Puppy Mills 101

by Kallie Wolseth 

What is a puppy mill? According to Kailey A. Burger, “’Puppy mill’ is a term used to describe a commercial dog breeding facility that profits from selling puppies on a large scale. Those operating puppy mills frequently prioritize profitability at the expense of their animals’ wellbeing.  As a result, breeders, seeking the most affordable means of production possible, create deplorable and unsafe living conditions for their animals.” So essentially, puppy mills operate with profit as their primary goals and pay little regards to the well being of their animals, thus creating an unsafe living situation.  

Puppy mills exist because there is a demand for puppies.  If people were to adopt non-human animals rather than shop for them, puppy mills would see a steep decrease in revenue.  Another way to put puppy mills out of business is to ensure that if you are shopping for a non-human animal, you are purchasing from a responsible breeder who genuinely cares about the animals.  Later on in this blog post there is more included on how to guarantee a breeder is responsible and you are giving business to the right people.  

Although the exact number of puppy mills is unknown, it’s estimated by the Humane Society that there are roughly 10,000 in the United States.  Of those 10,000, the USDA licenses only 1,902.  Within those 1,902 facilities, there are 107,558 female dogs, each of which produce an average of 9.4 puppies per year.  All together, that’s 1,011,046 puppies every year, which is just over a third of how many cats and dogs are euthanized each year.  Again, all these numbers are the best estimates there are as of December 2016.  Because not even a quarter of puppy mills are licensed, it would be quite difficult to track down every single one of them. Making it impossible to know how many puppies are actually in these breeding facilities across the United States.  It’s estimated that there are just under three million cats and dogs euthanized in shelters every year. This number could decrease dramatically if unlicensed puppy mills were shut down and the number of non-human animals being bred for profit was reduced.  The primary reason for the euthanization of these animals is that there just simply isn’t anywhere for them to go.  If fewer dogs were being forced to reproduce, fewer dogs would end up homeless and euthanized (simply because they wouldn’t have existed). 

An additional benefit of closing down unlicensed puppy mills (or licensing them) is that they could be more closely regulated.  This would mean that government agencies could enforce the humane and just treatment of non-human animals on a larger scale than they currently do.
Dogs who are born in puppy mills often have health problems due to the environment in which they live.  If their caretakers were regulated these problems could be drastically reduced, if not be eliminated, due to better living conditions.  

Some of the common health problems found in puppy mills include epilepsy, heart disease, deafness, sight issues, kidney disease, respiratory problems, blood disorders, fleas, ticks, mange, and the list goes on and on.  Behavioral issues are also prevalent in puppies whom are kept in such conditions.  Puppies need to be kept with their mother and littermates for the first couple of months of their lives, but this doesn’t often happen in puppy mills. The caretakers are too interested in selling the puppies as quickly as possible.  But, without that initial period of socialization and bonding, puppies are more prone to develop fear, anxiety, depression, and shyness.  

San Francisco is one city that is taking strides to shut down puppy mills. They recently passed a law that only rescued dogs and cats can be sold in pet stores, and only if they are older than eight weeks.  This will combat puppy mills and hopefully put them out of business, seeing as they are the ones who previously provided animals to pet stores.  This will also help combat behavioral issues that stem from being separated from their families too early.  Other major cities that have laws similar to this one include, San Diego, Austin, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Boston, and Chicago.

Laws regarding puppy mills vary by state. Twenty of our fifty states require no licensing of these facilities, which means no inspections of them either.  This means that 40% of our country is free to breed and treat animals as they please. The other 60% requires licensing, but not all states mandate inspections.  According to the ASPCA, inspections should occur prior to licensing a new facility and at least yearly after that, but it’s up to the state to decide the specifics.  The USDA does regulate all states, however according to the ASPCA, “these standards are extremely inadequate and poorly enforced. Under USDA regulations, dogs are legally kept in abhorrent conditions—spending their entire lives crammed in filthy, overcrowded stacked cages, often in very poor health—as they are forced to produce litter after litter of puppies who are then sold to unwitting consumers”.  The ASPCA lists the ideal minimum conditions that puppy mills should oblige to; the list includes, but is not limited to, no stacking of cages, adequate veterinary care, a cage at least twice the size of what the USDA requires, no wire flooring, and the list goes on. 

