The Horrors of Puppy Mills

Puppy mills are, according to the ASPCA's definition, any large-scale commercial breeding operation where profits are given a higher priority than the well being of the dogs.

The puppies for sale at pet stores look adorable and sweet. Where they come from is not so nice. I won't go into graphic details, but the parents are there to breed and nothing else. They are kept in cages in warehouse settings. Their "lot in life" is to reproduce so the puppies can be sold for a big profit. The ASPCA figures that there are over 700 puppy mills, all over the country. The ASPCA has successfully closed hundreds of them and investigations have led to more than 1,000 arrests of animal cruelty.

Ten Ways You Can Help Fight Puppy Mills
1. Don't buy your puppy from a pet store. 2. Adopt. If you are looking to adopt a puppy, check your local shelter first. If you are set on a specific breed, check a breed rescue. 3. Use a responsible breeder, these breeders want to put their puppies in good homes. 4. See where your puppy was born and bred. Ask to see the breeding premises and to meet both parents (or at least the mother). 5. Internet buyers, beware. This is just as risky as buying from a pet store. 6. Share your puppy mill story with the ASPCA. They are trying to get legislation to ban puppy mills. 7. Speak out. Inform your state and federal legislators that you are disturbed by the inhumane treatment of dogs in puppy mills. 8. Tell your friends. If they are planning to buy a puppy, please direct them to the ASPCA website for information on puppy mills. 9. Think globally. Have a webpage, a MySpace page or a blog to inform people about puppy mill cruelty. 10. Act locally. When people are looking to buy or adopt a pet, they will often ask the advice of their veterinarian, groomer or pet supply store. Get the word out about puppy mills!

For more information go to: www.aspca.org/puppymills

My Buddy came from a family's own puppy mill. Their female was kept in a pen and had at least 2 litters a year. The conditions were deplorable. Buddy has a huge overbite, a sign of overbreeding. He got so sick after we had him one week, that he almost died. I should have reported it at the time, but didn't. I kept seeing the same ad for Border Collies, that I answered to get Buddy in the newspaper, a couple of times a year. I finally called and told them that I was going to report them. I didn't see anymore ads from them in the paper. They probably advertise somewhere else. I can only hope they stopped over breeding their dog for profit.