Inside the Puppy Mills

I rescues a dog from a run down crack town.. the conditions they descibe in the article doesn't only happen in the midwest. It happens in all poor areas where there is internet access. Upon searchin locally you will see mix breed puppies and supposed pure breds in poverty striken areas go up for sale.
The dog i bought cost 150, was 3 months old and extremely emaciated. the dog had lived 2 1/2 months outside but was supposedly brought for shots and brought inside and paper trained in two weeks. The dog had an aversion to me but was immediatley close to my wife. she had tapeworm and was dehydrated. she wuld not eat puppy food would only eat human food. we had to wean her to wet/dry mixed food and slowly onto a dry food diet. she seems to have minor digestive problems and im bringin her to get looked at shortly
Unfortunately this problem will not be fixed until there is no poor class of humans.. therefore the only thing we can do as a whole is save the dogs we can and help save their breeders.

Get a grip rainman. There are worse things happening to animals than treating them like humans. Go to the Humane Society International web site, and see how china treats thier dogs.

Stop the abuse. Some people would give anything to have a puppy!! Shut down pet stores in malls across America!!!!! It should be illegal to own or operate a pet store in a mall. Besides the price for a dog from a mall pet shop is ludacris.1200-1500 dollars for a puppy that has spent its whole life in a small cage with a metal floor, going to the bathroom right where it sleeps and eats it is hard to break them of that habit!! So what we need to do is get moving on is BANNING PET STORES FROM BEING IN MALLS AND SHOPPING CENTERS ACROSS AMERICA and leave the breeding to experts!! Thank You.

Guys, I think you are missing a rather large point here while we argue about whether dogs have feelings and how we should control animals. As I have found from experience, buying mass-produced purebred dogs will lead you to spending thousands and thousands of dollars with the veterinarian. This is what you will pay for the pleasure of showing off that attractive representative of the breed. There are reputable breeders out there, but they are difficult to find. The healthiest dogs I have owned have been the two mixed-breed strays I adopted from the County pound. They were also among the most loving- because they're pack animals, of course. So are we.

So if we need to shut down puppy mills, maybe we need to shut down pet stores it the malls all across America!! It should be illegal to have a Pet Store in a mall!! And believe me I see those puppies in the pet stores and I just want to take one home, I would give anything for a puppy, but I refuse to pay 1200 dollars for a puppy that has spent its whole life in a tiny cage with little or no socialization or some training. Ridiculous!!!! Ban Pet stores from shopping Malls!!! That would be a start!!!!!

So if we need to shut down puppy mills, maybe we need to shut down pet stores it the malls all across America!! It should be illegal to have a Pet Store in a mall!! And believe me I see those puppies in the pet stores and I just want to take one home, I would give anything for a puppy, but I refuse to pay 1200 dollars for a puppy that has spent its whole life in a tiny cage with little or no socialization or some training. Ridiculous!!!! Ban Pet stores from shopping Malls!!! That would be a start!!!!!

The reasoning behind shelters and rescue groups charging $100-$300 is;1) the animal has received all medical treatment and spay/nueter and 2) people are more likely to take care of an animal they pay for.
As Ritact states, there is good and bad breeders. Puppy mills are horrid and should be stopped. Animals have feelings and would give their life for someone they love. Rain*man, you sound like a control freak and I pity any animal you own. You don't have to be the "MASTER" in the way you describe to have your animals behave, and yes, many well trained animals are treated like humans, it is called RESPECT. I hope that if there is reincarnation, you return as one of Michael Vicks loosing dogs. Some breeders produce good dogs, others are so inbred that the animals have multiple health and emotional problems. Again as Ritact states, be careful who you defend.

i HAVE SEEN A PUPPY MILL HERE IN FLORIDA. THE ANIMALS ARE FRIGHTENED AND CRINGE WHEN YOU TRY AND PICK THEM UP. A COMMENT TO RAIN*MAN...YOU SOUND LIKE A TOTAL CONTROL FREAK AND I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE HORRID LIFE YOUR ANIMALS HAVE. I HOPE THAT IF THERE IS REINCARNATION, YOU COME BACK AS ONE OF THE LOOSING DOGS OF MICHAEL VICK.

