Andrea Rosebrock 
Do you know what puppy mills are?
Puppy mills are mass dog-breeding operations have been around for decades, but they continue to be a problem because unsuspecting consumers keep buying those adorable puppies in the pet store window. Or on some slick Internet site. Or even through an ad in the trusted local newspaper.
But behind the friendly facade of these pet shops, web sites, and newspaper ads, there often lies a puppy mill. These canine breeding facilities frequently house dogs in shockingly poor conditions, particularly for “breeding stock” animals who are caged and continually bred for years, without human companionship and with little hope of ever becoming part of a family. 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.
Find out what you need to know about puppy mills and what you can do to shut down these ‘houses of horror’!
- Get the Facts on Puppy Mills – HSUS
- Stop Puppy Mills
- Prisoners of Greed
- No Puppy Mills
- Puppy Mill Rescue
- Last Chance for Animals – Puppy Mills
An excerpt from Puppy Mills, Puppy Mills and More Puppy Mills
The bane of existence for dogs, a life of neglect, abuse, torture and suffering, and when they have outlived their usefulness, an often brutal ending! Disease, malnutrition, dehydration, sickness and death flourish in cramped filthy cages, freezing in the winter, scorching in the summer. Females bred and over-bred from their first ‘heat’ cycle through every subsequent one until their bodies are so used up and broken down that death is a welcome release for them. They never know a kind word or a gentle touch.
And please believe me when I say that my description barely touches on the
reality. If you have a strong enough stomach and hard enough heart, you can do a search engine query for ‘puppy mill’ and look at more images and read the horror stories.
Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Ohio and Pennsylvania are known as the major puppy mill states but puppy mills are not confined to just these states. You can find them in any state, mostly in the more rural areas. Most of the time the
owners skate right on the edge of the law, but they know, no matter how much they deny it, that what they’re doing is not right, so they try to ‘hide’ their dirty little operations out of sight.
With recent heightened awareness of animal cruelties and abuses and more advocates fighting for ends to these abuses, you are seeing more and more of these inhumane ‘commercial breeders,’ as they call themselves, under scrutiny, raided, closed down and their owners finally facing charges of cruelty and abuse.
The costs of rescuing, treating and caring for rescued puppy mill puppies and dogs often run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, dollars that come from contributions, donations and our taxes. And far too often, after these dogs are finally healthy and cared for, they are returned to their abusers, back to the life of suffering and torture they were rescued from due to the leniency of the laws.
Cracking down on puppy mills is not easy. Many of these large ‘commercial breeders’ are backed by large organizations whose revenues depend on this mass breeding. Take the AKC for instance, it has been
surmised that up to 80% of their registration fees come from ‘commercial breeders.’ Do you think they want them closed down? In theory, the AKC inspects about 5000 breeding organizations a year and they say when they find substandard conditions they will not issue registrations to the puppies produced there. Easy enough to overcome for puppy millers, just change the kennel name or registrar name.
Approximately 500,000 puppies are ‘produced’ each year from the country’s
4000-5000 puppy mills. About half the puppies die due to cruel substandard conditions. Even then, the ‘business’ is so lucrative that the losses are just considered ‘part of doing business,’ and they continue. They ‘trash’ their losses and rake in the bucks.
Almost as bad as the animal victims are the human victims; the people who buy the puppies either from a pet store, a newspaper ad, an internet ad or right from the puppy millers themselves. So many of these puppies are sick, disease ridden and their tiny bodies are usually dehydrated, malnourished not to mention genetic defects and other problems. People who buy these puppies often wound up spending thousands of dollars trying to fix their new canine companion that they have already grown attached to, only to have them die or live short, painful lives.
It’s a vicious cycle and there is only one way to break it. Laws and legislation will only go so far and many of these puppy millers can skate on the edge of abuse and cruelty laws, if they even exist, for years. People need to learn about puppy mills. So many people just plain do not know that the cute puppy in the window of that neighborhood pet shop comes from a puppy mill or that the ads in the newspaper or on the internet are for puppy mill puppies. Sure, pet shop owners will tell you they come from local breeders but unless you can actually check out the breeder and the puppy’s parents, you have no way of knowing. More than 95% of puppies come from mass breeding businesses, many of these fit into the description of a ‘puppy mill.’
Ethical breeders will not sell their puppies to just anyone. They care about what happens to the puppies after they go to their new homes. They provide health guarantees and many will have a contract that if things do not work out, the dog is to be returned to the breeder. Ethical breeders have standards and morals and care about the breed, not just lining their pockets on the misery of living
creatures.
Yes, in some areas legislators are working to improve the laws but even if the measures pass they will still fall far short of what it will take to really make a difference. What is necessary is to get the word out, to educate and show people and teach people. There are thousands and thousands of dogs each year that are killed for lack of homes, why bring more puppies into the world, especially puppies that are sick, produced out of often, the most torturous and horrendous conditions imaginable.
