The Horrors of Puppy Mills
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.
[…] Puppy mills are houses of horror with dogs living in the most deplorable, inhumane conditions you can’t even possibly imagine! Sadly, due to the high demand for puppies and the lack of knowledge or care on the behalf of the ‘consumer’, these dog dens of iniquity continue to grow and thrive, raking in millions and millions of dollars. […]
[…] more information on puppy mills; what they are and what you can do to help, please check out The Horrors Of Puppy Mills No […]
[…] find out more about puppy mills and what you can do please check out - The Horrors of Puppy Mills and be sure to also see the Wisconsin Puppy Mill Project to see what you can do […]
[…] The Horrors of Puppy Mills […]
[…] The Horrors of Puppy Mills […]
[…] The Horrors of Puppy Mills […]
[…] The Horrors of Puppy Mills […]
[…] current form (which the Dog Law Advisory Board is currently revising) but his main targets are the ‘puppy mills’ which in general operate under the most deplorable conditions […]
[…] The Horrors of Puppy Mills […]
I have seen documentaries on puppy mills and I have read about them when I did a paper on pet overpopulation for my English class and it makes me sick to think about how those poor animals are forced to live. I don’t know how the people who run those places can live with themselves. Forcing those animals to be in those conditions just to make a profit is so appalling and disgusting. what is the human race coming to?
Puppy mills sound awful! How could someone do that? just for a bit of money?… I never even knew about these palces, Its in-humane and I don’t know how someone could be brought to do that to those poor dogs.
[…] Horrors of Puppy Mills […]
this is horrible! i can wait till i am old enough to do somthing about this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why are people doing this?What did those dogs do to diserve this?I have an old dog that dosnt work and do you see me puting her in a puppy mill?No!I think we should vote the rights to do this to the poor things.They have feelings too.I hate the people that do this and my family loves all kinds of dogs.Some people still cats and dogs for fur trade.I hope that will stop now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[…] Horrors of Puppy Mills Get Your FREE Gift! “A Dog’s Philosophy on Life”Sign Up Now! CLICK HERE! […]
[…] Horrors of Puppy Mills Get Your FREE Gift! “A Dog’s Philosophy on Life”Sign Up Now! CLICK HERE! […]
[…] Horrors of Puppy Mills Get Your FREE Gift! “A Dog’s Philosophy on Life”Sign Up Now! CLICK HERE! […]
por favor no compren perros de raza, rescaten!! hay miles de abandonados esperando un hogar!!
[…] Horrors of Puppy Mills […]
The who abuse dogs or start puppy mills are monsters and don’t deserve to live neither do they deserve the title human being!!
Honestly, it seems to me that breeding,selling dogs for hundreds or thousands of dollars is nothing short of insanity with the overpopulation of pets in an absolute crisis..with shelters and rescues bursting at the seams…there should be bans or severe limitations on any breeding ..then the monsters who run puppy mills could not sell their misery so easily..maybe get a real job.
I got my chow, Grim, from a puppy mill. I spent thousands to keep him well only to lose him at 3 years of age from heart problems. I miss him terribly and don’t regret a day I had with him, but…. I am much wiser now.
The man I brought from, over the internet, is still in business.
puppy mills are crap. they tarnish the reputatuion of honest caring breeders. i spend a minimum of 2 hours a day outside claening pens feeding sogs and inspecting every one of our dogs. and yes we breed them but only as a manner of balancing the cost of up keep theya re treated as family memebers and shown an equal amount of respect. however for some people breeder=puppy mill and frankly its not true. take myself for instance i have very strict proticals for breeding and the first on is the health of the animals if they are not 100% fit they dont breed period, the second is age after 3-5 years they are retired. i have them fixed and give them away to families. yeah it cost 100 bucks to fix them but the knowledge they never will be breed again is worth that. the third is tempermant i only breed family dogs. the forth is heat cycle every other cycle is skipped and more will be as nesecarry say i ahve a female that has skipped a cycle and then gets sick right before her next one .she will not get bred. i belive in producing healthy happy pups not pups that will die before they have a chance to really live.
