How are the animals treated at these facilities?
Because they are raised solely for income, the less spent on their care means more profit. Therefore, these animals may spend their lives crammed into crowded, makeshift kennels or chicken-wire cages about two feet wide. If the cages are stacked (a space saver), feces and urine from the upper- cage residents are simply allowed to fall onto the animals below.

Some dogs have been found living in rabbit hutches, rusty barrels, and even junked cars. Often these dwellings are littered with animal carcasses, piled with feces, and unprotected from snow, rain, and freezing or blazing hot temperatures. Nor is much thought put into providing fresh water (or any water on a constant basis), exercise, food, grooming, or veterinary care.

Why don’t the puppy- mill operators take better care of their animals?
Pet stores want to obtain their “product at the lowest possible price, so they can make the biggest profit. In order to do this, puppy-mill operators skimp on housing, food, and veterinary care to keep their overhead down.

They say it’s cheaper to let an animal die than to provide proper medica! care. As a result, many of these pups reach pet stores without ever having been examined by a veterinarian.

Are these animals healthy?
Under these conditions, the puppies are often infested with and weakened by parasites and viruses, just as their mothers are. These medical conditions often go untreated to save money. The parents also are rarely sound or prime examples of their breed, harboring genetic flaws, personality disorders, and other undesirable traits accentuated by inbreeding. Few of the dogs or pups are allowed to exercise and most are denied human contact, which is essential for a healthy start as a human companion.

How often are the mother dogs expected to produce litters?
A responsible breeder may breed a dog once and then skip several heats, but puppy-mill
dogs are routinely bred at every heat-about twice a year-beginning with their first heat cycle at around six months of age. Bred constantly, the dogs’ litter sizes begin to decrease at about age five. These dogs, now deemed useless, are then shot, relinquished to animal shelters, or sold to research laboratories.

When do the puppies leave their mothers?
At six or seven weeks old, the puppies are shipped hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles by truck (and sometimes plane) to pet stores all across the nation.

What effect does this trip have on the puppies?
Only about half actually survive. And about half of these survivors end up suffering from a variety of illnesses-contagious viruses, respiratory infections, parasites, and other diseases -caused by the stress and inadequate care they’ve endured during their short lives.

How many puppy-mill animals are shipped to pet stores?
About 90% of the half million puppies sold in pet stores come from puppy mills.

Isn’t there a law to protect these animals?
Wholesale dog breeding and the shipment of live animals are regulated by the USDA under the 1970 Animal Welfare Act. The Act requires breeders to be licensed, inspected, and regulated to en- sure that standards of housing, care, and medical treatment are upheld in these facilities.
However, the law is poorly enforced. The USDA admits they do not have enough resources to ensure that the animals at the more than 4,800 puppy mills nationwide receive humane care and treatment. Sometimes facilities are inspected only once a year– hardly enough. And even if a problem is found, the USDA often grants the offenders end- less opportunities to correct the situation. Legal action is rare. When it does occur, it can take several years to prosecute, and the puppy-mill operator rarely loses his license. Meanwhile, the animals continue to suffer.

What about state laws to protect the animals and consumers?
Several states have “Puppy Lemon Laws” which put the burden on the retailer. A store owner who sells an unhealthy dog must replace her with an other dog, issue a refund, or pay her medical costs, depending on the state.And every state has some sort of anti-cruelty law to protect animals, but it may not cover puppy-mill situations. Even if it does, animal cruelty and neglect are often a low priority for law enforcement, and, as a result, these laws are not regularly enforced.

Doesn’t “AKC-registered” mean I’m getting a healthy, first-rate animal?
No. There is a widespread public misconception that an AKC registration guarantees the consumer a quality, healthy animal. AKC papers mean only that a puppy was supposedly born of two dogs of the same breed registered with the AKC. That’s it. In fact, even if an animal was born with three legs and completely blind, he can still be sold as an AKC-registered puppy.

Should we buy that little doggy in the pet store window?
It’s certainly hard to resist that adorable eight-week-old puppy, which is what pet store retailers count on. And you may feel your purchase will solve that puppy from a horrible or simply lonely situation. However, your purchase only guarantees that another puppy will be bought to replace her and that the mother will continue to suffer in a puppy mill. As long as I consumers continue to purchase their “product,” puppy mills will continue to produce animals.

Where should I get a purebred dog?
If you’ve decided you must have a purebred dog, there are three places you can look. First, visit your local animal shelter. More than one- fourth of the dogs received are purebred. Second, check your area for breed rescue groups who take in unwanted animals of a specific breed. And finally, you can contact a local private breeder who should let you inspect their facilities, examine the puppy’s parents for health, looks, and temperament, and check the conditions in which the litter was raised. Also find out how many puppies they breed each year. Are the animals socialized with people early on? Will the breeder let you call if you have any problems with the dog? And do they seem to have an affection for and understanding of the breed? In turn, good breeders I should also ask you questions in order to determine whether you are the right owner for
their puppy.

What is AHA doing?
Since most people are unaware these conditions exist at puppy mills, the American Humane Association continues to expose the suffering and educate the public about these horrendous situations. We publicize the need for potential pet owners to acquire their pets from local shelters. Doing so will not only help put the puppy mills out of business, but will also alleviate the tragic overpopulation of dogs in this nation.

In addition, AHA continues to advocate for increased funding for the USDA so that more inspectors can be hired to enforce the Animal Welfare Act. And we’re always pushing for stronger legislation to give these inspectors greater leverage in enforcing the Act.