3 days ago i promised a tiny wee puppy mill survivor that i would make sure she'd b loved, saved, fed n warm. i had this wee girl for 3 days. when i woke up this morning my heart was heavy….i had 2 take her back. granted, she was in a no kill shelter but the pen she was in was a wee bit chilly. 2 adopt her it would cost me $200. i don't really have it. Andrea dropped the fee 2 $150 cuz i believe she's (Jane) is spayed…but i would find a way. i told Jane that……..now i'm just gonna pay attention 2 see if she comes into heat. why cut her open if it doesn't need 2 b done?
WONDERFUL, AWESOME NEWS! miss Jane has been chipped in my name!!! she's here at home with me, my partner n my dogs n cats. the fee…..pay half tomorrow n half next month. the heavy heart that i woke up with is now light. the woman who is in charge of the humane society's name is Andrea…..i told u b4 that my mum's name was Jane n when i saw this wee girl i had 2 see her…bring her home. i feel that my mum sent me this baby. she's about 4 yrs old….n she's so sweet. last night she crawled into a "den" (dog crate) n slept the night. about 6 this morning she wanted up on the bed. she went back 2 sleep for a few hours then got back up n ate. i wanted time 2 stop. what if i took her back n they said "NO"….ok, i have other babies but i think this 1 needed 2 b loved….NOW. she was pulled from a puppy mill in Mayfield, Ky last Dec n had been in the shelter all that time. she's SO skinny. her wee ribs n hip bones SO stick out. all my cats just love her. they play with her. Max, Ginger n Lucy~3 of my dogs r just fine with her. JD is a big guy so i'm just gonna keep an eye out. they'll b just fine with time. she's still the "propery" of Warrick Humane Society….but not for much longer…..thank u, dear 1's for u'r prayers n for letting me go on. thank u.
this is horrible i thought i was either going to vomit or cry i didnt know which one to do first i found these terrifing pictures while i was doin research on a speech im doing on puppy mills one day those "PEOPLE" or "BREEDERS"? will meet there maker some time and they will sorry for screwing up so badly
I can't believe people would do this to such sweet animals. Maybe people should be treated like that, so they can see what it feels like to be unwanted, unloved, and just someone's toy. Unbelievable that people would do such things.
In memory of my finest companion Geronimo (rescued Lab/Rottie mix passed away due to cancer)I have adopted 2 puppy mill breeding dogs. They have been gently treated since they were confiscated from a PA puppy mill by the Vets. and their foster homes/rescue agencies. But, they will need a great deal of TLC and patience. When I lost Geronimo I was bereft and needed to do something to help the other neglected and abused dogs. When I went on line and started doing research of the local shelters the same stories came up. Amish PA puppy mill on this dog, Amish PA puppy mill on that dog. So I started looking up Amish PA puppy mills on all the news sources. I have been living in oblivion, so uneducated. I made small donations to several of the local shelters caring for the confiscated dogs In Memory of Geronimo. I just couldn't stop crying. Then I made applications to adopt. Something just kept pushing me to care for these wonder-full creatures. My applications were approved. I now have two new roommates. They may never learn to play ball, or tug of war, or frisbee. However, they will have the very best loving gentle care and home I can give them. They have distinctly different personalities. One has a wagging tail already and the other is trying to have one. Patience, plenty of time and gentleness and most importantly security and safety. These guys would capture anyones heart. We do what we can. I am retired. I have plenty of time.
Saturday I picked up my PA puppy mill baby… and I say baby because even though she is a 4 year old miniature poodle, she is still a baby. When my mother and I went to see her, we both exclaimed – "look at her, she's beautiful!" and the name Bella was chosen. We've had many poodles – all bought from people who had a litter in their homes – Bella is different, of course… she was bred repeatedly for four years, then surrendered to a shelter. Small poodles can live 18-20 years – I know, I've had them that long… poor Bella only has 6 teeth at 4 years of age. She has never been groomed like a poodle should be, she doesn't walk without crouching, she doesn't know what to do in the grass or the snow… she had an accident in the kitchen last night and cowered in fear when we went to clean it up. Sweet Bella doesn't understand that we don't care about those little accidents that she can't avoid or help. She will never go without food, love or companionship ever again. God bless everyone who has the courage to rescue one of these babies and teach them kindly how to be an adult dog.
Bella's still an angel – and now she has another sister! I adopted another PA puppy mill baby last month. Lexi Lu is tattooed in her ear after being sent to the auction. She's around 8 years old and was whacked across the head with a 2×4 – she now lives with a broken jaw that is not in her best interests to fix as it is missing an inch on one side. She's got a crooked little smile and it such a love bug. People have no idea how loving these creatures are even in the wake of the cruelty they suffer through. People out there, don't just read the articles on here and comment – do something about it adopt a puppy mill dog.
