I Lead a Sheltied Life

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 fecessome too sick to move. This is the world of a puppy mill dog.

Facts About Puppy Mills

What Is a Puppy Mill?
How Many Puppy Mills Are There in the United States?
How Many Dogs Are Housed at a Typical Puppy Mill?
What Are Dog Auctions?
Is it Bad to Buy a Dog at a Dog Auction?
Do Puppy Mills Produce Kittens, Too?
Who Operates a Typical Puppy Mill?

The Breeder Dogs

What Is a Breeder Dog?
How Are the Dogs Bred?
What Happens to Sick Animals at the Mill?
Are Puppy Mills Similar to Factory Farms?
Do Puppy Mill Dogs Fight or Injure Each Other?
What Happens to the Breeding Stock When They Can No Longer Breed?
What Is Culling?
What Are Some of the Health Issues Puppy Mill Breeder Dogs Develop?

The Puppies

How Many Puppies Are Produced By Puppy Mills Each Year?
How Much Money Does a Puppy Mill Make Per Puppy?
When Are Puppies Taken From Their Mothers?
What Are Some of the Health Issues Puppy Mill Puppies Develop?
What Are Some of the Behavior Issues that Puppy Mill Dogs Develop?

Puppy Mills and the Law

Who Protects Animals in Puppy Mills?
Are There Any Federal Laws That Regulate Puppy Mills?
Are Federal Regulations Enforced at Puppy Mills?
How Are Puppy Mills Regulated at the State Level?
What Are Puppy Pipelines?
Dont Anti-Cruelty Laws Apply to Puppy Mills?
Why Cant We Just Outlaw Puppy Mills?
Is it Against the Law to Sell a Sick Puppy?
How Do I File a Complaint Against Someone Who Sold Me a Sick Puppy?

The American Kennel Club (AKC) and Puppy Mills

Are All Puppy Mill Puppies Purebred?
Are AKC-Registered Dogs Guaranteed?
Does the AKC Inspect Breeders?

Pet Stores and Puppy Mills

I Bought a Puppy and He Got Sick. What Can I Do?
Are All Puppies Sold In Pet Stores From Puppy Mills?
What Happens to Puppies Who Do Not Get Sold at Pet Stores or Become Too Old to Sell?
Should I Patronize Pet Stores that Sell Puppies?
Why Is it Bad to Buy a Puppy at a Pet Store. Isnt It Rescuing a Puppy Mill Dog?
Activism and Puppy Mills

How Can I Help Stop Puppy Mills?
What Is the ASPCA Doing to Change the Laws Regarding Puppy Mills?
Is the ASPCA Actively Involved in Shutting Down Puppy Mills?

Facts About 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. According to Bob Baker, Investigator, ASPCA Anti-Cruelty Initiatives, Some of the many problems of puppy mills include incessant breeding, inbreeding, lack of veterinary care, poor quality of food and shelter, lack of socialization with humans, overcrowded cages and the killing of unwanted animals.

How Many Puppy Mills Are There in the United States?

It is estimated that there are at least 10,000 puppy mills in the U.S. alone. Thats about twice as many as in the mid-1990s, says Baker, who has been investigating puppy mills since 1980. Approximately 5,000 of these puppy farms sell directly to pet stores. Although puppy mills exist in nearly every state, many are concentrated in the agricultural states of Pennsylvania, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma, with the majorityabout one-thirdlocated in Missouri.

The remaining 5,000 mills sell directly to consumers, often via the Internet. A loophole found in the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) allows puppy mills that sell directly to the public to operate without a federal license or fear of inspection. Some states have laws that regulate commercial breeding, but not all of them do. Mills selling directly to the public in states that do not regulate breeders are not accountable to anyone for their breeding or care standards. Becoming increasingly more popular, puppy mills that sell directly to the public tend to be located in the states of Arkansas, Texas, Colorado and Florida.

How Many Dogs Are Housed at a Typical Puppy Mill?

Just like other factory farms that produce animals as a cash crop, the size of puppy mills variesthere may be as few as 20 dogs or as many as a thousand.

What Are Dog Auctions?

