Why puppy mills are bad

There are very few things that I feel so strongly about.  Pet overpopulation is my “cause”.  For me, buying a puppy from a pet store is unethical.   I recently had a very close friend buy a puppy from a chain pet store.  I was really upset about it and just assumed that she knew everything I did about how horrible puppy mills are.  I realized that there are still many people that don’t know what they are endorsing when they buy a puppy from a puppy mill store.   Here are some quick facts I put together… 

Reasons not to buy a puppy from a pet store:

1.       Your money continues the breeding of dogs in horrible conditions (see below)

2.       The animals are not healthy, nor well cared for, or properly socialized

3.       There are rescue groups that specifically rescue animals from puppy mills

4.       Paperwork is often forged, including health documents and the actual age of the puppy

5.       According to bestfriends.org, more than 90% of puppies sold at pet stores are from puppy mills

6.       The money is not for a high quality dog, it’s to make money for the breeder, broker, and pet store

Conditions at puppy mills (adapted from bestfriends.org):

·         Large, commercial breeding operations where they’re treated like inventory and stored in crowded, filthy cages with other dogs.

·         There are no limits on breeding. Female dogs used for breeding are bred over and over again until their bodies give out. Then they’re destroyed, sold for research or dumped at the local pound.

·         Dogs may well be inbred, which means their puppies might have deformities.
Dogs raised in substandard conditions often suffer from all kinds of physical ailments, which can result in large veterinary bills – and a lot of heartbreak – for their unsuspecting new owners.

·         Puppies raised in large, commercial breeding operations are not socialized and often have behavioral problems.

·         Because they suffer from diseases and behavioral problems, many of these animals end up in shelters, and are then euthanized. It’s estimated that one in four animals in a shelter is a purebred.

This is a great website with tons of information – please take the time to review it.
http://stoppuppymills.org/

Wikipedia also has a lot of information, including the difference between “backyard breeder” and “puppy mill”

For some graphic images:

http://www.a-r-f.org/html/dognews.html

The number one way consumers can help shut down puppy mills is to avoid purchasing dogs from pet stores, and adopt from a local shelter or rescue group instead.

There are many wonderful puppies and dogs in constant need of homes, many of them are purebred (estimates are 1 in 4). 

Petfinder.com is a wonderful resource, breed rescues exist everywhere, as well as your local shelter.

If anyone has any other things that I have left out, please leave a comment.

Advertisement