Newsweek do not stop promoting this horrid and sad problem we have in this country. I wish people would STOP buy from puppy stores, that is the only way puppy mills be stop existing,. If there is no demand the the supply will dry up.
Our law makes and enforcer's have to make and 'enforce' the laws pertaining to the torture of these precious creatures. I am so ashamed of what this country allows.
I am involved in dog rescue, all our rescues have been the best anyone could imagine. All they want is warmth and love. It is so easy to give whatf they need.

Most of the puppies I've seen in pet stores have been sickily looking. Puppy mills are just a way for a
person to make money without having to work.Their dogs do the working for them. We have a dog who
had breast cancer .She''s fine now, but the vet told me that because we waited so long to get her
spayed, she got cancer. How many dogs do you think have died because they are forced to have
litters every year? People at Puppy mills don't care. All they care about is $$$$ Puppy mills should be
against the law. Go to the pound and get a dog there. Mutts are the most loving dogs.

Thanks Newsweek for a great, to-the-point, story. And thank you also Mr Taylor for your comments of which I agree 100%. We have three "pure-breds" one of which came from a pet store and the other two were rescued from what I would call less than reputable owners. Luckily, none have had any serious health issues, except that the pet store dog has a mildly deformed left lower jaw which lets his tongue hand out too far. He looks a bit odd, but this deformity only adds to his uniqueness. Would I purchase another "pure bred" from a pet shop? Absolutely NOT. Should puppy mills be shut down? If the state or federal governments don't see fit to come up with suitable regulations for these "breeders," then ABSOLUTELY. As soon as possible!!

As the Founder of American Pet Cross, my position is that breeders who violate state standards of cleanliness, health, and acceptable business practices should be subjected to
Federal jurisdiction and felony charges for animal trafficking. Euhthanasia costs in the United States are approaching 5 billion dollars per year. We euthanize four million dogs per year and approximately the same number of cats.
Our recommendations are as follows:
1. Breeders- Legitimate Breeders need to establish a national cooperative to create high bench mark standars among themeselves and to create barriers to competition for bad breeders. They should fund and operation their own self regulatory operation that supports state inspectors in visits and standards to be applied. They should create a website that publicly displays their breeding name, operation, location, and client list to creat an audit trail for legitimate buyers and purchasers. Each breeder should be required to keep a detailed breeding,birth and placement log open to state inspectors at least quarterly and on random site inspections. Falsifying of information or keeping double books should be a basis for felony charges and indictment. If found guilty, breeders would be subject to fines and forefeiture at public auction all real and personal property associated with the breeding operation much like the DEA does in drug trafficking operations.
2. Pet Shop Owners- Pet Shop owners should be made to show the purchase trail of an animal and post it on the cage in the pets shop in the form of a flyer that a prospective purchaser could review prior to purchase.
They should have books and records open to inspection about purchases, a website showing their vendors and their compliance history, and full transparency about the breeding, housing, care, feeding, birth environment, and shipping standards for all their animals.

As an attorney I can tell you that while stricter laws don't necessarily mean stricter compliance they mean more severe penalties when convicted. Ten years ago Michael Vick's allegations would not have made the 3 rd page of any paper beneath the used car ads. Today, a country is outraged over this moron's behavior.

Write your congressman or woman. Start introducing legislation that elevates the great breeders and disintermediates the bad ones.
The euthanasia costs in the country are approaching 5 billion dollars per year. Every 9 seconds an dog is put down. We have too many animals with out enough opportunties. A principal cause of this is irresponsible and ignorant opportunistic breeders who view animals somewhere between food and dinner.

