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Originally Posted by Ellie May  www.millbusters.com is a great place to learn about puppy mills.
A puppy mill is a place where dogs are expected to continually reproduce without any regard for their health or the health of the puppies. Hundreds of dogs are kept in one location (there can be less). Their cages are stacked on top of each other and some don't have bottom so the dog's waste goes right through the floor of the cage and unto the floor to sweep up. So they sleep on metal bars. The whole building can be infested with bugs/flies. The dogs rarely, if ever, get medical care and their pups are sold to brokers. The brokers then sell to pet stores. That is why nobody should buy from pet stores. That is what it is supporting. |
This is all true. A BYB(back yard breeder) is someone who breeds with no regard to health testing, conformation of the breeds standard and with no regard to temperment. By health testing i do not mean having the vet take a looksy and say "Yea, hes healthy", im talking testing for hips, heart, etc. People who breed for looks are BYBs. People who breed for money are BYBs. A reputable breeder should breed for the total dog, trying to meet all of the breeds standards. Good breeders strive to not just maintain the breed but strive to better it. The goal of a breeder should be to find the perfect bitch and stud that will produce a better dog than they were. Reputable breeders are few and far between. Breeding small dogs with small dogs just to make small dogs is the most irresponsible breeding.
So in turn we should not support BYBs or puppy mills because they are an insult to the breed that we all claim to love.
EDIT: I forgot to add that most breeders like to evaluate the buyer befor they actually agree to sell them the dog. Its not easy to quality for puppy from a reputable breeder. They usually make you sign a contract stating that you will spay/neuter them so that they cannot be bred. Theres too many unhealthy poory bred puppies that need homes as it is, the breeders are just trying to help prevent it.