A puppy mill is a puppy mill is a puppy mill. There are too many dogs and cats, too many are being euthanized because there are not enough homes. Can the world do without the dogs you produce. Probably. You really ought to think about your breeding program. Like stop breeding. Period. Too many dogs. You are a willing participant in an unnecessary endevour. Don’t kid yourself. You are contributing to that pile of dead animals in the landfill.
[…] Horrors of Puppy Mills […]
While i was looking at these pictures i was thinking HOW could someone do this to an animal.what if you were the dog and pretend the dog was you.Would you like it of the dog fORCED you to have so many babies until you died.Would you like it !
Unless you are crazy you would say yes but this isn’t a laughting matter. Also while i looked at this i was thinking there has to be some way WE can stop this.we have to!
[…] Horrors of Puppy Mills […]
I want… to ask this to all people maybe reading this…
what do you guys think abt animal cruelty???
In My opinion.. i think its; Retarted,Sick For Stupid people,And For Fools that don’t have brain or heart or even soul. thats what i think
And you?
I am a responsible breeder. My dogs are vet checked, fed high quality food, and are treated better than some children are I am sure. Yes I do breed. My breed is a small toy breed and I always have a waiting list.
The overpopulation problem starts with irresponsible pet owners, not breeders. How many unspayed/nuetered mixed breeds (some may be purebred) have you seen out in the country running loose, reproducing every heat? On my road alone I know of 4 families who allow their dogs to breed to every mutt who comes in the yard. Those pups end up at the pound, if they are the lucky ones anyway.
My point is stop blaming responsible breeders. Place the blame where it belongs, with irresponsible owners!!!
We have leash laws here, unfortunatly they are not enforced, otherwise these dogs would not be running loose in the first place.
If the AR agenda has their way there will be no breeders. There will eventually be NO dogs. How can there be if there is no one allowed to breed them??
I totally agree with Memyself. Don’t blame the responsible people for the irresponsible people’s mistakes. Sure, there are bad people out there, but not everyone is. The animal rights groups are trying to fix it to where no one can even own a pet. Check into things before you start throwing “trash talk” about all breeders because we’re not all like that. Just because this one or that one isn’t good, don’t mean we all aren’t. I raise dogs as well, but mine ALWAYS have clean water, are ALWAYS fed and ALWAYS taken to the vet when they need check-ups, where they’re kept is ALWAYS clean, they are shown affection and I know them like no one else. Know facts before you state your opinions.
My dog was one of the dogs that they bred over and over again until the breeder decided that she wasnt worth feeding her anymore so she abandoned her. My mother saw her on petfinder.com and fell in love with her. We got her and we have seen how traumatized she was. We have had her for a year and is just beginning to bark and even eat in front of her. She didn’t know how to be a dog until we adopted another puppy (not from a bredder). My dog is starting to see that the puppy can do a lot and not get wacked for it. It is unexcusable for the terror and horror that these places put each and every animal through!
I hate animal abuse. I have rescude 10 dogs from some people that were beat not fed over populated !!!!!!!!!!!!
TO THE People ……………. What do think of animal abuse ? Why do people abuse animals ?
[…] Horrors of Puppy Mills […]
i am 12 years old and after the pics that i saw i cried. i want to know why someone would want to do something so crule to animal that didn’t do anything to them. i think that puppy mills should be taken out. hopefully it will happen soon before its to late. thank you.
[…] Horrors of Puppy Mills […]
yes i watched opera today…acyually a few minutes ago and i watched a document on puppy mills. we should be a better nation than to allow this devistating, horrible, disgusting, pittiful behavior linger. i am only 13 and i can even see how horrible this is becoming and how popular this is. its discraceful. these animals dont have any means of standing for themselves, so we have to do it, and if we dont, no one will. so if anybody can form a pact to omit peoples perpectives on this, we better start now.
i watched oprah the other day, and when i saw the abuse and disgusting way that those poor animals were being treated with it made me sick to my stomach. i love my dog soo much and im sad to say that she is from a pet store - NEVER AGAIN will that happen! are there shelters that are strictly for rescued mill dogs? i’ve always wanted to make a difference for abused dogs some how but i never knew the way to do it until now. we need to spread the word about puppy mills, fast!
