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Crystal Meza
Mr. Gango-2
October 5, 2015
Puppy mills
The puppy mill industry is a multi-million industry that is thriving under the torment and
abuse of animals. These dogs are kept in horrific conditions for most of their lives until the day
they are bought. To this day, people buy puppies whether its online or at a pet shop without
really understanding the background these dogs come from. The breeding business is causing
many dogs in shelters to be put down, and go unwanted simply because people have the
misconception of shelter dogs being damaged goods. Putting an end to puppy mills will stop the
overpopulation of dogs and save the lives of dogs without a home.
Puppy mills are factories in which breeders believe the quicker and more they produce
puppies, the higher the pay. Puppies are nothing but supplies to breeders that need to keep
coming in or else their wallet suffers. Puppy mills are nothing but a profit-making business for
the owners. The welfare or health of the animal is not a priority (Hatch). Many puppy mills
make millions, and sell about 2.11 million puppies each year without the concern of the animals
welfare. Unlike Missouri, which is ranked twenty-two on the Humane Societys Horrible
Hundred puppy mill list, earns an estimated $1 billion annually; more than the average state
makes in the puppy mill business (Blank). There is no way those breeders are going to stop
selling puppies, whether its done legally or illegally, based on the money theyre earning. The
majority of puppy mills do not see animals as living things, but as their profit that can be locked
up and mistreated until the day they are bought.
People dont have the slightest idea of what goes on behind the scenes of pet shops.
Forty-three percent of Americans dont know that all pet stores get their dogs from puppy mills,
nor do they know that puppy mills operate on profits rather than animal welfare (Ritter). Puppy
mills are the only source where pet stores can get puppies easily and cheaper than having to get a

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background check on their store and customers. Responsible breeders would never sell to
someone they haven't met because they want to screen potential buyers to ensure the puppies are
going to good homes (A Closer Look).Pet stores focus on their profit instead of doing
background checks on the person purchasing the puppies, which is why pet stores dont buy dogs
from responsible breeders since they know responsible breeders will not give them puppies for
their business. When it comes to buying pets people seem to have misinformation that damages
the portrayal of animal shelters for years to come. Forty-six percent of people ages 18 to 34
were more likely to purchase a pet from a breeder or store rather than consider adoption.
(Nearly Half). This is the psychology that pet stores use to their advantage; they misrepresent
what the reality is behind those dogs and what animal shelters are really about. Many people
believe animal rescues are damaged animals that cant even compare to those from pet shops.
Forty-six percent of people believe shelter animals are less desirable than those from breeders
(Nearly Half). People feel as though animal shelters have mixed breeds which are not what
they want, they want purebreds because thats the idealism of what a dog should look like.
Dogs that live and are born into puppy mills live under horrific conditions, in which
many of them have defects. For example, the cages are usually overcrowded and stacked on top
of each other to save space for more cages. Their food and water is kept in the limited space
there is left in the cage. Imprisoned in these small cages, puppies and dogs seldom, if ever, have
veterinary care, good food, or exercise (Bial, 25). Dogs, especially puppies should have the
proper veterinary care, food, etc. to live a long healthy life. In order to keep expenses and
maintenance low, breeders are forced to use inexpensive wire floors that are unsafe towards the
dogs lives. Dogs are not meant to be in cages for most of their lives just to make it easier on
breeders. Because of inferior breeding, the puppies may be prone to heart disease, hip dysplasia,
diabetes, respiratory disorders, and other maladies (Bial, 27). Many of the dogs born in puppy

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mills have diseases that can be prevented with the proper veterinary care; most of them never
make it past a year. Unable to recover between litters, the mother dogs become so exhausted
that within a few years they can no longer have puppies. These dogs are almost always
euthanized if they are not rescued by an organization (Bial, 25). As soon as a mother dog gives
birth the breeder begins to prepare the dog for breeding without giving her anytime to recover
from the liter she just produced. The female dogs are usually bred back to back until they no
longer can produce or die. Dogs are not props that can be thrown away when they arent
considered useful, they are loving animals that should have the opportunity to have a good home.
Although, breeders claim they care for their dogs health, they dont show it by putting them in
harmful situations. Pet stores claim they have licensed breeders to provide a false sense of
security to customers that they care about their animals, when in reality they get their puppies
from puppy mills (A Closer Look). For example, a responsible breeder wouldnt have their
dogs locked in cages that can damage their paws; instead they have their puppies run freely to
provide a better and healthier environment for them, which is what a responsible breeder should
be doing. The first few months of a puppies life is a time for socialization with both their mother
and other puppies to prevent problems like aggression, fear, and anxiety (A Closer Look).
Having the animals run freely will help prevent many health risks for animals and for the
families that purchase them in the future.
Laws have been created to protect the welfare of animals, especially when it involves
them in a business. The Animal Welfare Act passed in 1966, ensures that animal commercial
breeders that have three or more female dogs are licensed and inspected by the United States
Department of Agriculture. Under the AWA, it is legal to keep a dog in a cage only six inches
longer than the dog in each direction, with a wire floor, stacked on top of another cage, for the
dog's entire life( A Closer Look). However, there are many unlicensed breeders that can work

