seller, so providing them with another puppy is not an acceptable option.

Nevertheless, an effective puppy lemon law can provide at least some recourse to unsuspecting families who purchase sick puppies and may provide a financial incentive for pet sellers to provide improved conditions and veterinary attention for the dogs and puppies in their care. 

Although all 50 states have anti-cruelty laws intended to prevent neglect and mistreatment of dogs, most large-scale breeding facilities continue to operate in ways that mock these laws. In many cases, dogs in puppy mills are kept in physically and emotionally damaging conditions under which an individual pet dog would never be allowed to suffer. Anti-cruelty laws are seldom applied to puppy mills as long as the animals have the rudimentary basics of shelter, food, and water. Puppy mill dogs are often treated as agricultural "crops" and not as pets.

Some local humane societies and governmental agencies investigate conditions at puppy mills and intervene to rescue the animals if necessary. In many cases, though, local authorities may not set foot on a puppy mill unless they have received a complaint from a credible person who has personally witnessed substandard conditions and animal suffering. Because so few puppy mills invite customers onto their property to purchase dogs, it can be extremely difficult for law enforcement to intervene. This is why the HSUS supports legislation requiring regular unannounced inspections of large scale puppy mills.

In those cases where local authorities are empowered to investigate, the sheer magnitude of the problem can place and extraordinary burden on human, physical and financial resources.

Shelters that have been able to intervene on the animals' behalf may suddenly find themselves with a large number of animals in need of immediate veterinary care. Additionally, the shelter may become responsible for housing the dogs throughout what can often be a lengthy legal process. The cost for veterinary care and basic food and housing can run into the tens of thousands of dollars within weeks of seizing as few as 50 dogs from a poorly run facility.

Most shelters consider protecting these vulnerable animals part of their mission and are generally eager to remove animals from such poor conditions. It is important to remember though, that regular shelter operations do not stop when a raid is conducted. The shelter will still need to be open to the public and will still need to provide care and housing for the normal number of animals being brought to it by the community. If a shelter is able to enter an inhumane breeding operation and remove dogs, financial and community support during the aftermath is essential to ensuring the animals receive the help they need.

A Chart Of Puppy Mill Laws By State

Please use our online Puppy Buyer Complaint Form or print out our  Pet Seller Complaint Form [PDF] . The document can be a very helpful tool in organizing your complaint, because you can make copies of the form, along with supporting documents such as vet bills and purchase records, to send to the HSUS and other agencies such as your local consumer affairs or Attorney General's office. These forms are used to track problem pet sellers and target the worst offenders for possible further action. Additional instructions are included on the form.

If there appears to be cruelty or neglect (unsanitary conditions, sick animals, lack of food/water/shelter, etc.), please also immediately contact the breeder's or pet store's local animal control agency, humane society or animal shelter and request that they inspect the facility. If none of these exists in the area, call the police, sheriff or health department. While contacting local authorities should be your first course of action, if you witnessed deplorable conditions in person and wish to file a complaint with the HSUS, you can also report it  to us.

You can stop this cycle of cruelty by adopting your next pet. You can also donate to help shut down puppy mills and continue our lifesaving work for  all  animals.

SPCA International

The mission of SPCA International is simple but vast: to advance the safety and well-being of animals.

DIGGING UP THE TRUTH ABOUT

Puppy mills, digging up the truth about puppy mills.

Who can resist a cute puppy sitting in a storefront window, playing with a toy or sleeping peacefully?  What you cannot see in the window is how many of those cute, purebred puppies come from puppy mills all over the United States, where dogs are forced to live in small cages and rarely come in contact with a compassionate human.

Puppy mills operate for profit with little concern about the health and treatment of the dogs in their care.  The female breeding dogs suffer most, forced to live their lives in small cages and reproduce until they can no longer handle pregnancy or die.  Many times when a female breeding dog is no longer able to reproduce, she is brutally killed or abandoned.   These dogs never have a chance at a happy life or human companionship.

Quite often, the dogs that are produced by puppy mills have health and behavioral problems attributable to their lack of human contact, over-breeding and deficient veterinary care. Without a background check on the original puppy vendor, these problems often take unsuspecting customers by surprise when their cuddly and irresistible pup develops serious problems after it is brought home.