Hailey-
Not all of the puppies in the pet store come from these places. Most of them are from breeders who CARE very much about their well-being as well as their parents. That’s what you don’t see on tv is the breeders who work their fingers to the bone to better their breeds. Don’t let a few “bad breeders” discourage you from pet store puppies. There are many good breeders out there that sell their puppies to the pet store. (Shock, shock.) Not all are like the ones shown on Oprah. She needs to show the good ones too (most of them are).
Hailey, good for you..It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.
Happy….Most of them are from breeders…Are you nuts??!!GOOD BREEDERS don’t sell their animals to pet-stores because they don’t know where that animal who they”care very much about their well-being and have worked their fingers to the bone” is going or will be treated….GOOD BREEDERS know where their animal is going, how it will be treated, and will take it back if there is a problem…..I can only assume you sell to pet-stores…Your statements are ridiculous and your greed is nauseating.
hailey, you are 100% wrong! no. most even all of dogs in pet stores come from puppy mills!! and truely, there are no such things as “good breeders” breeders only care about money. They do not care about the dogs because they are contributing to the over population of dogs. because of them, do dogs get killed. every animal that is from a breeder that gets adopted is one less home for an animal who really needs it. maybe you should think about that.
Puppies do go to good homes through pet stores. Haven’t you seen the prices people pay at the pet stores? If people can afford those prices, then they’re going to good homes. I’ve received many emails and pictures of the homes my babies go to. It has nothing to do with greed, it’s the enjoyment of bringing a family happiness over their new puppy. My puppies do not come from a “mill”–they’re happy, healthy babies that go to excellent homes. Kerry–you need to get a clue.
Green paper equals good home…huh..I think you need to volunteer at a shelter..of course, the green paper has no glory there…you probably would not feel comfortable.
No–that’s not what I said–again your putting words in people’s mouths. Going by the homes mine have went to, they’re excellent places. I do also sell to individuals and know where they go. I have nothing to be ashamed of. No one knows what I do but me and there’s nothing wrong with what I do. This country is getting more and more communistic every day. It’s people like you that cause the good responsible breeders to be lumped in with the “puppy millers”.
i can’t believe what is going on in puppy mills.just for money!and when no longer needed,they kill them!why would someone do that?!it is horrid.not even caring for them!and the owners of puppy mills don’t care if they die!if i could,i would:
1:be presedent and make it illegal to own puppy mills and put puppies and other dogs into puppy mills.
2:arrest all the puppy mill owners in the world.
3:rescue every dog in the world at puppy mills & shelters.
if you want to see happy dogs rescued from death and injury,go to:
http://www.langefoundation.com
it’ll make you feel better.
to Happy-
i dont doubt for one second that there aren’t wonderful breeders out there, i know there is and i respect the work they do. they are the good people who take pride in what they do and have a passion for dogs =] i completely agree that oprah needs to do a show on responsible dog breeders. but the issue isnt breeders, its puppy mills and we are all simply stating our opinions on the subject.
What is everyone’s definition of a “puppy mill”? Is it someone who keeps dogs in kennels and lets them out daily for exercise and gives them care and affection or someone who like was on Oprah that leaves their dogs to fend for themselves and doesn’t care and their dogs have no names or no human contact?? The latter is what I consider to be puppy mills. I’m just saying not all puppies in the pet stores are from puppy mills. Just because breeders sell their puppies to pet stores does NOT put them in the same category as the “mills” like the ones on Oprah.
i completely agree with you. i dont believe that all puppies from pet stores are from mills but i think the large majority are. it would be nice to not even have to wonder. i think it should be exclusively puppies from responsible breeders that are allowed to be sold in pet stores. i think its an epidemic that no one sees and who knows, i could be one of the puppies you bred in the spca waiting for a home before its to late.
Happy, one of the biggest point of contention is that a ‘responsible breeder’ care where their puppies goes and will never sell them to a pet store because they have no control over where they go. Now, that doesn’t necessarily make them a ‘puppy mill’ but that also take them out of the ‘responsible’ equation.
Per say, I don’t have a problem with responsible breeders because I do know people who devote their live to a breed and the betterment of it. Personally, I would never breed a dog because there are soooooo many desperately in need of homes already and 4 million a year die for the lack of homes. Most responsible breeders really make little to no money off their effort, they do it for the sake of the dog and the love of the breed.
