The Sensible Pet

Puppy mills are nothing new. These mass dog-breeding operations have been around for decades. They continue to thrive because they prey on unwitting consumers who are smitten by too-cute-for-words puppies in pet store windows and on fancy websites.

But behind the friendly facade of the local pet shop, the pastoral scenes on a "breeder's" website, or the neighborhood newspaper ad, there often lies a puppy mill. These canine breeding facilities house dogs in shockingly poor conditions. 

Life is particularly bad for "breeding stock," dogs who live their entire lives in cages and are continually bred for years, without human companionship and with little hope of ever becoming part of a family. These dogs receive little or no veterinary care and never see a bed, a treat or a toy. After their fertility wanes, breeding animals are commonly killed, abandoned or sold to another mill. The annual result of all this breeding is hundreds of thousands of puppies, many with behavior and/or health problems. 

Puppy Mills: An Endless Cycle of Cruelty

Crowded, filthy wire cages

Several hundred thousand puppies are shipped cross-country to be sold in pet shops, but many are sold via newspaper classifieds or Internet sites and are often accompanied by false claims such as, "We'd never sell puppies from a puppy mill" or promises that the puppies are "home raised," farm raised," or "raised with kids/grandkids." The ploys of the puppy mill are designed to dupe a well-intentioned family into buying a puppy and keeping the engine of cruelty working overtime.

The Laws Aren't Enough

Because a puppy mill is a business, the facility is designed purely for profit, not for the well-being of dogs. Laws are on the books to provide minimum-care standards for puppy-mill animals, but enforcement has historically been spotty at best. The U.S. Department of Agriculture licenses and inspects "commercial breeding facilities for violations of the Animal Welfare Act; likewise, a handful of states have laws that provide oversight of some breeding operations as well. But puppy mills can successfully navigate around these laws, either by selling directly to consumers (thereby avoiding USDA licensing requirements) or by simply avoiding the reach of law enforcement (with so few USDA inspectors and minor fines, it's easy to stay in business).

We Need Your Help

The Humane Society of the United States has been investigating puppy mills for decades, exposing the cruel realities of the commercial dog-breeding industry. We've lobbied for the current laws as well as for additional money to enforce those laws. We've also educated millions of consumers on the many reasons they should avoid puppy-mill puppies.

But our work is far from over. There are still thousands of puppy mills that need to be shut down for good. We need your help to do exactly that: Stop puppy mills. Help The HSUS stop puppy mills by spreading the word about puppy mills, making a donation to our Puppy Mill Education Fund  or telling a friend about the Stop Puppy Mills website.

Updated June 7, 2007

PUPPY BUYING TIPS 

The first step on the road to pet ownership is to ask yourself some tough questions: Why do you want a puppy? Can you afford one? Are you prepared to take care of a dog every day for his entire life?

If you’ve decided you’re ready for a dog, follow The HSUS' top five puppy buying tips and you'll be far more likely to secure a healthy, well-socialized dog who doesn't drain your emotions or your pocketbook. One, in other words, who doesn't come from a puppy mill.

1. Find a responsible breeder and visit their premises. Responsible breeders provide a loving and healthy environment for their canine companions, but don't take their word for it. Never buy a puppy without seeing where they and their parents are raised and housed with your own eyes. Download our Find a Good Dog Breeder checklist [PDF] »

2. Don’t be fooled by common claims made by pet stores when pushing their puppies. Despite what they may tell you, pet stores do sell puppy mill puppies. Read more about the false claims commonly made by pet stores at the Pet Store Doublespeak page »

3. Don't be swayed by a great website or ad. Just because a website says great things about their “home raised” or “family raised” puppies doesn’t make it true. Many puppy millers pose as small family breeders online and in newspaper and magazine ads. Read about dog lovers who were fooled by “breeder” ads and pet store claims at the Survivor Stories page »

4. Consider adoption. Adopting a dog instead of buying one is the surest way to strike a blow against puppy mills. To find the perfect match, you'll want to choose the right one for you and your lifestyle. Animal shelters have dozens of dogs, many of them purebreds, just waiting for homes. There are also breed specific rescue groups for every breed of dog, including “designer” or “hybrids” like Labradoodles and Puggles. Mixed-breed dogs also make wonderful pets. Read more about adopting a puppy through a shelter or breed rescue group at Proud2Adopt.org »

5. Avoid the temptation to "rescue" a puppy mill puppy by buying him. Even though your intentions may be good, don’t buy a puppy with the idea that you are “rescuing” him or her. Your “rescue” opens up space for another poor puppy mill puppy and puts money into the pockets of the puppy mill. Pet stores won’t leave their cages empty and websites won’t leave their pages blank. The money you spend on your puppy goes right back to the puppy mill operator and ensures they can continue breeding and treating dogs inhumanely. If you see someone keeping puppies in poor conditions, alert your local animal control authorities instead of buying.

 

The dogs whose stories are told below were lucky in a way—they survived long enough to make it out of the puppy mill and into to the arms of people who cared about them. But many of these survivors died not long after because of physical ailments and emotional scars that developed due to the lack of veterinary care, bad breeding, poor conditions, lack of socialization and maltreatment common at puppy mills. 

 Abby

Abby was purchased in Michigan after her owner answered a classified ad for AKC-registered Labrador Retrievers. Her owner was given only a handwritten vaccination record at purchase.

Within a few days, Abby became gravely ill and tested positive for Parvovirus. She also had a severe urinary infection, ear infection, and roundworms. The veterinarian felt she had only a 30 percent chance of recovery.

After several days of intensive care hospitalization, Abby beat the odds and survived Parvo. Her family sued her breeder in small claims court. He continues to sell AKC-registered dogs through the classified ads.

Bear

Bear was purchased by a Michigan couple who saw an ad on a popular puppy sellers’ website. He was advertised as a “registered designer Pochi” (half Pomeranian, half Chihuahua).

When the buyers offered to meet the breeder at her kennel to pick up Bear, she instead arranged to meet them in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant.

“All the red flags were there,” said Bear’s family, but they were so smitten with the little puppy that they decided to buy him anyway.

Bear died of Parvovirus two days after purchase.

Millie

Millie, a twelve-year-old Chihuahua, was found wandering along a Virginia road in very poor condition. Her uterus had prolapsed due to multiple pregnancies and deliveries, and was literally protruding outside her body.

She was brought to the nearest animal shelter. The shelter staff noted that Millie was wearing a tag with a USDA breeder’s license number on it. She clearly had been used for many years as a breeder dog in a puppy mill, before being abandoned when her body was used up and she could no longer “earn her keep”.

Special funding was secured to pay for Millie’s uterine surgery, so that she could finally be placed in a loving home. Many people were pulling for her but, unfortunately, it was too late for Millie.

The operating vet discovered extensive tumors throughout her reproductive system, and it was decided that the kindest thing to do would be to not wake her up from surgery. The animal shelter’s manager took Millie’s ashes home with her. At least in death, Millie will have a real home.