SPCA International strongly encourages people to adopt a dog or cat from their local animal shelter or rescue group, but the sad news is that people unknowingly will continue to purchase dogs from puppy mills. Below are some helpful tips to follow when thinking about purchasing a puppy:

• Do your research about the pet store or individual selling the puppy. Find out if there have been any complaints filed about sick puppies from the location;
• Never agree to meet a puppy vendor at a neutral location. Many puppy mills do not want you to see their set up, so they will arrange to meet you at a gas station, super market or other public location;
• Ask to see the parents and siblings of the puppy. If purchasing a puppy from an individual ask to see the parents and siblings. This way you can see if they all look healthy;
• Ask to see the puppy’s papers. Find out if the puppy has been shipped from somewhere within the United States, which will most likely indicate the puppy has come from a puppy mill. Most puppy mills can be found in the Midwest.  Missouri and Kansas are two states were many puppy mills operate;
• Ask to see veterinary documents. Make sure the puppy has been examined by a veterinarian and that it has received at least its first set of puppy shots;
• Watch the puppy’s behavior. Check that it is active and not lethargic. Make sure the puppy is not coughing, sneezing or has an eye discharge.   Parvovirus, or Parvo, is a common virus that puppy mill animals contract.  It can be fatal if not caught in the early stages.  This tends to affect puppies more than adult dogs because they do not have a strong enough immune system to fight off the deadly virus. Parvo attacks and kills the cells that are found within a puppy’s intestine, making it impossible for the puppy to absorb any liquids and nutrients. In many cases the puppy will appear to be lethargic, have a smelly bloody stool and have a decreased interest in food and water.

Help SPCA International spread the truth regarding puppy mills.  We can help to stop the puppy mill profit stream by encouraging our friends and family to adopt a wonderful dog or cat from their local animal shelter or rescue group.  Millions of animals are euthanized every year in shelters while waiting for their forever home.  You can make all the difference for them!

This SPCA International article is intended to help further your understanding of your animal’s needs. We understand your unique bond with your pet and it is our pleasure to help you look after its welfare. Thanks to your continued support, SPCA International is able to provide you and countless others with important news regarding the safety of your pets. Thank you again for your  donations  – every little bit helps!

DONATE TODAY

Your contributions help towards the safety of animals across the world, thank you!

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Arguments Against Puppy Mills, Essay Example

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Most people would never imagine that the cute little puppy sitting in the pet store window once came from a puppy mill.  Although it is true that this is not true for all pets from all pet stores, an alarming amount of puppies bought and sold in America come from irresponsible breeders who operate inhumane puppy mills to breed dogs for profit.  A puppy mills is a “large-scale commercial dog operation where profit is given priority over the well-being of the dogs (ASPCA.org, n.d.).”  Responsible breeders raise each puppy with conscious consideration, giving them proper food, love, shelter and medical attention when needed, something that puppy mills do not.  There are many laws that punish those who try to raise animals in inhumane conditions, however, due to lack of funding, many operations continue unabashed.  Puppy mills, that are essentially illegal under the true nature of the law, should not be allowed to continue to function because they provide immoral and unethical treatment of dogs primarily by basing their operations solely on profit seeking behaviors.

Puppy mills operate on a cost efficient basis.  Their goal is maximum profits for minimum work.  They do not spend extra money on the puppies they are raising by keeping them clean, healthy and happy.  Cages are small and cramped.  Many puppy mills operate in filth, paying little attention to sanitation codes and standards.  Puppies in puppy mills are often kept in filthy living conditions.  For example, in a recent puppy mill bust “Two men faced charges after 38 puppies were found to be confined to a feces filled van without food, water or space to exercise.  The men were transporting the animals from Oklahoma to Florida when a passerby noticed the dog’s distressed barking and the foul stench emanating from the van, which was parked at a Daytona Beach motel (PETA.org, n.d.).” This type of neglect is common in puppy mills.  In another puppy mill bust in Washington state, officials found over 400 caged dogs.  Sgt. Paul Arroyos, who found the animals, was quoted as saying (Forman, 2009) “Some of the most disgusting in the 19 years of doing this job.  They were living in their own feces, a lot of them.  They weren’t being cared for properly, it was just deplorable.”  This kind of treatment of animals is not acceptable to most people, who would never feel right paying money to people who treat animals so inhumanely.

In addition to filthy cages, the cages themselves are often small and cramped.  The cages in puppy mills are often poorly constructed or made from cheap and uncomfortable material.  “Puppy mill kennels can consist of anything from small cages made of wood and wire mesh to tractor-trailor cabs or simple tethers attached to trees (PETA.org, n.d.).”  Responsible breeders allow dogs the freedom to roam about, either in specially built pens or, in the case of family breeders, in their own home.  Puppies are living creatures that need space to move in order for proper muscle development and general happiness. Puppy mills have been discovered to have all sorts of horrible living conditions for puppies. One Arkansas facility had “cages hanging from the ceiling of an unheated cinder-block building…(PETA.org, n.d.).”  In order for dogs to be raised humanely, they need to be not only given a large and clean space in which to live, they also need to have room to play and run around.  When animals are raised in a puppy mill environment, they are often caged from birth, as was the case in the puppy mill bust in Washington.  The puppies are denied space in which to play and exercise.  They are often not even given a toy or any type of stimulus.  Since puppies and dogs are extremely social creatures, this type of neglect can have a harmful psychological effect on the animal.  Puppies can take on nervous habits leading to poor social development.  In addition to leading to a host of health problems later  in life, being raised in cramped conditions can lead to mental issues that make puppy mill puppies very bad pets.  However, for puppy mill breeders, it is not important whether the pups end up making good pets and have a happy and healthy life.  They have other priorities, namely, money.