People who breed large quantities of puppies, with little to no concern of where they wind up; people who leave their ‘breeding stock’ to live out their lives in kennels, outside of the home and family, are not responsible. There are levels to puppy mills to me. Just because a person doesn’t house their dog in deplorable conditions and breed the females every heat cycle doesn’t mean they are not a puppy mill to a degree. People who breed and raise puppies for profit and running a puppy mill to a degree. That is my definition and I admit it doesn’t fit everyone’s.
But that’s just my opinion. Everyone has their own but to me the biggest thing is that puppy millers have little care or control over what happens to the puppies. Responsible breeders will care and take responsibility any time!
Well, the public has been brainwashed seeing the images of these horrible puppy mills that they don’t know what a licensed and inspected kennel looks like. That’s all I’m saying. Don’t call people that sell their puppies to a pet store a mill or irresponsible just because they sell to a pet store. That’s not true. People also don’t know that when a responsible breeder sells to a pet store, that puppy is guaranteed for 2 years. Breeders (the licensed and inspected ones) can be and are responsible no matter if they sell to a pet store or individual.
It’s unclear to me why anyone would intentionally bring more animals into this world with 4 million being killed in shelters every year…..especially for profit…What part of over-populated and the number 4 million that is so hard to understand?
Well all of you AR’s will eventually get your wish. You are doing a great job of brainwashing the general public into believing that all breeders are evil.
My question is when breeding is outlawed where are you going to get a dog from? There would be no homeless dogs as it would be against the law for irresonsible owners to let their dogs breed the same as it would be against the law for a breeder to breed, right? So eventually if the AR’s have their way there will be no dogs.
There are plenty of laws in place already without passing new ones. If county dog wardens would do their jobs and shut down the irresponsible breeders who allow their dogs to live in filth then we shouldn’t have a problem with dogs living in horrid conditions. As for the overpopulation problem, I have not seen many purebreds in our local shelters. I do rescue work for my breed and there have been less than 5 come through the shelter in the past 4 years. If the humane societies were to use their funds to do free spay/neuters for ppl who cannot afford to sterilize their dog or who will just not spend the money to do it , that would cut the overpoulation problem down quite a bit. Most of the dogs in our local pounds are the result of irresponsible OWNERS not breeders.
i agree with the last sentence made on the last comment. I completely agree that the owners are the problem because most are not commited enough to how much work having a dog can be. I dont think that breeders and rescues are considered puppy mills at all! breeders are awesome. They do what they love while making the breed better and finding them responsible homes. Its just those damn puppy mills! We are all here for one reason- because we love dogs. what are AR’s by the way? and where did the issue of brainwashing the public that breeders are evil come in? i dont recall reading anything about that :S Happy what type of dogs do you breed?
I don’t think we are in any danger of having to put the dog on the endangered species list just yet.
I am not against all breeding.Should any Tom,Joe, or Harry be able to set up shop and slap their ad in the newspaper without standards or limitations?No, I don’t think so.It’s not communism, it’s protection for innocent creatures that are being exploited by greed.
Pet-stores????Why do they still exist at this point.
Yes, the irresponsible owner adds to the shelter population…A point we can all agree on.As far as the majority being mixed breeds, the fact that you can’t sell them must have something to do with it.
<> So this is why breeders shouldn’t breed anymore? It’s not the breeder’s fault that the world is overpopulated and that’s no reason why breeders shouldn’t do what they love to do. Shelter animals are from pet owners that aren’t responsible and end up with an oops litter of mixed breed puppies. Hailey-I do raise 5 different breeds because when I got into this several years ago, I couldn’t decide which was my favorite–I love all 5 breeds! I have a few of Saint Bernards, Labrador Retrievers, Miniature Pinschers, Toy Poodles and Pomeranians. All right everyone that labels people with more than one breed a mill–let me have it-I know you want to. Bring it on.
This cyber spat is pointless..obviously….We are in two different worlds…Mine involves helping with the over-population crisis..Yours involves adding to the problem…all in the name of what…So you can do what you love to do?..Sounds like what you love to do is let innocent creatures pay your bills….
Kerry,
Pay my bills, that is a BIG laugh. My dogs are fed and treated better than most children in this world.
If I break even breeding these dogs I am lucky. Most years I am in the hole.
