A Puppy Mill is ANY place that breeds puppies for the main purpose of making a profit. They do not breed for genetic superiority, not for intelligence, not for longevity, not for confirmation... only profit. They breed to produce quantity, not quality. They do not worry about the physical or mental health of the parent, as long as they can produce pups.
Often they cater to "cuteness", small sells, so it is not uncommon for them to stunt dogs with poor nutrition. The parents are generally kept in small cages, sometimes stacked on top of one another. No additional expense is occurred. They are fed minimal amounts of cheap food. Vet attention is only given as a last resort, or sometimes not at all. It is all about spending as little as possible so they can make the most profit.
The females are bred over and over, their bodies given no time to rest or recover. They are killed or abandoned when they are no longer useful. The majority of puppy mill adults are not adoptable, they are not socialized, and may have never even walked on grass. They are mentally unstable because of the substandard conditions of their life, and are generally unsafe as pets. They are not house broken.
The pups suffer from poor nutrition, often have worms, and may have other mental problems as a result of being raised with very little human contact, or in filthy conditions. Puppy mill pups have a higher rate of coprophagia (eating their own feces).
Often Puppy Mills have more than one breed of dog, and more than one breeding animal of each breed. Even the cleanest puppy mill is a problem because they are not breeding for anything other than money.
Image Source
Back Yard Breeders
Not much better than the Puppy Mill breeder, it is sometimes hard to tell them apart. In many cases the only difference is the people actually include the dog as a pet. They may spend a little more money on dog care and well being. However, they are the same as bad as a puppy mill in that they breed for no reason other than to produce pups for profit. They have no regard to genetics or mental health. Back yard breeders often produce mixed breed dogs.
Pet Stores
Pet stores will deny buying from Puppy Mills, but who else would sell to a store? A reputable breeder would not sell to a store and would never hide anonymously behind a store front, nor would they need to. Who needs to hide? Pet stores buy pups as cheap as they can, and sell for as much as they can. They are stores, they are in the business of making profit.
They play on the fact many buyers are taken in by a cute pup and buy on a whim, or many people feel sorry for pups and think they are rescuing them. What people need to know, is that they are NOT rescuing one dog.. they are condemning others to live in horrid conditions because they have supported this industry by making a purchase. When you buy a puppy that had a horrible start in life, you may have a dog with loads of health problems later in life, including mental health issues.
A few stores are recognizing this and are housing dogs from local shelters and adopting them out on behalf of the shelter, but it is hard for a person to know unless they ask and check into it further. The much lower cost is usually an indication of a shelter animal for adoption.
Reputable Breeders
A reputable breeder takes his or her dogs to shows to prove their worth as breeding animals. They invest time and money into ensuring their dog is going to produce quality pups. They have the dogs checked by veterinarians for genetic issues. They screen potential new owners and often having waiting lists for pups before even breeding their dog. They breed for the purpose of improving the breed. They do not breed mixed breed dogs. They usually offer guarantees with their dogs.
Because of the time and money invested, reputable breeders do NOT make a profit. Their prices are high and this inflates the prices of lesser quality animals. Many pet buyers do not recognize the difference why one dog is one price, and another dog is a different price. So even the low quality dogs are sold for high prices.
Reputable breeders goal is quality.
How can you stop Puppy Mills?
Puppy Mills are illegal in many areas, the problem is that the stores simply buy from other areas, or from brokers who buy from the mills, and keep the location of the mill secret. Pet stores turn a blind eye to where the pup comes from. As long as it is priced right.
Thus the ONLY want to stop Puppy Mills, is to stop buying pups from pet stores. If the stores can no longer make a profit by selling pups they will discontinue to sell them. Educate others not to buy from stores.
Other animals?
YES!!! Other animals come from "mills" too. Not just pups. Purebred cats, birds, rodents, etc. All come from mills when sold at pet stores. It is harder for the public to find breeders for some animals such as reptiles or birds so they support the store.
Where to buy from?
In addition to buying from Reputable breeders (which can be found in Magazines, or at shows, or from word of mouth) a buyer can find a pup at their local animal shelter, SPCA, or breed rescue. If you go to a home to look at pups and the facilities or dogs are in bad condition, do not feel sorry for the pups. Do not reward the seller. Instead call the local authorities for pet care and report the substandard conditions. You are better off to buy directly from a good back yard breeder than from a store, just remember that if the parents have no show record, or genetic tests done by a vet, your new pup may not be worth the asking price.
Remember:
- NEVER pay a cent for a pup that has not been vet checked or vaccinated.
- A mixed breed dog is ONLY worth the cost of the vaccinations and vet check done prior to the sale.
- A purebred dog is ONLY worth more if the parents have been to shows to prove their quality.