Puppy mills are run by large companies for the purpose of making money, not because they particularly love animals.  This makes a huge difference in their attitude towards the animals.  In order to cut costs and make more profit, the animals are denied adequate bedding, medicine when needed and food.  Animals that become infertile are often killed, since they no longer bring a profit. The United States has passed the Animal Welfare Act in 1966 to protect animals from abuse and neglect. “The USDA is supposed to monitor and inspect kennels to ensure that they are not violating the housing standards of the Animal Welfare Act, but kennel inspections are a low priority.  In the U.S., there are more than 1,000 research facilities, more than 2,800 exhibitors, and 4,500 dealers that are supposed to be inspected each year (PETS.org, n.d.) and (ASPCA.org, n.d.).”  In 2008, the Farm Bill was passed which “Prohibits the importation of puppies under six months of age for the purpose of resale (ASPCA.org, n.d.).” However, in order for puppy mills to be stopped, they must first be caught.  The authorities rely on individuals to report puppy mills so that they can be shut down.

There are many ways in which individual consumers can make an impact in the fight against puppy mills.  A success story comes from the Newsweek article (Smalley, 2009) which describes the actions of one such man, Bill Smith, who runs a dog shelter in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  He noticed that a farm that had been recently busted for running a puppy mill was advertising that it sold “organic milk.”  He found out that milk sold by this farmer was being purchased and sold at Whole Foods.  Smith petitioned Whole Foods to stop buying milk from farmers who treated their animals inhumanely.  After an investigation, it was determined the farmer was indeed still running a puppy mill.  Whole Foods responded by issuing a letter to its vendors, requesting that they “not supply any products to our stores that have been sourced from farmers…who breed or raise dogs inhumanely (Smalley, 2009).”   The action worked, as the farmer in question immediately cleaned up his act and stopped running puppy mills so that he could continue to be a milk supplier to Horizon, the brand of milk that is sold at Whole Foods.   Puppy mills raise a very moral issue amongst consumers, and most people would not want to buy products that support puppy mills just like they would not knowingly buy a puppy from a puppy mill.   Puppy mill owners count on anonymity in order to be successful.  When puppy mill owners are finally exposed, most people are disgusted

Puppies from puppy mills generally do not make good pets.  “Constant confinement and a lack of adequate veterinary care and socialization often result in animals who are unhealthy and difficult to socialize. As a result, many are abandoned within weeks or months of their adoption by frustrated buyers – further exacerbating the tragic companion animal overpopulation crisis (PETA.org, n.d.).”  In order to avoid supporting puppy mills, it is up to the consumer to find out where their puppy came from before purchase.  There are many responsible breeders out there.  They offer customers the chance to come to the kennel and meet the puppy’s parents.  This is a great way to understand the personality of the pup you are buying, as well as for customers to assure themselves that they are not supporting a puppy mill.   Though puppy mills are illegal, those who wish to profit off of the suffering of animals will continue to do so until there is no longer a profit to be made.  Stricter inspections and controls of pet shops by government agencies will need to be enacted in order for puppy mills to be shut down for good.

ASPCA.org (n.d.) Laws that protect dogs in puppy mills. Web. Retrieved 31 May, 2010 from  http://www.aspca.org/figh-animal-cruelty/puppy-mills/laws-that-protect-dogs.html

ASPCA.org (n.d.) What is a puppy mill? Web. Retrieved 31 May, 2010  from  http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/puppy-mills/what-is-a-puppy-mill.html

Forman, Jim (22 January, 2009)  Hundreds of animals seized in puppy mill bust. KETKnbc.com Web. Retrieved 17 June, 2010 from http://www.ketknbc.com/news/hundreds-animals-seized-puppy-mill-bust

HumaneSociety.org (n.d.) Puppy mills: The human society of the United States. Web. Retrieved 31 May, 2010  from http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/puppy_mills/

PETS.org (n.d.) Puppy mills: Dogs abused for the pet trade. Web. Retrieved 31 May, 2010 from http://www.peta.org/mc/factsheet_display.asp?ID=45

  Smalley, Suzanne (11 July, 2009). Animal instinct: An investigation into designer dogs leads to greater scritiny of the “puppy mill” industry.  Newsweek.  Web. Retrieved 17 June, 2010 from http://www.newsweek.com/2009/07/10/animal-instinct.html

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Moral Imperative: Advocating for the Prohibition of Puppy Mills

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