Puppy Mills, Pet Shops, and
Why You Should Avoid Them
Adapted from a report by Mary Harwelik
What is a puppy mill?
A puppy mill is generally considered to be a large-scale dog breeding
operation that wholesales dogs to retail establishments, or to brokers
who then sell to retail establishments across the country. Mills house
a large number of breeding dogs, sometimes numbering well into the hundreds.
The only job of these animals is to produce puppies. The puppies are
shipped in cramped, crowded trucks, at a very young age. Many times
puppies become sick or injured during the trek to their destination
or even die. (The reason so many of the puppies end up sickly and mentally
disturbed, is because the breeding stock is not screened for health
issues.) The ones who are lucky enough to survive the ordeal end up
at the pet shops, or in the hands of brokers..
Many puppy mills keep animals in cages for most of their natural lives
with little or no human contact, exercise, health care, or training.
The bitches are often bred on their first heat , and on every heat thereafter,
until they die naturally (or are disposed of). Conditions at puppy mills
vary, although even in the best of circumstances, these establishments
can be abusive to dogs.. Because of the conditions, the dogs may fight
each other, develop neurotic behavior (such as obsessive licking, jumping,
spinning, cage pacing, etc), and become susceptible to illness and injuries
which may be left untreated. .
Puppy milling is big business in the United States, with annual grosses
amounting to millions. The
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspects and licenses
mills, but their standards for licensing are too low for the tastes
of many knowledgeable dog people, including veterinarians, behaviorists,
and trainers. In addition, many times violations of code are ignored,
and disciplinary action is rarely taken against those mill operators
who are deemed to be in violation of code. Dead, dying, and sick dogs,
filthy grounds, and cramped cages may be found even at those mills that
are USDA licensed. The mills do not get inspected enough, nor are millers
given incentive to clean up their act. The mills that are not licensed
by the USDA are even worse, as hard to imagine as that may be.
Where do the puppy mill pups end up?
Puppy mill pups ultimately end up in pet shops. . Pet shops claim that
their dogs come from breeders, that their animals are purchased from
USDA licensed producers, and that the dogs are AKC registered. The effectiveness
of these claims depends largely upon the naivete' of the general public.
Ask if the animals come from mills, and you will get an emphatic, "No!".
But this of course is not true. The employees of these stores are coached
on what to say to customers, and many times are not even aware of the
truth behind the puppies they sell.
Let's examine the claims pet shops make:
1) The "breeders" are actually millers and other large-scale
dog producers whose main concerns are merely to pump out as many dogs
of different breeds in as short a period of time as possible. Responsible
breeders would never wholesale their dogs to a pet shop. Responsible
breeders cannot meet the demand of pet shops, who sell many different
dogs and breeds and constantly need to replenish their stock. The dog
producers that DO meet the pet shop's stock demands are the millers
who pump out hundreds of puppies of many different breeds annually.
The pet shop is also able to enjoy the convenience of purchasing all
their animals from one source.
2) As already discussed, USDA licensing does not guarantee humane treatment
of the dogs in mills. Also, remember that the USDA licenses and oversees
factory farming. What the USDA considers acceptable in factory farms
outrage and horrify many people who are made aware of what exactly goes
on behind the closed doors of the industry. The animals in these situations
are treated as product, and are not given the consideration they deserve.
Humane treatment and quality of life are not factors deemed worthy of
attention. The situation at puppy mills is very similar. The dogs are
merely treated as money-making items.
3) The sales pitch, "AKC registered" has been used repeatedly
by the puppy mill/pet shop industry and has duped the public into believing
that if a dog bares the AKC registered title, it must be of quality.
The fact of the matter is that the American
Kennel Club (AKC) is merely a registering body. "Papers"
on a dog mean that the animal is certifiably purebred. It does not guarantee
anything else. There are no requirements necessary in order for a dog
to be registered other than having AKC-registered parents. Health, temperament,
or where a dog came from, have no bearing on the matter.
Why responsible breeders won't sell to pet shops:
Pretend for a moment that you are a responsible breeder. You love your
dogs, and have spent a lifetime studying your breed, genetics, and health
in order to become the best breeder you can be. Your only desire is
to produce top-quality animals that are a tribute to their breed, and
an improvement upon past generations. You are so well known that you
need not even advertise. You belong to the national organization for
your breed such as the Great Pyrenees Club of America, or a local/regional
dog club. These organizations usually have a specific prohibition against
selling pups to pet shops and must abide by a Code of Ethics. The quality
of your dogs speaks for itself, and people routinely approach you for
puppies. Money-making isn't the objective for you--in fact, you barely
break even after you are done with genetic testing and health certifications,
and pre- and post-natal puppy care. But none of that matters, as you
aren't doing this for money. You are doing it for the love of your breed.
Your pups are strong, healthy, and stable. Not just anyone can purchase
one of your puppies--that is why you extensively screen each and every
person who walks through the door looking to buy a puppy. As a responsible
person who cares about the welfare of the dogs you produce, you want
to be certain that every pup's new home will treat him or her humanely,
lovingly, and responsibly. You want to protect your good name, so you
offer guarantees on your puppies that also states that if at any time
the owner of the puppy cannot or does not wish to keep the dog, you
will take the dog back. You love your dogs, and want to make sure that
each lives a long, healthy, full life. You keep in contact with your
buyers, offering them help and assistance along the way. You feel responsible
for your dogs for their lives--whether they are living with you, or
in the homes of those who have purchased from you.
So, ask yourself this question: why would you hand over your puppies
to a pet shop to sell? Why would you allow your beloved dogs to be sold
indiscriminately, to whoever walks through the door with a credit card?
Why would you sell your dogs wholesale, when you barely break even selling
them for retail yourself? Why would you even HAVE to rely on a pet shop
to sell your puppies when people are knocking down your door to purchase
one of your well-bred animals? The answer to all these questions is
this: if you are a responsible breeder producing healthy, sound dogs,
YOU WOULDN'T!
Back to the pet shops, and their claims:
Still don't believe that the dogs from pet shops come from mills? Press
the issue with a pet shop manager. Find out the name of the wholesaler
that the shop obtains it's puppies from. Check the information obtained
by going to the USDA site, and see if you can match the name the pet
shop gave you with one of the licensed dealers listed on the USDA site.
If the name is missing, it probably means that the puppies were purchased
from a non-licensed mill, or directly from a broker who acts as a middleman.
If you inquire about the supplier of the puppies in shops, you will
hear a lot of double-talk, repeated phrases such as, "No, all our
dogs come from breeders!" (which, if you think about it, isn't
actually a lie--a breeder is merely someone who produces animals), and
"Our puppies are guaranteed!". Ask what sort of genetic testing
has been done on the parents to help ensure that the puppies will grow
into healthy adults. What you'll hear is, "All of our puppies have
been vet-checked." No proof of genetic health of parents will be
offered, no assurances that the puppies are from healthy stock. "Vet-checked"
means nothing more than that the animal showed no overt signs of illness
at the time of examination.
Support pet shops that do no sell dogs, and send a message to the
puppy mill-supporting pet shops--you will NOT patronize any shop that
encourages the inhumane practice of puppy milling or indiscriminant
breeding and selling of dogs.
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