There are two types of dog auctions. A consignment auction is an auction that occurs when a puppy mill rids itself of the dogs it no longer wantsthe typical buyers at these auctions are dog brokers and other puppy millers.

A dispersal auction occurs as a result of a puppy mills closure. A dispersal auction may include equipment and tools as well as dogs. The typical buyers at these auctions are dog brokers and other puppy millers.

Is it Bad to Buy a Dog at a Dog Auction?

Yes. For the most part, buying a dog from a puppy mill auction is similar to buying from a pet storethe money goes right back into the cruel industry. Most of these auctions are simply a way for the breeders to cull their stockthey sell old and non-producing dogs or dogs with serious medical problems to raise money to buy young, healthy dogs and start the cycle over.

Do Puppy Mills Produce Kittens, Too?

Yes. Sometimes the same breeder who produces puppies for pet shops also supplies them with purebred kittens. Cats are housed in similar conditions to puppy mills. However, cats do not do as well in the squalid puppy mill conditionsfeline disease often runs rampant and fatalities are extremely prevalent. Therefore, there are far fewer kitten mills than puppy mills.

It is important to note that while much consideration has been given to puppy mills, any animal can be raised for profit. Puppies, as well as cats, birds and many pet store pocket pets, have become the new cash crops and are produced in factory conditions.

Who Operates a Typical Puppy Mill?

Puppy mills are usually multi-generational, family-run operations. Most puppy mills are a means to supplement the familys income, says Baker. They are often run by the farmers wife and there is rarely any hired help outside the family. In addition to farmers, puppy mills have become a cottage industry in the rural areas of many Midwestern states. Needless to say, it is simply impossible for one or two people to meet the minimum standards of basic care for hundreds of dogs.

The Breeding Dogs

What Is a Breeding Dog?

The typical puppy mill will house hundreds of dogs used solely for breeding purposes. Females in these facilities are forced to begin breeding at their first heat cycle, which can begin as early as eight to nine months of age. After this point, they are then bred heat cycle after heat cycle with little to no recovery time between litters. This can lead to reproductive disease and illness. Females are typically killed when their reproduction rate declinesusually after five to eight years. As you see, the puppies in pet stores are the lucky ones. The parents of the puppy in the pet store window will most likely never make it out of the mill alive.

How Are the Dogs Bred?

There is typically one male breeding dog for every five females. Puppy mills keep track of each females heat cyclewhen it begins, they simply put a male breeding dog in her cage, forcing them to mate.

What Happens to Sick Animals at the Mill?

Dogs at a puppy mill are treated as a commodityas puppy-making machines. Their value is tied to how many puppies they can produce. Since as little money as possible is spent on the dogs well-being and care, they are usually forced to live in filthy conditions and are fed the cheapest diet available. Many of the dogs are undernourished and ill.

The mindset of the puppy mill operators is that if the dog is not well, it is too expensive to provide veterinary treatment. It is simply cheaper to replace the dog, says Baker. Many sick animals are shot, while others are left to languish in their cages without veterinary care.

Are Puppy Mills Similar to Factory Farms?

Yes. Many puppy mills are set up just like factory farms that raise hens for egg production. In a similar setup to the battery hen system, multiple dogs are crammed into tiny cages stacked row after row in dark barns or sheds. The cages in a puppy mill are stacked to maximize the number of dogs who can be housed in one building. Under USDA regulations, the cage must only be six inches taller and approximately six inches longer than the dog. As a point of reference, a dog about the size of a beagle can be housed in a cage the size of a dishwasher for her entire life!

Like battery cages, the dog cages usually have wire flooring, allowing for feces and urine to fall though to the cages below, ultimately forming heaps of waste. Even though federal law and some state laws require a partition between rows, the partitions frequently overflow, causing waste to fall onto the dogs in the bottom rows. The atmosphere is usually poisoned with unhealthy levels of ammonia, which causes burned eyes and chronic respiratory disease in many of the dogs.

Do Puppy Mill Dogs Fight or Injure Each Other?

The stress and cramped space of puppy mill living is often unbearable, and dogs housed in the same cages will often fight one another. Many of the breeding stock have bite marks and scars on their bodies; some have even lost limbs. Weaker dogs are sometimes trampled. It is not uncommon for more aggressive dogs in the cage to prohibit the more submissive dogs from eating.