bless u, Bella's Angel….Belle will come around…my wee Jeanie feels like she's been here forever. the other dogs n cats just adore her….she's been here for nearly a year. i tell her every day the same thing i told her when i brought her home…that she'd never want for food, love, warmth or a place 2 sleep. she's stopped cowering when she has a wee accident~which isn't very often now. she knows she goes on the pad….she loves 2 b carried around n cuddled. she's still got a lot 2 make up for….sending warm fuzzies 2 Belle…love n u hugs,
dru
That is horrible!!! that makes me wanna cry those poor things dont know whats going on no animal deserves to be treated like this! aww they dont deserve to die, be starved, or anything ugghh i am so sad those stupid people. all those dogs want is a good home to be away from all that. somewhere where they can feel safe and secure and have a loving family aww breawks my heart
That Is horriable. Puppies should not be treated like that. I think that the people in puppy mill areas should be ashamed of what their people have done. They need a taste of their own medicine!!! The Horrors of puppy mills are a huge tragedy in America. If they are banned, why are there people still doing it?
this is so sad. i helped a puppy mill dog before. he is a min pin. i miss him so much. you can ask what happen to him i dont care. also i helped 3 ault beagles from a puppy mill. also i helped 2 begle puppys from a puppy mill.
Im 11 and I am gonna stop this in my school
Wow
puppy mills are horrible. i am writing a paper about them for my writing class. it is so hard to find people who support puppy mills, i guess that is a very good sign that people really dont like puppy mills. i bought a corgi that came from a puppy mill. he is adorable but he can have a bad temper sometimes, hmm i wonder why:(
I know its hard to not get the littlr puppie in the window but if you get him or her his moms gonna have to do it again and again
We can do this we can stop, puppy mills. All we have to do is send out the word to our friends and all there friends. we can make it happen
gotta be somethng more than we can do other than sit and type. Puppy mills have to be stopped. Ill do anything it takes.
That is so saddening. It breaks my heart to think that animals are treated this way. I cant believe people actually do this.
We just adopted a chihuahua from our local animal shelter in Okc.When my husband and I saw her we knew she was the one we had no idea what would come of this adoption.I had to wait a week for har to be spayed and I visited everyday with fresh homemade chicken,she loved it!I would tell her I would get her out soon and I think she knew that it was true.I couldnt hold her because she was in the found section but I was the first to put in the adoption papers:) They called the third day to tell me she was ours but it could take 14 days for the spay
I was worried because she was coughing,well after the spay they put her on antibiotics:)and it went away after a week.ok,we get her home and find out she had been a puppy mill breeder and the vet thinks 1 years old everytime we picked her up she would fall to the floor and roll over,we knew then she was abused and mistreated.She also doesnt know what toys are but is learning!The one thing that I dont understand is she wont drink much water from her bowl so I add it to her food.We have had her now 9 days and she is almost housebroken:)I take her out every 2 hours even if she doesnt need to.This girl is what I call a lovebug she is so sweet .now that she knows we will never hurt her!I named her Annabelle at the shelter and she acts like she has always had that name 
.I love her so much and she will never be abused again:).I wished I could go out and help with rescues!These people that mill should be shot!We are in Oklahoma and are #2 in the nation for mills:(SHAME! I will try and update.
i adopted a wee puppy mill survivor last year…i named her after my mum (who passed away in ’04) n she also “took” 2 her name almost instantly like she’d had it forever. i tell her all the time that i love her n NOBODY will ever hurt her again….she so fits in with my pack….she chases the cats all over the house but she’s a wee lovebug. Jeanie got housebroken fast as well. oh she’s also a chihuahua….ALL PUPPY MILLS SHOULD B WIPED OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH n those who run it SHOULD b shot!!! bless u’r new baby Annabelle. (i have an Annabelle~a cat)
dru,that is sweet I believe everything happens for a reason.Im sure your mother had some push in your adoption…I have had animals in the past a yellow lab and a pug the lab passed this year of old age 13 and my pug passed 4 months after with bladder cancer, we decided to have her put down she was 6
this was a few short months ago…I have never owned a chihuahua she is so sweet. Im trying to tell if she has ever had her vocal cord damaged because she never barks! The vet said she was 1 and can you believe she has had a litter..WOW people seem to amaze me of the lack of compassion Im just sick! You have a Annabelle too how sweet!Bless you as well as your fur family!
If anyone has info about the drinking water problem please let me know.Thank you.
@Amy.C Running water is more interesting to dogs and cats than just a bowl of sitting water. Maybe try getting a pet fountain which will keep the water moving and filtered at all times. Adding ice can also help some dogs but others it doesn’t affect.
About the vocal cords, dogs who have had them damaged can still bark but usually sound very raspy and just not right. I hope nothing has happened to your poor dog that has made her not be able to bark and rather she just decides to not bark on her own.
I also want to thank everyone here that is completely against puppy mills and adopting from pet stores. You also have to be aware of backyard breeders too. They may not be big enough to be classified as puppy mills but they do just about the same thing.
I advise only adopting from animals shelters and humane societies in order to stray as far away from mills as possible.
Everyone, let’s do what we can in this world to educate at least one person about puppy mills to help wean them out and get our animals treated the way they deserve.
I am going to be making a brochure to educate everyone in my local area about mills and backyard breeders. I am wanting to make them public on the internet in time so everyone can use them to teach others.
Good luck to everyone and thank you for what you do for these poor defenseless animals.
This has broken my heart. I wish there was someway I could get active in this and help prevent people from doing this to puppies. No dog deserves a life like that.