Puppy Mills

A puppy mill can be defined as "a dog breeding operation in which the health of the dogs is disregarded in order to maintain a low overhead and maximize profits." Avenson v. Zegart, 577 F. Supp. 958, Dist. Court, Minnesota (1984)-(8).

Although legal, there are many justified reasons against puppy mills beginning with a breeder. To clarify, there are basically two types of breeders. There are breeders who breed with the intent of preserving breeds through ethical practices. Then there are breeders (aka backyard breeders) who breed out of greed often times leading to puppy mills (aka commercial breeding) with the intent of making money and disregarding the health of the dog.

Puppy mill breeders aren't the only problem as there are others involved in the dog selling business. These others are identified as "brokers, dealers, or middlemen" and defined as a pet dealer who buys puppies from a breeder or pet store to transport and re-sell the puppies (13).

In order to operate, breeders must have a Class A or Class B breeding license. Class A is geared towards facilities like commercial breeding. Class B is geared towards brokers who are able to sell to pet stores (HSUS USDA Licensed Breeders Chart). However, some breeders continue to operate whether or not they are licensed.

The Humane Society of the United States has estimated 10,000 licensed and unlicensed puppy mills operating in the U.S. as of January 2015 (2). Less than 3,000 of those puppy mills are regulated (2). From the chart below you can see that puppy mills are scattered throughout the nation with high puppy mill concentrations in Midwestern states. Missouri as the leading state with the highest concentration (3).

Puppy Mill Laws

The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) is the governing care standards for dogs and cats involved in commercial breeding (2). The cons behind AWA are that commercial breeders must only provide survival care which means providing the basics such as food and water. But it doesn't enforce humane care standards such as living conditions. They are only encouraged to exceed minimal care standards which a majority of puppy mills don't in order to reduce their own expenses (5). The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the responsible agency to enforce AWA and monitor the industry of commercial dog breeding (2).

Living Conditions of Puppy Mills

The living conditions of puppy mills are horrendous despite the size of the mill.

• Dogs aren't given daily exercise as they are confined in small cages for the duration of their time at the puppy mill. Wired cages are often stacked above one another (3)

• Wire and grid flooring lead to serious foot/leg injuries, infections between toes, sores, skeletal problems, toenail curling (9)

• Puppy mills are overcrowded, unsanitary and dirty (exposure to infectious diseases, improper disposal of fecal matter and carcasses) (10)

• Dogs receive little to no veterinary care. Some breeders take vet care in their own hands without proper vet training (3)

• No basic grooming and maintenance for the dogs (10)

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Result of Puppy Mills

• Mothers who are unable to produce are usually killed (3)

• Puppy mill dogs can be shipped from anywhere and they tend to suffer for up to 12 hours without food or water during shipping (3)

• Puppies are prone to "zoonotic diseases which can be spread to other pets and humans" (5)

• Often times buyers of puppy mill puppies are left with high vet bills or the death of their puppy within a short time of purchase (5)

• Puppy mill dogs are malnourished dogs due to the lack of clean water and proper nutrition (10)

• Deprivation and confinement may lead to psychological and physical effects for puppy mill puppies (10)

• "Irresponsible waste management practices that are harmful to the environment" (8)

• They end up in shelters, rescue groups, or in severe cases die as a result of improper breeding

• The cost of shutting down a puppy mills is very taxing on community resources. They end up in shelters, rescue groups, or in severe cases die as a result of improper breeding (12)

In 2011, HSUS conducted a study and calculated that the average cost of placing a rescued dog from a puppy mill was $259 for "veterinary expenses" (10). For example, "A New Jersey animal rescue organization spent more than $4000 caring for just three critically ill puppy-mill survivors who required urgent inpatient intensive care after they were removed from a puppy mill in March 2010 (10).

"A Houston, Texas animal shelter spent more than $24,000 providing veterinary treatment for 220 dogs rescued from a breeding and hoarding case in January 2011. In addition, the shelter estimated it spent more than $52,800 for the nine days of veterinary boarding and 30 days of sheltering care during the animals' stay at the shelter prior to placement, for a total cost of approximately $76,800 (10).

Actions to Take:

• Learn about animal anti-cruelty laws, animal welfare acts, and other governing laws

• Advocate for "stronger, clearer humane standards and improved oversight of large-scale commercial breeders are necessary to help prevent this suffering" (10)

• Don't buy from puppy mills at this eliminates the demand

• If you do happen to buy from a breeder make sure that you are able to meet them at their facility to see the living conditions the puppy came from. Ask the breeder questions and they will be more than willing to answer your questions. Reputable breeders know and let you see the parents of the puppy

• Make a difference by fostering a rescue

• Most importantly, adopt a rescue from a shelter or rescue group vs. a puppy mill or unreliable breeder

Photo credit: Peace & Paws

References:

1. The Humane Society of the Ozarks https://hsozarks.org/

2. The Humane Society of the United States Puppy Mills: Facts and Figures 2015 pdf

3. The Puppy Mill Project Link 1 http://www.thepuppymillproject.org/about-puppy-mills/

4. The Puppy Mill Project Link 2 http://www.thepuppymillproject.org/relevant-laws/

5. The Humane Society of the United States Fact Sheet: Puppy Mills and Pet Stores pdf

6. U.S Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service, "Fact Sheet: Animal Care. The Animal Welfare Act." in http://ca-biomed.org/pdf/media-kit/oversight/USDAAWA.pdf

7. Puppy Friendly Pet Stores by State 2013 http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/puppy_mills/facts/puppy_friendly_pet_stores.html#.U2ErT1VdWAg

8. The Humane Society of the United States: Environmental Impacts of Puppy Mills pdf

9. The Humane Society of the United States: Problems with Grid Flooring in Dog Kennels pdf

10. The Humane Society of the United States: Veterinary Problems in Puppy Mill Dogs pdf

11. The Humane Society of the United States: The Problem of Unlicensed Puppy Mills pdf

12. The Humane Society of the United States Puppy Mill Closure: The Economic Impact on a Local Community pdf

13. HSUS: Puppy Mill Brokers pdf

Suggested Readings:

1. HSUS: USDA Inspection Report Quotes: Examples of Severe Violations pdf

2. HSUS: Environmental Impacts of One Puppy Mill among Many

3. HSUS: Report Concerning Disposal of Dead Dogs at Commercial Breeding Facilities in Missouri pdf

4. HSUS: The Puppy Industry in Missouri- A Study of the Buyers, Sellers, Breeders and Enforcement of the Laws Executive Summary pdf

5. HSUS: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Animal Care Program Inspections of Problematic Dealers pdf

6. State Puppy Mill Laws http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/pdfs/legislation/state_puppy_mill_laws.pdf