Animals are available for adoption from a variety of places other than puppy mills and pet stores that sell non-human animals from puppy mills.  One place would be licensed breed-specific breeders. There are many things to look for in a good, responsible breeder.  CBS news lists these qualities -  first, do your homework.  Ask around about reputable breeders.  Places to ask are boarding kennels, veterinarians, groomers, or acquaintances.  Secondly, when you visit the breeders’ home you should make sure it is a clean, odor-free space.  Third, you will want to see the entire litter of puppies and at least one parent, if not both.  Look at these non-human animals to ensure they appear healthy, well fed, and that they aren’t afraid of the caretaker.  This could indicate if they are abused or mistreated. A good breeder will not send a puppy home until they are eight weeks of age, minimum.  Expect a fair amount of questions, as a good breeder will want to ensure they are sending a puppy to a suitable home.  Additionally, a good breeder will want to stay in contact with you to ensure the puppy is doing okay and adjusting well to their new environment.  Although licensed breeders are a better place to find a new furry friend than a pet store, always remember that there are plenty of loving animals in shelters who need a home too.  If more animals were adopted every year, we would see fewer being euthanized.  Once again, animals in shelters are only euthanized because they have nowhere else to go.

Another safe place where puppies are available for adoption are from non-profit adoption agencies and local animal shelters.  Rescue groups are non-profit organizations that work on a volunteer basis.  Some are breed-specific, and some rescue all breeds.  Rescue-specific breeders are a great way to combat puppy mills if you have your heart set on one specific type of dog or cat.  These places do sell non-human animals, however the revenue they produce goes straight back into helping more non-human animals (shots, spaying/neutering, food, supplies, etc.) When looking for a good animal rescue or shelter keep in mind the same guidelines for when searching for breeders. Look for cleanliness, age of puppy up for adoption (over eight weeks), ask around, etc. ​​

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References
Burger, K. A. (2013) Solving the Problem of Puppy Mills: Why the Animal Welfare  Bark is Stronger than its Bite. Journal of Law & Policy, 43(259). 259-284.
Monsen, H. (2016, January 29). Why Puppy Mills Exist, And What You Can Do About It. Retrieved March 1, 2017, from http://3milliondogs.com/dogbook/why-puppy-mills-exist-and-what-you-can-do-about-it/ 
Puppy Mills Research. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2017, from http://www.humanesociety.org/news/publications/whitepapers/puppy-mill-research.html
Pet Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2017, from http://www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness/shelter-intake-and-surrender/pet-statistics
A Closer Look at Puppy Mills. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2017, from http://www.aspca.org/animal-cruelty/puppy-mills/closer-look-puppy-mills
Becker, DR. (2011, September 29). Is This the Reason Why Adult Dogs Have Behavior Problems? Retrieved March 1, 2017, from http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/09/29/puppies-taken-from-litter-too-soon-develop-behavior-problems-as-adults.aspx
San Francisco Passes Law Requiring Pet Shops To Sell Only Rescue Animals. (17, February 19). Retrieved March 1, 2017, from http://amp1037.cbslocal.com/2017/02/19/san-francisco-passes-law-requiring-pet-shops-to-sell-only-rescue-animals
Search. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2017, from http://www.aspca.org/search/node?search=puppy mills by state
Dakss, B. (2005, February 02). How To Tell A Good Dog Breeder. Retrieved March 1, 2017, from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-to-tell-a-good-dog-breeder

​Kallie Wolseth

Kallie Wolseth is an undergraduate student studying Psychology at Minnesota State University, Mankato. She is passionate about the fair and humane treatment of all non-human animals and has loved them her entire life. She fosters animals who are looking for their forever families and strives to help as many as possible.