What Happens to the Breeding Stock When They Can No Longer Breed?

When the dogs used for breeding can no longer produce, they are typically shot. In some very large commercial puppy mills, as soon as the female breeding dogs turn five years of age they are automatically killed, says Baker. The males are kept a few years longer.

In the smaller, more common, family-run puppy mills, the dogs will endure six to ten years before they are killed.

What Is Culling?

Culling occurs when a mill gets rid of its old or damaged stock. Puppy mills often use the cheapest and most effective method of getting rid of their used-up breeding stock and sick dogsthe dogs are shot.

As for the puppies who cant be sold to brokers due to illness or abnormalityoften called broker rejectsthe mill will sell them directly to the public via the Internet or newspaper ads, promoting them as purebreds.

What Are Some of the Health Issues Puppy Mill Breeding Dogs Develop?

Breeding dogs typically receive little to no veterinary care and often suffer from multiple illness and injuries, including:

• Severe respiratory disorders
• Frequent injuriesmissing limbs, broken bones, infected bite wounds, etc.
• Fleas and ticks
• Internal parasites, including heartworm
• Severe dental disease that leads to rotting teeth and jaws
• Reproductive disorders
• Severe matting from lack of grooming, which can lead to skin lesions
• Mange

The Puppies

How Many Puppies Are Produced By Puppy Mills Each Year?

Approximately one million puppies are produced each year in U.S. puppy mills. Of the one million puppies bred in puppy mills, about half go to pet stores. Puppies sold in pet stores are usually purchased by brokers, or middlemen, before being shipped out to pet stores, and marketed as young as eight weeks of age, says Baker. Many others are sold directly to consumers, mostly over the Internet, allowing mills to bypass USDA regulations.

How Much Money Does a Puppy Mill Make Per Puppy?

Most puppy mills receive about $100 per puppy when sold to a broker. Therefore, in order to make a profit, the puppies must be produced at a rapid rate. The more money a puppy mill puts into the dogs housing, health, food and other basic needs, the less profit they turn, says Baker. They produce as many puppies as they can, for as little money as possible. Poor nutrition, veterinary neglect and incessant breeding are rampant.

After obtaining the puppies from the puppy mill, brokers sell them to pet stores for around $200. Pet stores turn around and sell puppies to consumers for upwards of $1,000.

When Are Puppies Taken From Their Mothers?

Puppies are typically removed at six to seven weeks of age and sold to brokers who pack them in crates for transport and sale to pet shops.

Puppies are often crammed into cages and shipped across the country in tractor trailers, says Baker. Due to the stress of being pulled away from their mothers and traveling in such deplorable conditions, many puppies become ill and some die.

What Are Some of the Health Issues Puppy Mill Puppies Develop?

Illness and disease are common in puppies from puppy mills. Because puppy mill operators fail to apply proper husbandry practices that would remove sick dogs from their breeding pools, puppies from puppy mills are prone to congenital and hereditary conditions, including:

• Epilepsy
• Heart disease
• Kidney disease
• Musculoskeletal disorders (hip dysplasia, luxating patellas, etc.)
• Endocrine disorders (diabetes, hyperthyroidism)
• Blood disorders (anemia, Von Willebrand disease)
• Deafness
• Eye disorders (cataracts, glaucoma, progressive retinal atrophy, etc.)

What Are Some of the Behavior Issues that Puppy Mill Dogs Develop?

Many puppies suffer from behavioral disorders, including severe shyness, nervousness and fear.

While the breeding dogs have it much worse, even the cute little puppies in the pet shop windows are very damaged by their puppy mill experience, says Baker. They are born in a cage, shipped in a cage, and then placed in another cage at the pet shop. They have such a horrible start to life, it inevitably damages them. They also miss out on critical social development by being taken from their mothers and their littermates too early.

Puppy Mills and the Law

Who Protects Animals in Puppy Mills?

