I have never bought a puppy from the Van Dusen's, but I do know a little about them. Yes, they are a puppy mill. I have heard that facilities are disgusting and house the dogs in a kennel they made out of an old mobile home. Their puppies are so dirty and they smell so bad that it makes you gag. They clean the place up for inspections, and they always pass here in Arkansas. Unfortunately, in this state the animal abuse laws are very lax and many puppy mills are legal. Vets also have to sign a health certificate before shipping the puppy, even with them knowing it's a puppy mill. I believe that this law is awful and something needs to be done about it. I know that many back-yard-breeders and puppy mills will bring in sick puppies for health certificates. The puppies fail the test, but the breeder will usually keep bringing the dog back until it passes and still sell it without informing the new buyer. I will only buy from a reputable breeder that will allow me on the premises to view the housing of all dogs and their puppies, because I too am a victim of buying a puppy from a puppy mill. It's sad that so many so-called 'breeders' can get away with this. Most cases against them never hold up in court here. I'm sorry to hear that you went through all of this, but I'm glad to hear your puppy is doing better. |