A Look at the Puppy Mill Industry Puppy Mills: Most everyone’s heard of them; they’re “bad” things. So a person should always get a puppy from a pet shop, right? That way it’s not from a puppy mill, right? The puppy will
be a pure-bred, with papers, healthy, have all the shots and stuff, and will be real happy, right? That’s what a lot of people tell me.
Can YOU answer any of the questions above? I can. A legitimate, licensed and periodically inspected pet shop may well give you those exact things. BUT MOST pet shopS are NOT licensed or their licenses are expired, and they GOT THEIR PUPPIES from a Puppy Mill! But, then it’s a good thing to “rescue” such a puppy into my loving home, right? NO, it emphatically is NOT! If it’s sold as pure bred, it may not be. Its papers are likely forgeries. Did you ask where its mom and dad were and ask to see them? Then did you check with AKC or a related organization to make sure the expensive little puppy was properly
registered? Chances are, it wasn’t.
So what happens is, you may have just supported and perpetuated the existence and profit of both a puppy mill and an unscrupulous, unethical and probably illegal pet shop merchant. In addition, the puppy may be suffering from several things that won’t be apparent to you until well after the exchange warranty is up, and guess what will happen if you DO give back your sick puppy to the puppy mill?
The
puppy could be the victim of many diseases and problems ranging from serious inbreeding to worms, heartworms, parasites in general, displasia of various joints to untreated kennel cough, frequent bouts of diahrrea and vomiting and a host of other things. With some it’s questionable whether they even received their rabies shots.
These pet shops know what they’re selling to you. They go to puppy mills for their stock. And unfortunately, this described
the vast majority of pet shops, so do your homework before you buy from a pet shop. Find an honest one that’s up on all the requirements and takes them seriously and will show you any and all of his animals out front and out back. There aren’t many “good” pet shops that aren’t supporting a puppy mill or three.
FROM THE ASPCA WEB SITE ABOUT PUPPY MILLS:N O T E : ALL links which go offsite will open in a NEW window: Close the window to return here: The stench of garbage, urine and feces is unbearable. Ammonia hangs heavy in the air, and flies are everywhere. Dim lighting and the constant barking of dogs in distress create a sense of chaos
. Row upon row of stacked cages hold dogs matted with feces—some too sick to move. This is the world in which a puppy mill dog lives.
While many people may be familiar with the term "puppy mill," few are aware of the horrors associated with one. The ASPCA has been investigating puppy mills for years, helping to expose the realities of this deplorable industry, and thanks to our experts and detailed reports from our undercover puppy mill investigator, the new ASPCA Puppy Mill FAQ offers a greater insight into the notorious puppy trade.
“We hope the findings from our investigations will help educate the public about the horrors of puppy mills and will result in an ultimate solution to this very serious problem—the end of selling puppies in pet shops and the closing of puppy mills,” says Bob Baker, Investigator, ASPCA Anti-Cruelty Initiatives.
What’s it really like inside the walls of a puppy mill? What happens to sick animals or those no longer able to breed? How much money does a puppy mill actually make per puppy? Are puppy mills similar to factory farms? Find out the answers to these and other questions in
our new Puppy Mill FAQ. Copyright © 2009. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals (ASPCA). All Rights Reserved.
You can help, too! Do your homework so you will have assurances that your new puppy is healthy
, happy and meets all the requirements for passing on to the public as a pet. Never in any way support a pet shop or any other business associated with a puppy mill. And remember, the majority of pet shops DO support puppy mills. Information is your best weapon. Do NOT confront a puppy mill owner or employee, or a pet shop which purchases from puppy
mills. These people have no respect for animal life and the FBI along with many other universities have strong evidence that these people may also has little respect for human life or well being. The best thing you can do as a concerned citizen is to REPORT THEM! That’s a lot of talk, and fairly interesting, but ... what IS a Puppy Mill, really? Click the link for more information on the subject. | 
