Inside the Puppy Mills

And all these websites that advertise online and ship puppies?

ALL PUPPY MILLS!

All those Google ads, and sponsored ads. All puppy mills.

Yes, Newsweek has sponsored ads from puppy mills right on this page.

NEVER EVER get a dog from a website. The puppy mills ship the dog to you because they don't want you to see the kennels.

Got my female Boston terrier Betsy Ross from a mall pet store over 10 years ago and still have her but I know I was lucky. It's still "let the buyer beware" - you don't buy a racehorse from a meatpacking yard. so if you don't want to go to a recognized breeder, save a pet from a hard death at the shelter. . Use your compassion like a tool for good.

The usda is supposed to regulate the puppy mills but they do a poor job of it . The akc does try to police breeder who register their dogs with them by making breeders maintaining good records and making them have microchips or tags on the dogs to positively id them and will ban them if records are not in order or they are refused inspection. Which is why puppy millers are starting their own registries. Yes, you should get your dog from a shelter, rescue or reputable breeder but what do we do with all the puppies that are in pet store already?

If a future dog owner who is serious about gettting a quality pet with little chance that it will have any health problem and it wasn't abused, the only way is to do some research and buy directly from a reputable breeder. That way you will know the pet's history, how it was taken care of, what kind of food it was fed, and you can be sure that the right kinds of shots were administered.

I would like to know why-- after reading this article, I look to the right of this article on the same page and see sponsored ads for "Puppies for Sale" "Puppies for Christmas" "Puppy Classified Ads for Breeders"... Am I missing something? "Adorable Purebred Puppies- Ace Now for Christmas Delivery"...
I thought we were just told by this article to look for dogs in shelters, and to write letters to our editors and politicans to show our concern. Well, having these ads on your pages makes the article counterproductive

I would like to know why-- after reading this article, I look to the right of this article on the same page and see sponsored ads for "Puppies for Sale" "Puppies for Christmas" "Puppy Classified Ads for Breeders"... Am I missing something? "Adorable Purebred Puppies- Ace Now for Christmas Delivery"...
I thought we were just told by this article to look for dogs in shelters, and to write letters to our editors and politicans to show our concern. Well, having these ads on your pages makes the article counterproductive.

Kudo's to those who do inspect these horrible places and to Newsweek and some other news media who will use the outlet to let the public know. Possibly requiring all petshops to have documentation as to which breeder the dogs came from with breeder info. would add a little pressure....and a Pet website listing all backyard/puppie mills names and locations. Petsmart Pet Stores, Petco and www.petfinder.com, as well as others, are to be commended as they are trying to work with rescues organizations.

I applaud Newsweek for keeping these stories of Animal cruelty in the spotlight. The public needs to be reminded of where these dogs come from. And maybe think before they purchase an animal for a pet store or a breeder. There are too many abandoned pets in shelters, I think for anyone to be paying big bucks for a dog or cat. There should be a limit to each breeder of the number of animals they can sell over a period of time. If it's not about the money, then why do breeders ask an absorbent amount of money for a pet?

I work in a Shih Tzu and other small dog rescue. Finally, attention is being drawn to our helpless furbabies. We try to educate the public on the puppy mills and are amazed at those who do continue to seek them out. One only has to look at any newspaper, especially weekend editions, to see advertisements ... yep, there is a lot of money to be made. Local laws do not cover those breeders who are out of the city limits, which a lot of them are. Federal and State laws are the only ones that "may" have any success. Magazines such as Newsweek and other media coverage is about the only way that the puplic will become aware....I encourage all to find a pet from www.petfinder.com and to pass the word., and support those rescue groups whose volunteers work so hard to find homes for the rescues.

I think that some kind of regulation would keep an honest breeder honest, and a puppy mill owner on the run.

Yes, there are lots of dogs in shelters, but none of them come from "reputable breeding establishments" I have been a breeder for 42 years, and my pups go with limited registration, and spay/neuter agreements, to good homes. I don't sell them until they are 12 weeks old, and I'm available for life to give advise, and help.
To summarily dismiss good breeders because of the careless, or cruel ones, is just wrong. It's not fair to the buyer who is looking for a purebred puppy. But the fact is NO reputable breeder will sell to a pet store, or wholesaler of animals, so to get one from such a place IS a bad idea. Do your homework, visit several breeders, and if they have more than 20 dogs, or more than one breed. WALK AWAY, No, RUN.
To the genius who thinks dogs should be left to their own devices where procreation is concerned, Do some checking, and you'll find that that's the biggest reason for the overcrowding of animal shelters. While there are some purebreds, the number of mixed breeds come in at about 500 to 1. The reasons for selective breeding are obvious to anyone with a brian. Knowing adult size, temperament, coat type, physical characteristics, just to name a few. You don't get a cute puppy just to find out that it grew up to be more than you could handle, too large for a small house, or appartment, or any other of at least 20 reasons.
Buyers: Please educate yourselves, and don't be bullied by organizations. Buy from a good, reputable, breeder.

How Ironic that Newsweek sells Sponsored Links to Online Puppy "Breeders" directly adjacent to this article! It's all about the money.

My advice: if you want a purebred puppy, pick the breeder, not the puppy, and then wait for the one that is right for you. Never ever buy an animal from a store.

Animal shelters get their abandoned dogs via people who bought them from puppy mills so what is the difference? Americans and rice people fuss over dogs because they can afford to. In all other poor countries they are merely part of peoples' precious protein source.

Having rescued a mutt lab and a full bred red bloodhound, while working in the pet industry, I completely sympathise with these helpless animals. Yes some breeders are very responsible and love every litter as if they're to keep them as their own pet. But when a monetary value is set and the "owners" are so damn greedy, this is when these horrible situations occure. It's very frustrating to me and I only wish I could save every one of them and make them my own. There are also a lot of sad situations around the holidays where parent / family wants to gift a dog / cat to someone and then soon after find out it 's "just not for them". Shame on you. It's not a blender or toaster you can return. Instead, they're just abandoned. These are living animals who need love just like you and I. I'm beside myself thinking about the horrible situations these animals face. PLEASE!!!!! Shut down all these unacceptable puppy mills and resue as many as you can. The legitimate mills, good for you.... double check yourself, but good for you if you're doing what's right. You'll only thank yourself! Merry Christmas!!!!

Over the last several years i have mellowed toward animals.My wife and i have rescued several dogs and believe me they are greatful for it,and we were greatful to have them in our lives.Puppy Mills should be banned.How would these owners like to live in conditions like that and be treated the way these poor animals are treated.To breed an animal till it can't make any more money for you is disgusting and should not be tolerated.

It seems very strange to me that anyone is allowed to get into the puppy breeding business.
I believe there needs to be laws in place that require a license and a large occupational fee. This would scare off a lot of the home breeders, and allow for more strict regulations.
It's crazy to think that in 2007 - there aren't laws against people who deciding to breed for profit without them going through strict guidelines .