I breed because I love my breed! I hope that in the future there are still breeds of dogs, not just mixed breeds. If most of you here have your way there will be no breeders to breed a specific breed. Heck there may not be any dogs left if breeding is outlawed.
The world is also over populated with people. Maybe some of you should practice what you preach and stop reproducing.
Happy i am glad to see you have a wide variety of dogs you breed. Personally i am a sucker for the large breeds! I absolutley LOVE big dogs such as Newfoundlands, Malmutes, Great Danes and such=]
I call my Saints “Gentle Giants”–that’s what they are. I love all of my dogs. I agree with what concerned said on breaking even. The same goes here. I take time and effort in improving the breeds I do raise. I’ve had no health problems whatsoever in any of their babies and I’ve been doing what I love for 6 years. I love what I do and no bull about “adding to the problem” is going to change my mind. I agree there is an overpopulation of “mutts” out there, but like has been said before, that’s the pet owner’s problem for not getting their animals spayed or neutered. Hailey–you asked a question about what are the AR’s–they’re groups such as PETA for instance that wants to eventually banish all pet ownership. AR’s also want to shut down all breeders–even the good responsible ones. That’s unconstitutional for someone to just bust into your home and take everything away that you’ve worked so hard for. Granted, these “puppy mills” that are not regulated should have something done about them that keep their animals in squalid conditions. Me personally, I have state inspectors, USDA inspectors and even the AKC comes out and my vet as well.
You’ve got to be kidding me! NO “good breeder” would have their puppies sitting in a pet store, exposed to all kinds of illness (ever lost a litter to parvo?) Total lack of socialization, and sitting in a crate for what is often SEVERAL WEEKS! NO good breeder who cares about the psychological development of their puppies would do that. Those who do need a HUGE lesson on canine development! I’m a breeder, and also an obedience trainer. Whenever I start a new class I can look around and point out which dogs came from pet stores, as there are certain canine social skills that they never developed. Something to keep in mind is that owning a rescue dog is NOT for everyone! Yes, there are some GREAT dogs in shelters! But there are far more dog that have “isues” that make them not suitable for families with children. Go to a shelter and find out how many of the dogs they have are listed as “on to children over age 10″ etc. GOOD BREEDERS first spend thousands of dollars on the parent dogs on health testing to insure the dogs don’t have the problems inherent to their breed. Their hips are tested (not just vet checked) Eyes are tested by a special canine eye vet, all kinds of blood work is done to rule out genetic and endochrine problems. Then, ONLY after the dog has tested out, will that dog be bred. Those dogs who you see in the show ring are all health tested. When a breeder says, “Oh, all my dogs are vet checked” clearly doesn’t know what they’re supposed to be doing. The breeders who spend the money on health testing (it runs about $1000 per parent dog) will also give you a minimum of a 2 year health guarantee. They’ll also make you sign an agreement that says if for some reason you can’t keep your dog, they will take the dog back. Good breeders don’t want any dog they’ve produced to end up in the shelters.
Happy, you said, “Haven’t you seen the prices people pay at the pet stores? If people can afford those prices, then they’re going to good homes.” That is probably one of the most nieve comments I have ever heard. That’s like saying, “They have money, they wouldn’t abuse their kids.” Money says nothing about the treatment of the dog. I have more people in my obedience classes who are absolutely DUMB when it comes to their dogs! I just had a mother in her 40’s, daughter in late teens/early 20’s come in with two GSD’s, and they also have a dane at home. NONE of their dogs are spayed or neutered. Why? “We just feel so bad doing that to them, we think they’re better off in their natural state.” The dogs are 3-5 years old, and are just NOW staring obedience training because the owners FINALLY realized they have no control over them. This family of dogs is a disaster waiting to happen! Guess what? The family is a VERY wealthy, well known family in Minnesota, and believe me…they are many more where they came from! Our paying clientèle is are all in the upper income brackets and they are CLUELESS about their dog. They don’t come to trainging until AFTER they’re having problems and are on the verge of putting their dogs into a shelter. The rest of our clients are from shelters. We give vouchers to them so that when they adopt a dog they can get into training right away and not have to worry about the cost. THOSE families are MUCH smarter about their dogs that those with money! As for me, because of the problem with trying to follow up with spay/neuter contracts, I now spay/neuter my puppies at 7 weeks before they even go to their new homes. Just like shelters have been doing for 30 years.
