Have you ever wondered what the difference is between an animal shelter, a rescue, and a breeder? Have you heard of puppy mills but don't know what they actually are? Wondering if it's safe to buy a pet online? Are you considering bringing a pet into your family, but don't know where to look? This series is for you! Welcome to part 4 of our 5-part series, Adoption Options.
First things first: We're not here to shame you for buying a puppy from a puppy mill. We're here to explain what they are and why they're harmful, not berate you for a decision you made in the past, regardless of whether or not you knew the situation of the puppy. This series is here to educate people about the main forms of obtaining animal companionship so folks can make their own, educated decisions on what's the best fit for their lifestyle, family, and situation.
Content warning: this article will acknowledge animal abuse
Puppy mills
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What are they?
Puppy mills are breeding facilities that breed copious amounts of puppies for profit. They are infamous for their wretched treatment of animals. The parents and puppies alike are more often than not unhealthy, unsocialized, and kept in unclean and unfit environments (cramped cages, rampant disease in the facility). The physical and psychological needs of the dogs are not met.
Puppies originating from puppy mills are sold either in pet stores or online. Petland is infamously the only remaining national pet store chain in the U.S. that still sells puppies, according to the
Humane Society. And the sources of those puppies appear to be puppy mills, as stated by various investigations conducted by the Humane Society.
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Why is this a problem?
Puppy mills abuse animals, and animal abuse is a crime, simply put. Puppy mills are morally despicable. Keeping animals in dirty cages, never letting them out, not treating medical problems, selling sick puppies to pet stores; all to maximize profit and minimize expense. Puppy mills take advantage of people in order to make money. They commodify life instead of respecting it.
The actual physical and psychological damage done to dogs by puppy mills has been
documented. Breeding dogs that were rescued from puppy mills and rehomed, for example, displayed lasting psychological trauma in their various behaviors: intense fear, compulsive behaviors (pacing, circling), and more. They also had significantly higher rates of physical health problems.
Additionally, families who buy a puppy from a pet store will spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars trying to save the life of their new puppy, who was born with medical problems due to the poor, unregulated breeding practices it was conceived from. Puppy mill breeders don't care about the wellbeing and quality of life of their animals--it's not profitable for them to care. Other people pay the price for their carelessness when they buy a puppy mill puppy, both financially and emotionally.
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How is this legal?
Essentially, the laws are inadequate for determining and regulating what constitutes the humane treatment of animals. The standards are far lower than many people who want to buy animals are comfortable with--hence, the general public uproar each time a puppy mill is discovered and reported widely in the media. Arguably, the majority of people do not want animals to be kept in inhumane conditions.
The Animal Welfare Act is insufficient in terms of protections it attempts to provide for animals.
One loophole some puppy mills use is USDA licensing. Individuals and businesses can get USDA licenses to sell animals. The requirements for a USDA license constitute notoriously low standards of care compared to what shelters, rescues, and responsible breeders abide by. In fact, if someone says they have a USDA license, that is someone to avoid buying an animal from. Some manage to even avoid needing to be regulated by USDA law by finding still other loopholes.
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How can I avoid them?
The first step to avoiding puppy mills is to not buy a pet from a pet store. Some pet stores partner with local shelters or rescues to help encourage adoption, and that is the one exception to this rule. It will be advertised that there is a partnership happening if this is the case.
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What do I do if I think I've found a puppy mill?
If you think you've found a puppy mill, here's what you do.
Immediately contact the breeder or pet store's local animal control agency, humane society, or animal shelter and ask them to inspect the facility. Otherwise, if there aren't local departments for the above-mentioned organizations, contact the police, sheriff, or health department of the area where you believe the animals are being held.
You can also fill out
this form on the Humane Society's website. They also have a
state-by-state guide to each state's laws about puppy mills, so you can see if a law is being violated. There's also a tipline which can be reached at 1-877-MILL-TIP.
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What else can I do to fight puppy mills?
- Report any puppy mills that you discover
- Don't buy from puppy mills and further finance their operation
- Support organizations who combat puppy mills, like the Humane Society and the ASPCA
- Learn what your local laws are and write to your legislators about your concerns, urging them to support stricter legislation for animal welfare
- Raise awareness in your community about the issue to encourage others to take action
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Conclusion
Puppy mills are individuals or organizations that breed many puppies for profit. They keep their animals in substandard conditions, and, by definition, their animals' physical and psychological needs are not met.
This is bad for the animals and the humans who want to adopt them. Not all of them are legal, but some are due to inadequate legislation.
Thankfully, they're easy to avoid--animals can be adopted from shelters, rescues, and responsible breeders.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below and we'll do our best to answer.
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Series Sources:
“About Puppy Mills.” The Puppy Mill Project, https://www.thepuppymillproject.org/about-puppy-mills/#:~:text=There%20are%20an%20estimated%2010%2C000,euthanized%20in%20shelters%20every%20year.
Admin. “Survey Reveals Misconceptions about Purebred Dogs in Animal Shelters.” American Kennel Club, 14 July 2015, www.akc.org/clubs-delegates/government-relations/government-relations-blogs/survey-reveals-misconceptions-purebred-dogs-animal-shelters/.
“Federal Licensing & USDA Standards.” ASPCA, https://www.aspca.org/barred-from-love/laws-rules/federal-licensing-usda-standards.
“How to Find a Responsible Dog Breeder.” The Humane Society of the United States, www.humanesociety.org/resources/how-find-responsible-dog-breeder#:~:text=You%20can%20find%20responsible%20breeders,or%20visiting%20professional%20dog%20shows.
McMillan, Franklin D., et al. “Mental Health of Dogs Formerly Used as 'Breeding Stock' in Commercial Breeding Establishments.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Elsevier, 11 Oct. 2011, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159111003005?via%3Dihub.
“Puppy Mills: The Scientific Evidence of Harm They Cause To Dogs.” Center for Shelter Dogs, Tufts University, https://centerforshelterdogs.tufts.edu/blog/puppy-mills-the-scientific-evidence-of-harm-they-cause-to-dogs/.
“Stopping Puppy Mills.” The Humane Society of the United States, https://www.humanesociety.org/all-our-fights/stopping-puppy-mills.
Thank you to Erik Streck, Shawn Cruze, Gloria and Howard Atkison, Abri M. Iwanski, and the Fox Valley Humane Shelter for their information and assistance with this series.
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