www.robertwoodsdvm.com/blog/2009/08/31/stop-puppy-mills/

“I received an email from a client of mine, who is always fighting for the welfare of pets. She reminded me of the California Senate being days away from voting on the Puppy Mill Bill.

Sadly, this bill was already declined in the state of Texas, so we really do need to speak out of the welfare of our California pets. For more information on it being denied in Texas, you can check my discussion board on facebook.

Here is an example of a letter to send to your district:

“Puppy mills commonly house animals in overcrowded, filthy, and inhumane conditions with inadequate shelter and care. The puppies who survive these conditions are taken from their mothers for sale at approximately 8 weeks of age, when they are highly susceptible to contagious diseases and very sensitive to behavioral stress. Left behind are the hidden victims of puppy mills-the mother dogs.

Puppy mills contribute to pet overpopulation, which is a serious problem in California. Every year, California’s animal shelters are forced to euthanize thousands of dogs due to lack of homes, while puppy mills in our state just add to the problem. Pet overpopulation is a humane crisis and puppy mills feed into it, while taxpayers foot the bill.

Please help stop puppy mills by supporting A.B. 241.

Thank you.”

(Anonymous, 2009)

www.pawsitivelifestyle.wordpress.com/2009/01/18/why-puppy-mills-are-bad/

“There are very few things that I feel so strongly about.  Pet overpopulation is my “cause”.  For me, buying a puppy from a pet store is unethical.   I recently had a very close friend buy a puppy from a chain pet store.  I was really upset about it and just assumed that she knew everything I did about how horrible puppy mills are.  I realized that there are still many people that don’t know what they are endorsing when they buy a puppy from a puppy mill store.   Here are some quick facts I put together… 

Reasons not to buy a puppy from a pet store:

1.       Your money continues the breeding of dogs in horrible conditions (see below)

2.       The animals are not healthy, nor well cared for, or properly socialized

3.       There are rescue groups that specifically rescue animals from puppy mills

4.       Paperwork is often forged, including health documents and the actual age of the puppy

5.       According to bestfriends.org, more than 90% of puppies sold at pet stores are from puppy mills

6.       The money is not for a high quality dog, it’s to make money for the breeder, broker, and pet store

Conditions at puppy mills (adapted from bestfriends.org):

·         Large, commercial breeding operations where they’re treated like inventory and stored in crowded, filthy cages with other dogs.

·         There are no limits on breeding. Female dogs used for breeding are bred over and over again until their bodies give out. Then they’re destroyed, sold for research or dumped at the local pound.

·         Dogs may well be inbred, which means their puppies might have deformities.
Dogs raised in substandard conditions often suffer from all kinds of physical ailments, which can result in large veterinary bills – and a lot of heartbreak – for their unsuspecting new owners.

·         Puppies raised in large, commercial breeding operations are not socialized and often have behavioral problems.

·         Because they suffer from diseases and behavioral problems, many of these animals end up in shelters, and are then euthanized. It’s estimated that one in four animals in a shelter is a purebred.

This is a great website with tons of information – please take the time to review it.
http://stoppuppymills.org/

Wikipedia also has a lot of information, including the difference between “backyard breeder” and “puppy mill”

For some graphic images:

http://www.a-r-f.org/html/dognews.html

The number one way consumers can help shut down puppy mills is to avoid purchasing dogs from pet stores, and adopt from a local shelter or rescue group instead.

There are many wonderful puppies and dogs in constant need of homes, many of them are purebred (estimates are 1 in 4). 

Petfinder.com is a wonderful resource, breed rescues exist everywhere, as well as your local shelter.

If anyone has any other things that I have left out, please leave a comment.”

(Pawsitive Lifestyle, 2009)

     While the animals are at the puppy mills they get barely any human interaction.  Most of the time, when they did it wasn’t good.  Once the soon-to-be-pets are sold to the pet stores they are put into display cases.  No one pets them or holds them unless someone is looking at them.  Because they have no human companionship it is more likely the animal will grow up to be mean.

    On PETA’s media center website it states, when looking for animals at a pet store look for, “Healthy young animals [that] are usually energetic and have shiny coats. Look for signs of ill health, such as listlessness, diarrhea, emaciation, dull coats, runny eyes, and dry noses. Sick animals should never be housed with healthy ones. Check the general sanitation conditions; notice signs of cockroach infestation, rodent droppings on the floor, and rusty or dirty cages. Also look for algae or scum in water bottles, empty water containers, or animals having difficulty drinking from them.”
    

      Another problem with pet stores is the display cases which the animals are put in.  The spaces are tight and small, which makes the animal cramped.  It is bad enough for one dog or cat but sometimes they will put two or three in the same cage.  The animals get absolutely no exercise in most cases, making the animal obnoxious and rambunctious.  It is also not safe for puppies at that age to be around so many other dogs.  Diseases would spreader quicker among the animals.

To learn more about puppy mills, visit http://www.peta.org/mc/factsheet_display.asp?ID=36

                Traci Burkhart of Whispering Pine Kennels (http://www.whisperingpinepups.com/) stated, “I don’t understand how anyone could treat an animal so badly.  Puppy mills are simply disgusting and inhumane.  It’s breeders like that who give all of us breeders a bad name.”  Mrs. Burkhart of Bellevue, Ohio owns six Yorkshire terriers and six Peke-a-poos which are all used for breeding.  Her dogs and puppies are given human companionship from the day they are born.  The animals are brought to the vets regularly and are all healthy.  Traci Burkhart’s yorkie’s are registered with the American Kennel Club, who gives annual inspections of the animals living conditions.  Whispering Pine Kennels got the highest score possible and several praises from the inspector.   Traci started breeding once her children moved off to college.  “I was always a stay at home mom, until my kids moved away and I had a void in my life,” Traci explained, “Which is why I started breeding in the first place.  All the animals that I own are my pets and companions.”

                So what is it that leads puppy mills owners to do what they do?  Is it greed?  People just like you and me are the ones funding these “businesses”.  Puppy mill owners sell the puppies as soon as they get off their mother’s milk, which is too young.  The puppy is still vulnerable to many diseases at this age.  This fact makes it even worse once they are sold to pet stores, where average people buy them.  At the pet stores they are cramped into tight spaces.  They’re given no exercise or companionship until they are bought. 

                What can you do to stop puppy mills?  Know who you’re buying from.  Check with previous customers and their satisfaction.  Don’t buy pets from the pet stores unless you know where they came from.  When puppy mills say their animals are purebred it is only true 20% of the time.  So check around, know who you’re buying from and what you’re paying for.  To learn more about puppy mills visit, www.puppymills.com.

     Below are some images of  Whispering Pine Kennels Yorkshire Terriers.  On the left is Chloe, a Yorkshire Terrier adult and on the right is Max, a Yorkie puppy;

Below is an image of a yorkie that was rescued from a puppy mill;