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without ever being inspected. The internet has made it easier for breeders to have no regulations,
especially since the U.S. cant regulate the welfare of the animals that come from other countries
since they have no jurisdiction. The 2008 Farm Bill prevents any puppies less than six months to
be imported into the U.S. for the purpose of a profit (A Closer Look). Laws that are supposed
to protect animals only view their survival standards instead of protecting the overall health of
animals. Laws that are deemed weak are not being used to their full potential; there should be
strict regulations on the type of housing the animals are given and health inspections on whether
the puppies can be sold.
Puppy mills are the places where dogs are bred for the purpose of sales without the
consideration of their health. Puppy mills play an important factor in which dogs arent being
adopted, if puppy mills didnt exist there would be a decrease of stray animals. Animal shelters
house about 6 to 8 million dogs each year (Bial, 19). People would rather buy puppies of their
choice than adopt to save a life. About 2.11 million puppies are sold from puppy mills, while 3
million are euthanized in shelters due to overcrowding (11 Facts). Each year many animals
are being put down, while more and more dogs are being born in puppy mills each year; leaving
the cycle to continue. One effective way to get rid of puppy mills would be to boycott them and
adopt animals in need. For example, By adopting rather than buying a new companion animal,
you will reduce the demand that drives the commercial breeding of puppies and kittens (The
Adoption Option). Adopting dogs will help reduce the overpopulation by being able to give
homes to those in need that are already sterilized instead of breeding more animals. Another way
to stop overpopulation is to make sure the people getting a puppy is ready for the responsibility
to care for the puppy. At first the owners become excited about the idea of a new puppy;
however they soon realize that there is more work put into the puppy than they were prepared
for. Some owners simply leave an unwanted puppy on a city street or dump an old dog in a

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ditch along a country road (Bial, 32). These dogs are left to die on the streets if they are not
found and rescued by anyone. Putting an end to puppy mills will help every dog, whether theyre
coming from animal shelters or strays wondering the streets.
Putting an end to the puppy mill industry will increase the homes that will be available to
dogs in shelters. Overpopulation is a serious issue being caused by breeding too many dogs,
along with causing the death of many dogs in animal shelters. Anyone that buys, or is
considering of buying, a dog from a pet shop should reconsider and think about the lives they can
save or even prevent the puppy mill business to keep going. Every year helpless dogs are being
born into the business that doesnt focus on their health or well-being, but rather the profit they
can bring. While this is all going on people dont have the slightest clue behind what is truly
happening in this type of business; like breeders putting the blame on mistreated dogs on animal
shelters.

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Works Cited
11 Facts About Puppy Mills. Do Something. YAHOO! Web. 14 Sep. 2015.
A Closer Look at Puppy Mills. ASPCA. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals. ND. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.
Bial, Raymond, Rescuing Rover: Saving Americas Dogs. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publishing Company, 2011.Print.
Blank, Chris. Missouri Anti-Puppy Mill Law, Prop B, Overhauled By Lawmakers For Being
Too Costly Huffington Post. Huffington Post Green. 15 Apr. 2011. Web. 21 Nov. 2015
Hatch, Donna Gable.Event shines spotlight on horrors of puppy mills. McClatchy. Tribunes
Business News. 20 Mar. 2015 eLibrary. Web. 14 Sep. 2015.
Nearly Half of Young Adults Prefer to Buy Pet Rather Than Adopt. Veterinary Practice
News.1-5 Publishing. 26 Apr. 2015. Web. 14 Sep.
Ritter, Jeffrey.Many Americans unaware of puppy mills. Daytona Beach News-Journal. 12
Sep.2015:n/a.eLibrary. Web. 24 Sep. 2015
"The Adoption Option." Best Friends Animal Society. 5 Feb. 2014. Web. 14 Sep. 2015.