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Puppy mills known for
grim conditions
April 10, 2008
A phone caller recently said he was very disturbed after seeing a
television documentary about puppy mills. Until then, he was unaware
of such mills and wanted to know what he could do about them.
These mills are breeding operations that mass produce puppies,
primarily to sell in pet stores. The caller's outrage was
understandable, because the bottom line for puppy mills is profit.
Tragically, the puppies bred at these operations are housed in an
extremely inhumane manner. They often are forced into crowded,
makeshift and extremely filthy kennels or cages. No thought is given
to proper care, exercise, food, grooming or medical care, and they
are deprived of human interaction and socialization. They also are
plagued with chronic medical problems, due to the lack of care. Some
do not survive the mills.
Puppy mills are not common in our region; they are typically found
in agricultural states such as Missouri, Pennsylvania, Iowa and
Arkansas, which rank as having the most operations. Surprisingly,
puppy mills are legitimate businesses and are defined as such when a
breeder sells more than 25 animals annually to the wholesale pet
market. Such operations require a breeding license from the United
States Department of Agriculture and should be inspected and
monitored by the USDA to ensure proper care under the federal Animal
Welfare Act. The reality, however, is that inspections and
guidelines are poorly enforced.
Attention to the problem and awareness of the reality of puppy mills
are among the first steps to combat the problem. Oprah Winfrey
recently aired a segment about puppy mills, and she has made a
personal commitment to raise awareness about them and to help in
shutting them down. We all know the power Oprah carries, but what
can we as individuals do to stop the madness of puppy mills?
The most important and effective action is to never purchase a puppy
from a pet store. The American Humane Association estimates that
about 90 percent of the half million puppies sold in pet stores come
from puppy mills. If each person stopped buying pets from puppy
stores, the demand would disappear and these operations would be
forced to shut down. There would no longer be a market in which to
make a profit.
We should also steer away from questionable breeders -- those that
advertise in newspapers and online, for example -- and thoroughly
investigate the breeding practices of any entity that is in the
business of selling puppies.
Rather than asking "How much is that doggie in the window?" we
should simply visit one of the many animal shelters in our region
and ask, "How soon can I adopt this beautiful doggie?"
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Gloria Dauphin
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