The wholesale commercial pet trade is regulated by the U.S. Department of Agricultures Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS). The USDA is responsible for administering the Animal Welfare Act, which requires breeders (if they sell to brokers or pet stores), brokers and dealers to provide minimal basic care to their animals. Anyone who breeds pets for pet stores must obtain Class A licenses, while brokers and dealers are required to obtain Class B licenses. These regulations do not apply to breeders who sell directly to the public, including those who sell via the Internet. This loophole is the number one reason many puppy mills now sell only via the Web.

Are There Any Federal Laws That Regulate Puppy Mills?

Yes. Federal laws include:

• The Animal Welfare Act, a federal law passed in 1966, defines the minimum standards of care for dogs, cats and certain other species of animals bred for research. In 1970 the Animal Welfare Act was amended to include those sold in pet stores.
• The 2008 Farm Bill, which prohibits the importation of puppies under six months of age for the purpose of resale. Unfortunately the USDA has not yet publicized regulations for this law and therefore it has yet to be enforced.

Most state laws regulating puppy mills are supposed to be enforced by state departments of agriculture. But these departments of agriculture often side with the puppy millers because many of the puppy mills are operated by farmers, says Baker. The departments of agriculture believe their primary purpose is to help the farmers, so they often turn a blind eye to the deplorable conditions at puppy mills. Even if the current law were vigorously enforced, the standards of care required are woefully inadequate, and amount to basic survival standards for dogs.

Are Federal Regulations Enforced at Puppy Mills?

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is understaffed with approximately 120 inspectors who enforce the Animal Welfare Act as well as the Horse Protection Act across the country. They are responsible for monitoring thousands of licensees, including breeders, brokers and dealers, as well as all zoos, circuses and research facilities.

Unfortunately, puppy mills are a low priority to them and they attempt to educate instead of prosecuting the operators. Their regulations are extremely lax and in no way ensure humane treatment to the dogs living in these establishments, says Baker.

How Are Puppy Mills Regulated at the State Level?

States have the power to legislate higher standards of humane care for commercially bred animals over and above the bare minimums required by the federal Animal Welfare Act. However, for a long time, puppy mills were not considered an important issue.

This has changed in recent years, explains Cori Menkin, ASPCA Senior Director, Legislative Initiatives. Louisiana just passed a law in 2008, HB 1193, limiting the total number of animals a commercial breeder may possess. As the voting public continues to become more vocal in its objection to the abuse of puppy mill dogs, political action and legislative support will only increase in the years to come. 2009 saw the introduction of over 30 state bills aimed at better regulating puppy mills!

What Are Puppy Pipelines?

Dealers who want to avoid U.S. laws form networks often referred to as puppy pipelines. These networks consist of breeders and smugglers who bring puppies into the U.S. from countries where humane care regulations do not exist.

It is estimated that thousands of puppies arrive in the U.S. every year from unregulated puppy mills in other countries and are shipped to puppy mills around the country. Many are sick or dead when they get here. As Baker notes, There are now certain puppy mills that only sell directly to the public via the Internet. Many of them are involved with puppy pipelines.

Dont Anti-Cruelty Laws Apply to Puppy Mills?

All 50 states have anti-cruelty laws intended to prevent the mistreatment of animals, including dogs in puppy mills. Anti-cruelty laws apply to puppy mills, Menkin explains. However, cruelty laws are criminal laws, so in order to enforce them, law enforcement needs permission or a search warrant to enter the premises. It is often very difficult to establish probable cause to obtain a search warrant since these types of operations usually occur behind closed doors.

The fact is, puppy mills are hidden away in small rural towns where they are either never seen, or even worse, no one wants to take action against them. During one of my investigations, I visited a horrible puppy mill. It was so bad, I wanted to report it to local law enforcement. It was then that I discovered the mill was actually owned by the Countys sheriff, says Baker.

Why Cant We Just Outlaw Puppy Mills?

Passing a law to ban puppy mills isnt that easy. Anyone who has worked on legislation can tell you that bringing a bill from an idea into a law is a difficult process. We have an extremely tough time passing more moderate legislation to raise the standards of care for animals in commercial breeding facilities. An attempt to ban them altogether is challenging, says Menkin. Additionally, there is a huge demand for purebred puppies in this country. Even though it seems like the general public is against puppy mills, there are a lot of people still buying dogs from pet stores. As long as the public supports the industry financially by buying dogs from pet stores and over the Internet, the industry will continue to exist.

