The Truth About Puppy Mills
What is a Puppy Mill & What does that have to do with Pet Stores?
Puppy mills are horrible places where many, sometimes hundreds, of various purebred and mixed breed dogs are kept purely for profit. They are forced to live in dirty, cramped and diseased conditions. They receive little or no veterinary care. They will often live in the same pen or wire cage their entire life, producing litter after litter until they are infertile. Many of these dogs are inbred. When these dogs are no longer making a profit for the owner, they are destroyed, sold or simply discarded. They receive no cuddles, no love, no affection and no dignity. Just think of the poor mother those puppies have left behind :(
Some puppy mills & Unethical Breeders are even licensed! They consider their work like farming! Just a Cash Crop!
Puppies in puppy mills are often malnurished, diseased, geneticly deformed and of unknown breed origin. These puppies are taken from their mothers too early and sold to pet stores and the general public. They also sell over the internet and in classified papers. Some use "Brokers" who purchase the pups at a low price and sell them for a profit.They often wont allow buyers to visit their home and view their "kennel".
Puppies sold in your local pet store are from puppy mills & irresponsible breeders. They are sold by the puppy mills & sometimes shipped in big trucks by the hundreds and some don't make it to their destination alive. Many have been in these trucks for several days without proper food and water, without air conditioning or heat. At the pet store you may have noticed breed names such as "Shih Tzu TYPE dog" or when you ask where the puppy is from, they refuse to tell you. Also, because there are many dogs sold with false registration you may also notice that most of these dogs were born on a Monday.
Pet stores PROFIT FROM YOUR IMPULSE TO BUY A CUTE PUPPY.
They have bought the puppy for a very low price ($50-$300) then sell them to you for $1000 or more, much more. You are buying into a pet that you know NOTHING about their parents living conditions & health.
Puppy milling or farming & Inhumane Breeding is considered animal cruelty. These organizations & people must be stopped and shut down. The owners must be held accountable for their actions. The following is a list of things to be on the look out for:
* They usually will not let the buyer see part or all of their home or kennel, with stories like "We don't want our dogs exposed to disease..."
* They will try to sell puppies that are too young or claim that they are very rare or small
* They will deny any health problems and will not provide proof of vet care
* They will always have many puppies for sale of different ages and sizes
* They will prefer cash upfront
* They will have way too many dogs living in dirty smelly conditions
* They may have sick & unsocialized dogs
* They will usually be very smooth talkers, they will tell you what you want to hear
What does a Puppy Mill/Unethical Breeder Look Like?
I have included some very graphic photos of dogs forced to live in puppy mills & unhealthy homes, only to make money for their humans. Please be warned that these photos are real, horrific and heart breaking. You might see a cute puppy, but this is the fate of their parents!
What can YOU do about this?
Contact your Local SPCA right Away!!!!!
If you have discovered animal abuse, you can contact your local animal protection group or the police. You can also help by passing this information on and doing your own research. There is plenty of information on the internet about puppy mills. Some of the stories and pictures actually made me cry in front of my computer.
The biggest help is for you to:
Refuse to buy your next pet from anyone who you suspect of animal abuse or neglect
Don't buy from pet stores or other organizations
Spread the Word!
Adopt your next pet only from an Animal shelter or Reputable breeder
Older animals make wonderful companions too.
Animals are innocent, dependent and rely on us to make sure they are well taken care of. They can not speak for themselves, that's OUR JOB.
I have added some web addresses that contain further information and true stories of the life dogs face in the hands of abusers. Please educate yourself about the true underbelly of the pet industry and learn how educate others so we can all do our part to stop this terrible cruelty!
http://www.canadanopuppymills.com/
http://www.columbusdogconnection.com/MorrowCountyPuppyMill.htm
http://www.crar.org/Adoptable_puppymill.htm
http://www.nowisconsinpuppymills.com/dumplin.html
http://www.nopuppymillscanada.ca/
