Ban Puppy Mills

What is a Puppy Mill?

A puppy mill is a large-scale commercial dog breeding operation where profit is given priority over the well-being of the dogs. Unlike responsible breeders, who place the utmost importance on producing the healthiest puppies possible, breeding at puppy mills is performed without consideration of genetic quality. This results in generations of dogs with unchecked hereditary defects.

Puppy mill puppies are typically sold to pet shops—usually through a broker, or middleman—and marketed as young as eight weeks of age. The lineage records of puppy mill dogs are often falsified.

How Are Animals Treated in Puppy Mills?

Puppy mills usually house dogs in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, without adequate veterinary care, food, water and socialization. Puppy mill dogs do not get to experience treats, toys, exercise or basic grooming. To minimize waste clean-up, dogs are often kept in cages with wire flooring that injures their paws and legs—and it is not unusual for cages to be stacked up in columns. Breeder dogs at mills might spend their entire lives outdoors, exposed to the elements—or crammed inside filthy structures where they never get the chance to feel the sun or a gust of fresh air on their faces.

What Are Common Problems of Puppy Mill Dogs?
Epilepsy
Heart disease
Kidney disease
Musculoskeletal disorders (hip dysplasia, luxating patellas, etc.) Endocrine disorders (diabetes, hyperthyroidism)
Blood disorders (anemia, Von Willebrand disease)
Deafness
Eye problems (cataracts, glaucoma, progressive retinal atrophy, etc.) Respiratory disorders

On top of that, puppies often arrive in pet stores—and their new homes—with diseases or infirmities. These can include:
Giardia
Parvo Virus
Distemper
Upper respiratory infections
Kennel cough
Pneumonia
Mange
Fleas
Ticks
Intestinal parasites
Heart Worms
Chronic diarrhoea