At Happy Healthy Puppy, we work hard to make sure that we get the message across loud and clear: never buy a puppy that came from a puppy mill.
The San Francisco SPCA and the Jullien Brothers and BBDO San Francisco have created a sweet and informative video about why you should never buy a puppy from a puppy mill.
Don’t necessarily believe a pet store if they tell you that their puppies don’t come from a puppy mill. Pet store employees are not always well trained to spot signs of abuse and mistreatment seen in puppy mills.
Often, pet store owners and managers and their staff don’t know the conditions that their pets are bred in. Sadly, the cold reality of many puppy mills is that dogs in puppy mills are often kept in small cages, fed as little as needed to keep them alive, denied adequate medical care, and receive little or no positive human attention.
The parents are seen as breeding machines to create as much profit as possible. Many female breeding dogs are euthanized as soon as they stop producing enough puppies. The puppies are seen as little products, and given only what is needed to get them shipped to a store where they can bring in money.
In the United States, and most other countries, there are laws that prevent cruelty to animals. Given these laws, why do puppy mills still exist? Sadly, its’ a question of lack of enforcement, and an overburdeneded system.
In the United States, Congress passed the Animal Welfare act nearly 35 years ago to, in part, ensure that animal breeders gave their animals humane treatment.
The Animal Welfare Act requires that animals have basic prevention of disease, adequate ventilation and sanitation, ample food and water, adequate housing, and reasonable handling.
What’s the difference between a puppy mill and a breeder?
Puppy mills exist solely to sell puppies for profit. To make a profit, puppy mill owners often subject puppies and breeding dogs to terrible conditions. Puppy mill owners scrimp on proper care, nutrition, and attention just to make more money. Puppy mills will sell puppies to anyone with enough cash.
Reputable breeders ensure that their puppies, and their puppies’ parents, are well looked after. They’ll spend money and time to get the best veterinary care, the most nutritious food, and they make sure their dogs are well socialized. Reputable breeders will only sell puppies to good homes. Reputable breeders do not sell their puppies to pet stores.