Parasites. Mange. Illness. Social isolation. Continuous rebreeding and inbreeding. Filthy living conditions. These are the hallmarks of “puppy mills.” Puppy mills are high-volume, sub-standard dog breeding operations, which sell purebred or intentionally mixed-breed dogs, often to unsuspecting buyers.
For the unwitting consumer, this situation frequently means buying a puppy facing an array of problems, both physical and psychological. Sub-standard breeding practices can lead to genetic defects or hereditary disorders and erroneous or falsified certificates of registration, pedigree, and/or genetic background. Confined to cages with little human contact, one of the greatest tragedies is the lack of appropriate handling by humans and exposure to new experiences, so essential in the very early stages of a puppy’s life for suitability as companions.
There are an estimated 4,000 puppy mills in the U.S. that produce more than half a million puppies a year. What you can do to stop puppy mills:
1. Support legislation that limits the
number of animals a breeding facility
may have. 2. Consider adoption. Adopting a homeless
dog or puppy instead of buying one is the surest way to counter puppy mills. Animal shelters have dozens of dogs, many of them purebreds, literally dying for homes – many canines surrendered to shelters are euthanized due to lack of space. There are also breedspecific rescue groups for many breeds. Check the website, www.Petfinder.
com, as it is a wonderful source for
finding the perfect pet! 3. Be sure you know precisely where a
puppy you purchase comes from. A red flag is the offer from a seller to meet you at a neutral location – this may be an effort to keep you from seeing the actual place where it was born and kept. 4. Avoid the temptation to “rescue”
a puppy mill puppy. Even though your intentions may be good, don’t buy a puppy with the idea that you are “rescuing” it. Your “rescue” opens up space for another poor puppy and the money you spend goes right back to the puppy mill operator and ensures they can continue breeding and treating dogs inhumanely. If you see someone keeping puppies in poor
conditions, alert your local animal
control authorities instead of buying.
5. To learn more about the problem of
puppy mills and how you can help stop them, look to prominent organizations such as the Humane Society of the United States and the American Humane Association. Go to www. hsus.org and www.americanhumane. org for additional information.
Katie Winkelman
Silver Bay
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