Puppy Mills

Many people are not aware of the Commercial Breeding Industry. Anyone that mass produces puppies to make a profit without regard to the parents wellbeing or health is what we would consider to be a puppy mill.

Shelters all over the United States strive to help end the pet over population problem, meanwhile, this industry produces around 500,000 puppies a year. That is not counting the facilities that aren't licensed and back yard breeders. Since these puppies are sold (usually in petshops or through newspaper ads) without a spay/neuter contract anyone can breed their puppies that they get from pet shops and puppy mills. Not only are they contributing to the pet overpopulation, but they are perpetuating any health or genetic problems that their dog may have.

Many Puppy Mills also keep the dogs in horrid conditions and every puppy that is purchased from a pet store, keeps these people in business. The puppies' parents are stuck in tiny wire cages for their whole lives pumping out litter after litter, just so the breeder can make money. Man's best friend deserves so much better.

So please adopt from shelters/rescue groups or buy from a responsible breeder. Never buy from a pet shop, even if the tell you they get the puppies from a local breeder. Iowa is the 3rd largest puppy mill state. We have puppy mills right here in Webster County, as well as all over the state. Just because they are local does not mean they aren't puppy mills. Also, please remember that any good breeder that cares about their puppies, would never sell them to a pet store. Responsible breeders want to make sure the puppies are going to good homes.

When picking out a puppy, stay away from the ads that have a lot of different breeds listed. Usually responsible breeders only have one breed that they specialize in. They take their breed to conformation shows and only breed to make a better dog. They aren't pumping out litter after litter to meet the demand of the buyers. An ad with many breeds should raise red flags.

More and more people are turning to the internet to purchase their puppies. Many brokers and puppy millers are selling their puppies this way. Be very careful about buying a puppy online. Responsible breeders will not ship their puppy to just anybody. Recently, a news station in Florida went undercover and exposed one online pet store. Click here to watch the investigation.

Please visit the following sites to learn more about Puppy Mills. These sites can say it a lot better than we can as they have more experience, and know a lot more about the industry than we do. They will open in a new window.

What Is A Puppy Mill?

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