Furthermore, the commercial pet industry has a lobbying force with significant financial resources at its command, and it consistently fights against measures that would improve animal care standards. Follow the moneyany attempt to regulate animal use in any way invokes the wrath of every animal use industry in the country, explains Menkin. In addition to pet breeders, this includes the agriculture and hunting interests, cattle ranchers, the slaughter industry, and circuses to name just a few. These industries have deep pockets, and any attempt to pass animal protection laws is perceived as a threat to their livelihood.

Is it Against the Law to Sell a Sick Puppy?

While in most states a pet store is not legally accountable for its actions, several states have passed consumer protection laws that specifically address puppies. These laws, often called puppy lemon laws (pdf),have good intentions and theory behind them, but they have specific limitations that often render them ineffective. In a rare few states (for example, Illinois), it is illegal to sell a dog with obvious signs of disease or infection.

How Do I File a Complaint Against Someone Who Sold Me a Sick Puppy?

Immediately get the dog checked by a vet, says Menkin. Most puppy lemon laws have a very short window of time in which a consumer can have the dog certified as unfit for sale by a veterinarian. It is critical to get the condition of the dog documented as early as possible.

Many lemon laws also require that the purchaser notify the breeder or pet store within a certain time period, usually only a few days from the time the dog is seen by the vet. Delaying action can result in the purchasers loss of the right to file a claim against the breeder or pet store. You will also want to contact the breeder or pet stores local animal control agency, humane society or animal shelter, advises Menkin, and request that they inspect the facility. If none of these exists in the area, call the police, sheriff or health department. It is also important to educate the public. Contact the consumer reporter at your local newspaper or television station and ask him or her to help get the word out.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) and Puppy Mills

Are All Puppy Mill Puppies Purebred?

No. The fact is, your new purebred puppy might not really be a purebred at all. Dogs at puppy mills are often bred indiscriminately, and lineage records are sometimes falsified to acquire AKC papers. Puppy mills are also marketing designer breedsa mix of two breedsto target consumers.

Are AKC-Registered Dogs Guaranteed?

AKC registry is a service provided by the American Kennel Club. While many people believe AKC registration means that their puppy came from a reputable breeder, being AKC-registered means nothing more than a puppys parents both had AKC papers. While there are AKC regulations on record-keeping and identification of dogs, they do not restrict puppy mills from producing AKC-registered dogs. The fact is, many AKC-registered dogs are born in puppy mills. While AKC has regulations as to record keeping provisions they have no minimum standards of care for the welfare of the dogsonly guidelines.

Does the AKC Inspect Breeders?

The primary function of the AKC inspector is to perform record checks to make sure the puppy did have two purebred dogs as parents. According to AKCs official policy, this is usually as far as it goes unless the AKC inspector discovers a dog in a clearly compromised condition such as grossly underweight, severely dehydrated, with serious untreated injuriesthe offenders are then usually given 45 days to correct the deficiencies.

Pet Stores and Puppy Mills

I Bought a Puppy and He Got Sick. What Can I Do?

If you buy a puppy from a pet shop, you run a high risk of taking home a sick animal. Respiratory infections including pneumonia, as well as hereditary defects like hip dysplasia and severe allergies, are common among the indiscriminately bred puppies from commercial breeders. If you have purchased a pet-store puppy who turned out to be sick, you have may have some recourse17 states have enacted laws, commonly called Lemon Laws (pdf), that make pet stores financially responsible for sick animals purchased from them.

Are All Puppies Sold In Pet Stores From Puppy Mills?

Its estimated that 99 percent of puppies sold by pet stores come from puppy mills. No reputable breeder would ever sell their puppies at a pet store. In fact, most breed clubs have a code of ethics prohibiting breeders from selling dogs to pet stores, says Baker. Furthermore, reputable breeders care about their puppies, and they would never stick them in a cage. They screen all potential buyers to make sure the puppy goes to a good home.

What Happens to Puppies Who Do Not Get Sold at Pet Stores or Become Too Old to Sell?