Our organization is offering up to $5,000 per occurence for information that leads to the investigation, arrest, indidtment, and conviction of puppy mill operators in the country. Send your film or video ot breederwatch@apc.com

We think these breeders should be subject to Felony Laws and forfeiture of both real and personal property if co

As the Founder of American Pet Cross, my position is that breeders who violate state standards of cleanliness, health, and acceptable business practices should be subjected to
Federal jurisdiction and felony charges for animal trafficking. Euhthanasia costs in the United States are approaching 5 billion dollars per year. We euthanize four million dogs per year and approximately the same number of cats.
Our recommendations are as follows:
1. Breeders- Legitimate Breeders need to establish a national cooperative to create high bench mark standars among themeselves and to create barriers to competition for bad breeders. They should fund and operation their own self regulatory operation that supports state inspectors in visits and standards to be applied. They should create a website that publicly displays their breeding name, operation, location, and client list to creat an audit trail for legitimate buyers and purchasers. Each breeder should be required to keep a detailed breeding,birth and placement log open to state inspectors at least quarterly and on random site inspections. Falsifying of information or keeping double books should be a basis for felony charges and indictment. If found guilty, breeders would be subject to fines and forefeiture at public auction all real and personal property associated with the breeding operation much like the DEA does in drug trafficking operations.
2. Pet Shop Owners- Pet Shop owners should be made to show the purchase trail of an animal and post it on the cage in the pets shop in the form of a flyer that a prospective purchaser could review prior to purchase.
They should have books and records open to inspection about purchases, a website showing their vendors and their compliance history, and full transparency about the breeding, housing, care, feeding, birth environment, and shipping standards for all their animals.

As an attorney I can tell you that while stricter laws don't necessarily mean stricter compliance they mean more severe penalties when convicted. Ten years ago Michael Vick's allegations would not have made the 3 rd page of any paper beneath the used car ads. Today, a country is outraged over this moron's behavior.

Write your congressman or woman. Start introducing legislation that elevates the great breeders and disintermediates the bad ones.
The euthanasia costs in the country are approaching 5 billion dollars per year. Every 9 seconds an dog is put down. We have too many animals with out enough opportunties. A principal cause of this is irresponsible and ignorant opportunistic breeders who view animals somewhere between food and dinner.

Our organization is offering up to $5,000 per occurence for information that leads to the investigation, arrest, indidtment, and conviction of puppy mill operators in the country. Send your film or video ot breederwatch@apc.com

We think these breeders should be subject to Felony Laws and forfeiture of both real and personal property if co

baronges: Thank you for your comments. They are right on the mark.

baronges: Great comments. I work for a public shelter and you get it...you understand the reality. The ASPCA recommends that all shelters, including humane societies, stop looking for the "perfect" home and give the animals and the families a chance. Any bozo can buy an animal but try and adopt a homeless one from a shelter and they turn their nose up? Ridiculous! Everyone should find a reasonable shelter that doesn't givre you the third degree.

Thank you, Jamie Remo, for the timely story. And special thanks to the investigator who shared his findings and personal feelings. While the HSUS has been getting some negative press lately, I think we all need to respect that people who work in this field obviously do so because of their love for animals.

Regarding the posting by Rubberbandgirl @ 12/13/2007 23:21:09: ???Good??? is NOT in the eye of the beholder. It???s in the eye of a community of people with solid values. I am clueless how you come up with the idea that home breeders are not the same as puppy mill operations. Seriously, have you ever thought about just how most puppy mill operations started? Even breeding a home pet once is pathetic: who are YOU to force them to have a litter. It???s prostitution, plain and simple and anyone who does it is a pimp. And this business about whacking your rabbit in the back of his head......I won???t even go there.

I bought a puppy from a pet store in my younger days that turned out to be disaster. That dog had all the bad characteristics possible. It had to be destroyed because it attacked both my wife and myself. It had come from a puppy mill that had no control over the problems of the dogs they were breeding. I have never since gotten a animal from a pet store.

A majority of pet store dogs come form puppy mills . If you are interested in a purebred dog, find a breed you want, contact that breed's club or organization, or get a dog from rescue group for that breed. go to your local shelter and adopt a dog. Do not buy a dog from an online pet seller or from a pet store. "AKC registered " does not guarantee anything about where the dog came from or potential health problems.

A majority of pet stores get there dogs form puppy mills, If you want a pure bred dog, find a breed you like, contact that breeds club or organiztion and get a recommendation from them. Rescue a pet from a rescue organization or shelter. Avoid all online pet sellers and pet stores.