Puppy mill

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Puppy mills (known as puppy farms in the UK and Australia) are dog breeding operations that are considered to be disreputable and sometimes hazardous to the health of the animals due to the conditions of the breeding kennel. The term originated among critics of such operations. Small-scale operations where dogs are not available to health care or good sanitation are usually called backyard breeding; the terms are akin but not synonymous. The largest concentrations in the USA are allegedly in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and rural Missouri.

Reputable breeders raise their animals in humane conditions, provide good socialization and often formal training, and adhere to the breed standard. They are knowledgeable about major health problems associated with their breed, and with the principles of genetics, frequently undertaking specific matings to produce or refine particular desirable characteristics in their dogs. They are also sensitive to the requirements of their breeding adults — who may also be breed or performance champions — and the puppies they produce. Reputable breeders frequently screen potential customers rigorously, and usually provide a pedigree and health guarantee with their puppies.

Although many responsible breeding operations tend to be small, size alone is not an indication that a particular operation is a puppy mill. Rather, puppy mills are characterized by ignoring duties that are standard among responsible dog breeders. They may keep their dogs in overcrowded, unclean or otherwise inappropriate surroundings. The puppies they produce may be improperly socialized or may suffer from health problems which are often not disclosed to purchasers. Their breeding animals may also suffer, with females sometimes forced to undergo repeated pregnancies too quickly to fully recuperate between them.

Puppy mill operators may misrepresent the breed of dog being sold, and adult puppy mill dogs may exhibit characteristics uncommon to their advertised breed. Unlike the puppies produced by reputable breeders, the vast majority of puppy mill animals are sold to pet stores. Puppy mill operators are frequently accused of being motivated only by profit rather than a commitment to the breed or any empathy for the animals in their care.

Purchasing dogs, especially those claimed to be purebred, from a pet store is strongly discouraged by reputable breeders and animal shelters. While many pet stores claim to purchase dogs from "local breeders" instead of puppy mills, this is often untrue or is a difference in name only, as reputable breeders generally do not sell animals to pet stores. The phrase "local breeder" may also refer to backyard breeders.

[edit] Related

The hardcore noise outfit Man Is The Bastard did a song by the name of "Puppy Mill" that spoke out against them.

[edit] External links

• Stop Puppy Mills - Humane Society of the United States
• Companion Animal Protection Society - The only national nonprofit dedicated exclusively to protecting companion animals
• http://www.prisonersofgreed.org/ Prisoners of Greed
• http://www.nopuppymills.com/ No Puppy Mills - Dedicated to educating the public about the commercial dog industry in America
• http://www.kimtownsend.com/pspwhere.htm This page outlines where puppies are sold (petshop locations), where the brokers are located, and where the breeders are located. Over 1000 puppies researched.
• http://www.kimtownsend.com/petshoppuppies.htm Why are so many puppy mill puppies born on Monday? Solid proof that the dog industry falsifies birthdays and sells underage puppies.
• http://www.kimtownsend.com/csusda.htm Understanding cage size -- A pretty straight forward illustration series showing how to measure and calculate the primary enclosure size in commercial kennels. A real eye-opener to those that think that being USDA 'certified' is something to brag about.