Pet stores are incredibly skilled at making consumers feel so sorry for the puppies in the tiny cages that they usually sell. If a puppy is not selling fast enough, pet shops simply continue to slash the price.

Should I Patronize Pet Stores that Sell Puppies?

How many people can resist the allure of a cute little puppy? The puppies are not only a commodity for the pet stores to profit off, but they are also exploited as a marketing tool to entice the consumer to buy pet supplies.

Once a pet shop sells you that puppy, they know that they have a captive customer who now must purchase supplies for the new puppy, says Baker. So besides making a huge profit on the puppy itself, which is substantial, they also profit from the sale of supplies that go with the puppy.

This is why it is important never to buy your pet supplies in a pet store that sells puppies. These stores will only cease selling puppy mill puppies when it becomes unprofitable for them to do so. Consumers need to send a strong message that they will not patronize stores that sell puppies.

Why Is it Bad to Buy a Puppy at a Pet Store. Isnt It Rescuing a Puppy Mill Dog?

By buying a pet shop puppy, you are perpetuating and supporting a cruel industry. In fact, youthe consumernot only run the risk of taking home a sick puppy, but are sentencing a mother dog to a life of misery. As long as there is a demand for their product, puppy mills will continue to churn out puppies.

Activism and Puppy Mills

How Can I Help Stop Puppy Mills?

There are many ways you can fight puppy mills starting with refusing to patronize the stores and websites that sell their dogs. You can also take a more active role in fighting puppy mills by working with the ASPCA to pass legislation that ensures that all animals bred to be pets are raised in humane conditions.

Baker says, The most important thing is to tell as many people as possible not to buy a puppy from a pet store. Virtually all puppies sold in pet stores come from puppy mills. The ultimate solution is to dry up the market for puppy mill puppies. You can also write the governor of your state and request that he or she strictly enforce all existing laws protecting animals from abuse and the need to regulate large commercial breeders that are selling dogs to pet stores.

What Is the ASPCA Doing to Change the Laws Regarding Puppy Mills?

For many years the ASPCAs Government Relations department has been active in drafting and promoting legislation that would strengthen regulations of the minimum standards of care for dogs in puppy mills. In 2008, we helped write Pennsylvania House Bills 2525 and 2532, legislation to prohibit some of the worst abuses in Pennsylvanias commercial dog kennels and strengthen enforcement of the states animal cruelty law. Pennsylvania House Bill 2525 was passed in October 2008 and signed into law by the Governor Ed Rendell almost immediately. House Bill 2532 has been reintroduced in the 2009 session as HB 39 and has already passed the House of Representatives unanimously!

In terms of where we will take the fight next, there are many factors that could shape our plans, says Menkin. An areas political climate or available resources can dictate how much success we can achieve on an issue. We know that the road might be long, but we are hopeful that if we keep enlightening more and more people about puppy mills, the desire to push for stronger laws to protect the dogs will become contagious.

Is the ASPCA Actively Involved in Shutting Down Puppy Mills?

Yes. In fact, the ASPCA has been conducting investigations of puppy mills for some time. To date, our investigations have helped to expose the lack of enforcement by federal and state inspectors resulting in increased enforcement efforts on puppy mills. This is especially true in Pennsylvania, where the ASPCA convinced the governor to replace the director of the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, appoint a new special prosecutor and to hire kennel compliance specialists to effectively enforce the laws regulating puppy mills in the state.

ASPCA investigations have also led to precedent-setting legislation in Pennsylvania, where dogs now have to have increased cage size, access to outdoor exercise runs, and receive routine veterinary care. The ASPCA focused our efforts on Pennsylvania for a number of reasons, but mostly because of the huge concentration of breeders in Lancaster County.

We will continue our investigative efforts across the country, says Baker. Our goal is to close down the worst facilities, and expose the substandard conditions of puppy mills to legislators in our efforts to fight for better laws. We hope the findings from these investigations will help educate the public about the horrors of puppy mills and will result in the ultimate solution to this very serious problemthe end of selling puppies in pet stores and the closing of puppy mills.

{Originally from an email found this page on their site}

(http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/puppy-mills/puppy-mill-faq.html)