Some people use the term puppy mills and commercial breeder interchangeably and I think this is a mistake. We will probably always have large scale commercial breeders who breed dogs for profit, but a puppy mill goes a step further and keeps the dogs in inhumane conditions with very little vet care and human interaction and breeds whatever the market dictates. USDA breeders can sell to Pet Stores and their facilities are inspected and they have to pass minimum standards passed by state law. Most puppy mills are not even USDA inspected and sell directly over the internet, these are the dogs that are really suffering. Congress is trying to pass laws the corrects that loop hole so that these commercial breeders who sell directly to the public, will still need some type of a license and inspection. Unfortunately, the lobbyists for these organizations are very powerful and will try and convince all the small home breeders that this will affect them, so these laws are often blocked. |