I think that all puppies should be spayed/neutered before they are sold. Unless proper and extensive paperwork is filled out as to why they need an unfixed dog. I think our problem is an overabundance of mutts because of irresponsible owners and puppymills that treat their animals like crap. Personally I don’t see why people would need an unfixed dog unless they were planning on turning into breeders themselves. I love my dogs but I know they are one in a million and no puppy they could ever have could replace them.
angeldogluvr: You said you breed as well…how do you know for a fact without a doubt that the puppies you place aren’t abused??? Just because people look friendly and act that way to your face means nothing. As for my puppies, they don’t sit in pet stores for weeks. I never said my adults weren’t tested, you’re just assuming that. I said my puppies are vet checked and most things genetic (which I’ve never had) are guaranteed for the new owners. The puppies of mine that do go to the pet store are vaccinated, so no, I’ve never had any parvo or disease of any kind with my dogs or puppies. My adults have their yearly boosters too. Don’t call me naive or a “bad breeder” just because of the outlets I choose to use. You need to get an education and stop pointing fingers.
Happy, it’s obvious who has the education and who doesn’t…It seems the time you spend here would be better spent on e-bay or something…
We have a pretty extensive application process for our puppies. Our puppies are sold before the female is even bred, sometimes 6 months before she even comes in heat. I usually have reservations a year out, unless it’s a first time breeding for the female, in which case I won’t take deposits until the pregnancy is confirmed around 30 days. That said, by the time my puppies go to their new homes I know the families VERY well, have met all their kids, etc. And yes, I have been known to get to know a family and decide they’re not good enough for one of my pups and give their deposit back! Your pups are vaccinated, that’s great..it’s also the law. Clearly you don’t have much contact with your pups once they head for the pet store, because the parvo series isn’t done until they’re 16 weeks old! They are not protected against parvo until that time. I’d LOVE to see proof of your health testing on your parent dogs. Oh, I’m well educated. Clearly you need to spend more time learning about canine development. If you did, you would find out real quick what detrimental damage is done to your pups while sitting in pet store window.
“the parvo series isn’t done until they’re 16 weeks old!”
Everyone knows that already. What you seem to don’t know is, the pet store mine go to offer the new puppy buyers to come in to their vet and have their boosters done free when they purchase the puppy. They are vaccinated at 6, 8, 12 and 16 weeks. That just shows how “well educated” you are.
“you would find out real quick what detrimental damage is done to your pups while sitting in pet store window”
That’s bull too. My pups are well socialized before they leave here. The pet store has the potential owners use hand sanitizer before handling the puppies and then they let the potential new owners play with the puppy in a booth area to get to know the puppy. Mine stay for less than a week. That also proves just how “well educated” you are. You need to check out the facts before you start pointing fingers. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with people wanting to buy a puppy from a pet store as long as that puppy has had a good start from the beginning. I believe you ignorance is starting to show…
[…] Horrors of Puppy Mills […]
[…] Horrors of Puppy Mills […]
“Just because breeders sell their puppies to pet stores does NOT put them in the same category as the “mills”
Actually, if you do your research, you’ll find that no responsible breeder will EVER sell their puppies in a pet store.
Furthermore, a responsible breeder will not sell their puppies in a pet store, because these breeders don’t breed dogs for profit! A good breeder is into breeding because he/she wants to further the welfare and quality of the dog breed. If you’re buying your puppy from someone who is first concerned with making money, you are buying from the wrong person!
A good breeder wants to ensure a puppy goes to the right home, and doesn’t want to do business through a puppy broker or pet store where they have no control over who gets their dogs, and where they have no way of keeping up with how the dog turned out.
This is a good guide to consult:
http://www.pgaa.com/canine/general/kennelvisit.html
I’m not saying that all breeders who sell their puppies to pet stores are running a puppy mill, but they ARE irresponsible.
Lastly, even if you think that there are a few breeders that sell to pet stores but don’t treat their dogs particularly badly, you have no way of knowing what kind of person sold that puppy to the store. You should NEVER EVER buy a puppy from a pet store.
[…] Horrors of Puppy Mills […]