Puppy Mills: What they are, why they're a problem and how to spot one

[LeftyMom]

Judging by the threads on the Biden puppy and why he made a pretty bad decision, there's some confusion, at best, with quite a few people about puppy mills, why adoption is the humane choice, etc. So here's a little Q&A, and if you have any questions please ask.

What the hell is a puppy mill anyhow?
A puppy mill is a commercial breeding operation where more dogs are being bred than can be reliably cared for and socialized. Dogs may be caged or chained, are generally housed in outbuildings or trailers, but may be kept outside on chains in temperate areas, generally receive inadequate vet care, and are generally bred far beyond what is healthy for the mother. Injuries and behavioral issues due to inadequate care and low socialization are common. Typically puppy millers breed females repeatedly until they suffer health problems, then either kill them, dump them at shelters or rescues, or try to sell them with falsified medical histories. To the puppy miller, a puppy is a product, not a friend, and a bitch is the machinery for creating that product, not a family member.

Here are typical pictures from puppy mills throughout the US. http://www.prisonersofgreed.org/kennel-examples.html

How are puppy mill dogs sold? How do I know if the dog I'm looking at comes from a mill?

Any dog in a pet or puppy store came from a mill, unless it's a store that hosts rescue groups, such as PetSmart. If you're dealing with a breeder directly or via the internet (and you really should look to adopt, as I'll explain) presence of more than one breed of dog, dogs being kept primarily or exclusively outside or in buildings, or dogs in cages are all very bad signs, as would be excessive numbers of dogs on the property, or multiple litters at one time. Obviously unsanitary or excessively spartan conditions would also be a major warning signs.

But papered dogs should be okay, right?
No. AKC standards, in particular, are very lax, so millers have no problem papering their puppies, even when they come from very unhealthy stock or questionable lineages. Fraud is so rampant in dog breeding, you really can't assume that papers tell you any more about your dog's history or background than your eyes and a good vet can.

Isn't this sort of thing illegal?
Unfortunately some states regulate dog breeding as agriculture, and the same abusive practices visited on food animals are legal for dogs that wind up in family homes. States with particular problems with widespread puppy milling include Pennsylvania, Ohio and Missouri, but puppy mills exist in various states of legality throughout the US.

But what about the dogs themselves?
Unfortunately, puppy mill dogs tend to have significant health and behavioral issues. They really should go to experienced rescuers prior to placement so that they can be screened for common problems like skeletal issues, respiratory diseases and behavioral problems prior to placement, so please don't think that you're doing a puppy mill dog a favor by taking him home. If you find a mill in your search for a dog, please contact your local humane law organization or an animal rescue group so they can shut the mill down, otherwise the breeder will crank out still more pups to replace the one you bought, and nothing will change.

Okay, so puppy mills are a big problem. What can I do?
People don't run puppy mills for the fun of it. They run them because they're greedy, and breeding large numbers of dogs is easy money, since the bitches do the actual work. All you have to do to stop puppy mills is adopt instead, because that takes the profit motive out of it.

But I'm a little nervous about adopting a dog. Who knows where they came from?
Their rescuer does, and wants to find their "forever" home, not an imperfect fit in a home that doesn't last. In fact, because your rescuer wants the best for the dog, and has no profit motive for placement, you'll likely get much more complete and accurate information about the little guy's health, temperament, history and ideal placement situation than you would with a breeder. Breeders are salespeople, rescuers are more like matchmakers. So all you need to do is look for a great rescue dog, and luckily for you, that's easier than ever. Just click on over to http://www.petfinder.com/ and you can search for any kind of dog under the sun, and find a loving companion waiting for you in a foster home, rescue organization or shelter.

Finally, if you have any questions about animal issues, you're always welcome to PM me or flvegan.